What old cycling technology etc would you like to see return?

[davidphilips]

With new technology replacing old, list is almost endless what would you like to see a return of?

My first choice has to be a return of head badges, no function value but a nice bit of bling.

 

[Slick]

Maybe not Litespeed being but my Genesis does still come with a head badge.

 

[Drago]

Metal crank linkages instead of chains.

 

[gavroche]

None, new technology means improvement on the old.

 

[purpan]

Downtube shifters. Much more elegant and hardly difficult to use.

 

[Justified_Sinner]

My first choice has to be a return of head badges, no function value but a nice bit of bling.

Think of the grams!

 

[biggs682]

Woolen cycling jerseys

 

[Justified_Sinner]

Woolen cycling jerseys

OH YES!
I have a Vulpine modern Merino jersey and it is lovely.

 

[rogerzilla]

Internally-geared hubs on kids' bikes.

Saddlebag loops on saddles.

9 speed in better groupsets - it is the sweet spot between "not close enough gears" and "too fussy and expensive".

Triple chainsets.

Horizontal dropouts on lightweight frames (and decent QRs).

Rigid MTBs.

Straight bars on MTBs - riser bars are a joke.

 

[bladesman73]

Downtube shifters. Much more elegant and hardly difficult to use.

I have an 80s steel dawes racer with downtube shifters, I love them more than my 105 shifters on my new carbon bike. So easy to use and fine tune, plus it stops me changing gear everytime the terrain goes up or down by 0.001%

 

[GuyBoden]

Grease ports on hubs and BB.

 

[GuyBoden]

5 speed chains and sprockets lasted much longer.

 

[GuyBoden]

The longer frame pumps and their connectors brazed onto frames.

 

[GuyBoden]

Downtube shifters. Much more elegant and hardly difficult to use.

For true downtube friction shifters, only the rachet type seem to be the longest lasting, Suntour power shifter or Simplex Retrofriction seem to be good, the other makes seem to wear and don't hold in place over 50+ years.

Indexed downtube shifters are modern, different and slightly more complex.

 

[avecReynolds531]

Lugged frames with standard 1" - 1/8" - 1/8" dimensions and horizontal top tubes.