Greatest cycling invention of the last 25 years?

[Dogtrousers]

How about those BOA dials for tightening shoes? Are they a great and game changing invention?

Being an old fart I've never tried them, and go around muttering "What's wrong with laces?" but I do see them mentioned on here from time to time.

(Normally because they are broken)

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I don;t really use new tech of any type - I tend to think "this worked in the 1970s so it'll work now"

(apart from ebike of course!!)

but i have to say that MTB type pedals with spikey thing on them to grip your shoes are a massive advance of the pedals I used to have before the LBS introduced me to them

I seriously do not miss the old "foot slips off and the pedal escapes and smashes into your leg on the way back round" thing

no idea if that was in the last 25 years or a decade or so befroe that!

 

[wakemalcolm]

Gates carbon drive, with hub gear, or not, of choice.

I used to think this but Tristan Ridley put me off. As he's an adventure cyclist, he's always had to carry a spare but the spare (which was the same age as his original) snapped shortly after he put it on. He was lucky that he could replace it within a few days but he went back to chains shortly afterwards. Think I'd prefer to take a handful of spare links.

If you're just into commuting and day trips, they're fine, I'd imagine.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I don;t really use new tech of any type

How do you access cyclechat. Via semaphore?

 

[mickle]

I cant think of a single unique 'invention' of the last 25 years. Everything is an evolution of something that went before. Or older than 25.

Freehubs tho.


*Editted four speling

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

How do you access cyclechat. Via semaphore?

Talk to it via Alexa???

 

[Dogtrousers]

I cant think of a single unique 'invention' of the last 25 years. Everything is an evolution of something that went before. Or older than 25.

Feehubs tho.

Feehubs?

Are these subscription-based transmission components? If you don't keep your payments up the pawls lock and the bike reverts to fixed. Or the pawls retract and the transmission just spins.

 

[Jameshow]

Back on subject, probably the biggest development in the last 25 years is the disc brake. Pretty much the whole industry has embraced discs. The two big things are---------------far better in the wet, and they dont scab up you rims and wear them out. And maybe a third is the fact with disc brakes, the rims can be lighter and more aero.

But wheels need to be heavier....

 

[MichaelW2]

Back on subject, probably the biggest development in the last 25 years is the disc brake. Pretty much the whole industry has embraced discs. The two big things are---------------far better in the wet, and they dont scab up you rims and wear them out. And maybe a third is the fact with disc brakes, the rims can be lighter and more aero.

Shimano released cable disk brskes in 1970 and hydraulics in 1970. Hope, Magura, Hope, Hayes, Formula, and Avid made them in 1990s

 

[MichaelW2]

I cant think of a single unique 'invention' of the last 25 years. Everything is an evolution of something that went before. Or older than 25.

Feehubs tho.

Electrical " doping". Sooner or later the old fuddy duddy blazers of the UCI will have to accept dopage mécanique.

 

[Andy in Germany]

But wheels need to be heavier....

An asymmetrical, and put more pressure on the spokes when braking, and they are more complex to repair. Arguably not more expensive when you factor in the cost of rims...

 

[Dogtrousers]

Shimano released cable disk brskes in 1970 and hydraulics in 1970. Hope, Magura, Hope, Hayes, Formula, and Avid made them in 1990s

Although not invented in the past 25 years they have become widely available in that period. They didn't become a thing in the pro peloton until 6 years ago or thereabouts.

I bought my first (and only) "modern" bike (a Spa Steel Audax) in 2012 or so. Discs were available on light tourers at the time, but were a bit of an exceptional oddball option (I think I considered a Jamis bike with discs at the time). I think rim brakes would probably be in the minority if I was looking now.

So they're an invention of the previous century that has really come to the fore in the past 25 years. Not quite what the thread title says, but near enough.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Talk to it via Alexa???

Therefore using very modern technology despite you claims to contrary 🤣

 

[rydabent]

But wheels need to be heavier....

How so?

 

[matticus]

[But wheels need to be heavier....]

How so?

Or you risk floating away!!