The bicycle zenith

[oldwheels]

Penny farthing? You were lucky. I had to make do with a hoop and stick 😉

The luxury ones owned by kids with rich parents had a ring attaching the stick to the hoop. I only ever had a loose bit of stick.

 

[Fredo76]

That's the view of those who have zero actual experience with electrical systems and imagine them to be more complicated. The opposite is true.

My view is that of a software engineer. Your statement is silly, but your imagination is running wild!

 

[Drago]

Virtual machines would happily run an older version of Windows. And you can still run DOS software on modern Windows, let alone anything that came in between.

How the foxtrot would an ex squaddie like me do any of that?

Indeed, how would the average cyclist do any of that?

"That's no problem, you can maintain sufficient magnetic flux within a 6 metre plasma toroid by firing lasers into a thermonuclear alarm clock..."

We were being told just 2 pages back by DogmaStu that these systems are simplicity themselves, yet here you are now telling us otherwise.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

Used to like riding fixed gear for it's ease of maintenance and simplicity. If I was fit enough and riding everyday, it's probably what I'd revert back to.

Well, if I could get one with disk brakes. There are a few around with disk brakes and eccentric bottom brackets.

Honestly, I think disk brakes are the biggest single advancement in road cycling for non-pro-athletes. That, and sensible cleats. The rest - it needs to just work and be easy to maintain. I rode a bike with friction shifters on the down tube for a couple of seasons. You can get used to that. It's fine. Crap brakes ... that's unbearable.

And anything that needs an app ... well that's just annoying. The smart phone has just become a key part of the cycling eco-system. Speaking as an IT person, that's going to cause some people pain one day. Still didn't stop me buying a Di2 equipped bike though, did it? The electronic shifting is glorious. At least for now.

 

[Illaveago]

Used to like riding fixed gear for it's ease of maintenance and simplicity. If I was fit enough and riding everyday, it's probably what I'd revert back to.

Well, if I could get one with disk brakes. There are a few around with disk brakes and eccentric bottom brackets.

Honestly, I think disk brakes are the biggest single advancement in road cycling for non-pro-athletes. That, and sensible cleats. The rest - it needs to just work and be easy to maintain. I rode a bike with friction shifters on the down tube for a couple of seasons. You can get used to that. It's fine. Crap brakes ... that's unbearable.

And anything that needs an app ... well that's just annoying. The smart phone has just become a key part of the cycling eco-system. Speaking as an IT person, that's going to cause some people pain one day. Still didn't stop me buying a Di2 equipped bike though, did it? The electronic shifting is glorious. At least for now.

How is the electric shifting powered?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Thing is, you can still quite easily run an 80s style bike with new components. There's nothing stopping you from putting, say, friction shifters on ... I dunno ... a Surly steel frame with an 8 speed or 9 speed cassette. You can have best of both worlds and run disc brakes with it maybe too.

OK you'd probably be forced into having a threadless headset, and you'd have to say goodbye to having a screw-on freewheel but if you don't want modern stuff just don't buy it. No need to bellyache about it, no-ones forcing you to use it.

 

[StuAff]

How the foxtrot would an ex squaddie like me do any of that?

Indeed, how would the average cyclist do any of that?

"That's no problem, you can maintain sufficient magnetic flux within a 6 metre plasma toroid by firing lasers into a thermonuclear alarm clock..."

We were being told just 2 pages back by DogmaStu that these systems are simplicity themselves, yet here you are now telling us otherwise.

(i) They're not complicated. Really.
(ii) I would hazard a guess Shimano, SRAM, Campagnolo et al will stop issuing firmware updates (and making new spare parts, more importantly) for a given groupset before this is a potential problem with that given group. Hardware, i.e. a broken derailleur, shifter, etc will be a bigger problem than the software. Already is, unfortunately.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Non standardisation has crept in . Manufacturers like to bring in their own systems which aren't interchangeable with others. I often swap bits from one bike to another on my old bikes . It makes sourcing spare parts so much easier.

This is one aspect which has certainly complicated matters, even within the same manufacturer, especially with modern drive trains where compatibility seems to be a way of manufacturers making more money.

 

[Punkawallah]

Nope, mine had click shifting, and so do both of my sons bikes.

Revisionist heretic!
:-)

 

[gbb]

If you are talking solely about the aesthetics of bicycles then you might have a point, although with aesthetics it is a subjective rather than objective and many people will disagree.

For practicality and ease of use bicycles have always been improving.

And that reflects my views in the slab fronted cars thread, it's just evolution, fashion, taste, whatever. Things move on, it's inevitable

 

[Paulus]

If your life depended on it, you could even resort to one of these (dug out of a 40yr-old drawer):

View attachment 729076

I've still got one of those, comes in handy from time to time.

 

[ianrauk]

I've still got one of those, comes in handy from time to time.
View attachment 729138

Let's be honest here...which self respecting cycling loon doesn't have one of these stashed in the dark recesses of a toolbox somewhere 😁

 

[oldwheels]

The luxury ones owned by kids with rich parents had a ring attaching the stick to the hoop. I only ever had a loose bit of stick.

To add to that we called them girds.

 

[Alex321]

Let's be honest here...which self respecting cycling loon doesn't have one of these stashed in the dark recesses of a toolbox somewhere 😁

Some of the younger ones, who may never have owned a bike with anything but allen bolts.

 

[ianrauk]

Some of the younger ones, who may never have owned a bike with anything but allen bolts.

Hence.. loons.