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

[GuyBoden]

It's just hairshirted purism to choose downtube shifters over well set up STI. I have both, and especially on a flatbar bike I'd never have downtube shifters. If you want to differ, be my guest. It's your bike, and mine is mine.

Have you ever tried fixing a STI dual lever, their complexity is why they're nearly always replaced and never fixed.

The metal parts in a STI wear and become unusable overtime, I have a few non-working older STI sets in my garage, they are not durable like downtube shifters.

 

[matticus]

Nope, I was cycling from one rim to the other to avoid them overheating. Not that they ever would, it was freezing and wet through. The problem is the gritty water coming up from the front tyre, there's no getting away from that. Your choices are that you use the brakes or walk down. It's a bloody long way down Ventoux.

Overheating isn't the problem - wearing your blocks out was. Better technique could avoid that. Gritty water is quite common on wet descents, it shouldn't cause you a big problem.

But you switched to discs - whatever makes you happy! I have to say, I've seen lots of people use up their disc brake pads on rides, but never seen rim-brake pads die. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it just seems to be much much rarer.

 

[Drago]

Ordinarys.

Solid rubber tyres.

Acetylene lighting.

 

[matticus]

Perhaps we've got too soft nowadays.
View attachment 589103

They smoked cos they knew the next descent would probably kill them. And if that didn't, riding without a helmet certainly would!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

No, it's a poor solution because it's more difficult to use. It works, but so does lighting a fire when you need to heat your house.

Difficult to use . In the same way a cup is difficult to use for a drink 😂😂😂😂

 

[GuyBoden]

The spectators aren't as good looking nowadays.

 

[Drago]

Plus fours and tweeds.

Handlebar pipe holders.

Manufacturers with proper names, like Excelsior and Cecil.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Legs were much stronger 50 years ago.

I'd like to see a return of mine.

 

[battered]

Overheating isn't the problem - wearing your blocks out was. Better technique could avoid that. Gritty water is quite common on wet descents, it shouldn't cause you a big problem.

But you switched to discs - whatever makes you happy! I have to say, I've seen lots of people use up their disc brake pads on rides, but never seen rim-brake pads die. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it just seems to be much much rarer.

Well, I didn't switch to discs. The bike's the same.

 

[Drago]

Cyclemotors.

White painted sections on rear muguards.

Jose Ferrer riding a stolen 3 speed in The Cockleshell Heroes.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Rim brakes nearly made me extinct coming off Ventoux. It was filthy weather, couldn't see 10 metres, heavy rain. I was wearing everything I had, 5 layers, and I was freezing. I had to stop and run up and down halfway down the descent. 10mph was an absolute maximum speed until we dropped out of the cloud, so my pal and I were both hard on the brakes. Both of us needed new rear blocks at the bottom, and mine had been nearly new.

If the weather was that shite, then why did you go for a ride in the first place? I don't look out of the window, wait until it's really pissing down, then choose that moment to go out for a stroll!

 

[Juan Kog]

Leather faced brake blocks.

With chrome rims ..........in the rain .

 

[Ming the Merciless]

That sounds like a good description of most utterly crap brakes.

Yes rim brakes eh!

 

[Juan Kog]

Yes, and my parents grew up in houses with outside lavatories and no heating until the fire was lit. I don't. I have gas CH and indoor facilities, and I don't crap in the garden. Just because you could, or used to, it doesn't mean that you have to now.

If D/T levers and rim brakes are the cycling equivalent of outside lavs and no central heating . Riding fixed I’m still living in a cave and eating mammoth stew .

 

[classic33]

If the weather was that shite, then why did you go for a ride in the first place? I don't look out of the window, wait until it's really pissing down, then choose that moment to go out for a stroll!

And if it starts on your way back home, what do you do?