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

[Darius_Jedburgh]

shimano 600 tricolor

I've just finished trawling Ebay to complete a 600 tricolor groupset for my retro build. Good stuff when it was new, and still good today.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Downtube friction levers are more difficult to use in the sense that a violin is more difficult to play than a Stylophone.
I commuted on DT friction levers for many years and could shift in an instant with no delay. I could shift front and rear simultaneously with one hand.
The one drawback was an unwillingness to shift when going fast down twisty roads.

Learning to play a violin is somewhat harder than using downtube shifters. In fact getting a tune out of a stylophone is somewhat harder than using DT shifters. Nothing could be simpler to get the grasp of than the DT shifter. Where as dual control causes all sorts of problems and no visible sign of what gear you are in.

 

[GuyBoden]

Wheel nuts.

The fashion for QR wheels made them easier to steal, so locking QR were invented, thus defeating the purpose of QR.

The new fangled cycling technology invention of a "thru Axle" are simply a nut and bolt, but £13 each.

 

[GilesM]

They haven't gone away.

Just fewer people are willing to pay the price in terms of misery. (Popularity of big sprockets is also probably related to the relative decline of the triple)

(Happy user of a 34T sprocket here, with bad memories of 28T)

The wonders of the modern double ultra compact chainsets with nice ring sizes like 30/46 mean we shouldn't need big sprockets for the road, although the ultra compact chainset is not exactly new, TA used to do a good range with all sorts of options.

 

[GuyBoden]

I've just finished trawling Ebay to complete a 600 tricolor groupset for my retro build. Good stuff when it was new, and still good today.

I have a complete (Ultegra) 600 Tricolor group set, including hubs, on my 531 competition bike. Very well made stuff, I sold the STI levers, but have the downtube levers.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I find very little difference with DT shifters. It takes me about an hour or two's riding to reprogram my arms to using them & once I've done that then things are normal. Overall I think I probably prefer brifters, but not by a massive amount. The visual indication of gear on a DT shifter requires a downward look, so it's not really all that much different to looking back at the cassette.

A quick glance at downtube is far easier than glancing back and down at cassette to check gear 😆

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’d like to see a return to more things that are simple enough to service yourself and keep going for years. Shimano do at least still use cup and cone bearings.

 

[Milkfloat]

Honestly - there is no cycling technology that has gone away that I would like to see return, anything I want for my retro bikes still exists. I ride my retro bikes to remind me of my youth, if I actually want a fast comfortable ride then I use my modern bikes. Like music, people tend to have rose tinted glasses for an era when they were in their prime. I have never had a prime, so no rose tinted glasses.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

I have a complete (Ultegra) 600 Tricolor group set, including hubs, on my 531 competition bike. Very well made stuff, I sold the STI levers, but have the downtube levers.

I went the other way. Got rid of DT in favour of brifters. Just so much better to use.

 

[GuyBoden]

I went the other way. Got rid of DT in favour of brifters. Just so much better to use.

The 600 STI are ok, until they wear and can't be fixed.

I'll admit that STI were quicker for racing.

 

[Cycleops]

Learning to play a violin is somewhat harder than using downtube shifters. In fact getting a tune out of a stylophone is somewhat harder than using DT shifters. Nothing could be simpler to get the grasp of than the DT shifter. Where as dual control causes all sorts of problems and no visible sign of what gear you are in.

Some of us are veritable Yehudi Menuhins on the old downtube shifters

As for knowing what gear you’re in there’s always your legs and your brain telling you.

 

[GuyBoden]

I'm definitely not of the luddite / nostalgic persuasion, and I tend to like newfangled and different stuff just for the sake of it being new and different, but the popularity of QRs always puzzled me.

I don't take my wheels off very often, and when I do I'm rarely in a tearing hurry. I know some people find them very useful eg when regularly transporting a bike, but they always struck me as a bit pointless. Or if not quite pointless, not very pointy. Even most hybrids come equipped with QRs.

I suppose it does mean you don't need to carry a spanner. Or maybe it's more to do with manufacturing standardisation.

The axles with wheel nuts are solid not hollow like QR, so are stronger too. I have a 15mm spanner in my kit.

 

[fossyant]

Can't agree about QR - no messing - love them. Easy for maintenance, and transporting bike in the car. No fiddling with adjusting - undo lever, drop wheel out - PS no lawyer tabs on my road bikes !

Through axel's are a bit of a pest, they aren't really quick release, but you don't need tools unless you've got a 'stealth' version which uses a hex key. But there is a reason for them - increased load from discs and 'suspension' (MTB).

 

[Trickedem]

Bring back lights that use rechargeable batteries. Preferably AAs. A much better solution for long distance riding and commuting that a crappy usb charged, lithium powered light.

 

[fossyant]

Bring back lights that use rechargeable batteries. Preferably AAs. A much better solution for long distance riding and commuting that a crappy usb charged, lithium powered light.

Hope Vision 1 -