Cycling myths or common-knowledge you'd like to see dispelled

[Blue Hills]

Middle aged blokes in black lycra drop 2kg.
That suspicious bulging you can see is an integral water bladder, allowing them to ensure that the bike is only burdened by a single small bottle.

 

[roley poley]

so you find that sort of saddle comfy then?

 

[Blue Hills]

Real cyclists don't have bells - don't need them - to let you know they are shaving past is a crime against coolness for which the rules police will drag them from their bike and sit them on an Apollo with a minimum of 15 springs.

 

[byegad]

You're all mad.
If you don't ride a recumbent you (up)wrong.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Useful summary here, which others may know but I had forgotten. Interesting that the safety regs don't apply to recumbents as the saddle height exempts them, under an exemption intended to exclude pavement cycles intended for toddlers.

https://www.cyclinguk.org/cyclists-library/regulations/safety-regulations

Depends on the recumbent. High racers and more more upright recumbents will likely exceed the max height 635mm rule. But recumbents don’t have saddles so it’d be an interesting interpretation anyway.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/198/regulation/3/made

 

[MichaelW2]

All cyclist are tight, surely that one is not correct, only about 99% are.

Cycling equipment is simultaneously ridiculously expensive and a sign of poverty.

 

[RichardB]

Depends on the recumbent. High racers and more more upright recumbents will likely exceed the max height 635mm rule. But recumbents don’t have saddles so it’d be an interesting interpretation anyway.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/198/regulation/3/made

Sorry, *some* recumbents.

 

[Blue Hills]

Bicycle development and innovation has been on a continuous upward curve since the late 19th century. So the latest thing is the best thing.

 

[RichardB]

Bicycle development and innovation has been on a continuous upward curve since the late 19th century. So the latest thing is the best thing.

Doesn't just apply to bikes, either.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Bicycle development and innovation has been on a continuous upward curve since the late 19th century. So the latest thing is the best thing.

,
There have only really been a handful of really significant technical developments that can be regarded as game-changing. The Safety Bicycle generic design, pneumatic tyres, sprung saddles, internal hub gears, rider operated derailleurs, light butted steel frames, cable operated brakes, alloy rims, indexed gear shifting for derailleurs (remember SA hub gears have always been indexed!), carbon fibre. Most of what gets promoted now is just marketing spin and of insignificant value. The bulk of the important milestones happened well over fifty years ago, some over a hundred years ago.

 

[Blue Hills]

,
There have only really been a handful of really significant technical developments that can be regarded as game-changing. The Safety Bicycle generic design, pneumatic tyres, sprung saddles, internal hub gears, rider operated derailleurs, light butted steel frames, cable operated brakes, alloy rims, indexed gear shifting for derailleurs (remember SA hub gears have always been indexed!), carbon fibre. Most of what gets promoted now is just marketing spin and of insignificant value. The bulk of the important milestones happened well over fifty years ago, some over a hundred years ago.

I'd add decent cartridge bottom brackets (not external bearing things) - though you could argue that they are just a development of what existed before, they make life a lot easier.

 

[ianrauk]

Everyone has a clipless moment.... nonsense.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Everyone has a clipless moment.... nonsense.

Especially as the vast majority of riders use flat pedals.....

 

[Paulus]

I'd add decent cartridge bottom brackets (not external bearing things) - though you could argue that they are just a development of what existed before, they make life a lot easier.

Were cartridge bearing really needed then? The old style cup and cone bearing worked very well for decades, and still do. They are fully serviceable so unlike the cartridge in this throw away society are more environmentally friendly.

 

[tyred]

I'd add decent cartridge bottom brackets (not external bearing things) - though you could argue that they are just a development of what existed before, they make life a lot easier.

I think it is a great shame that the design used in my Viscount Aerospace did not become commonplace as it is maintenence free and so simple and easy to rebuild using off the shelf sealed machine bearings available from any engineering or agricultural provider for pennies.

The one development in recent years that I think might offer a worthwhile advange are disk brakes.