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

[Ming the Merciless]

32 spoke wheels

I am running 36 spoke wheels on my recumbent. Guess what, they haven’t slowed me down vs. lesser spoked wheels.

 

[Drago]

Leather faced brake blocks.

 

[battered]

pfffft, I used down tube shifters for 18 years and they worked perfectly all that time. Riders have no problem reaching for water bottles which are lower down and more awkward to handle.

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.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Yes, and my parents grew up in houses with outside lavatories and no heating until the fire was lit. Just because you can, it doesn't mean that you have to.

When people choose to, instead of STI. Doesn’t it make you question why they are considered superior to STI?

If downtube is the outside lav then STI is the hole in the ground.

 

[matticus]

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.

That's just bad braking technique for long hills.

(I had similar weather descending Col du Glandon - except it was warm enough to keep riding, July; then Tourmalet in October. I stopped to do star-jumps instead of your running trick! )

Anyway, the rim vs disc debate has taken up Gb of bandwidth already. I don't want to rehash it all, except to say it's absurd to write-off rim brakes now; even if you think they're useless/lethal, it's pretty clear enough of us WILL keep them viable for a few years yet. So there :P

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Cycle clothing that isn’t padded and isn’t black

 

[GuyBoden]

Suicide levers for drop bars. Very useful when pootling around.

Yes, I agree, I was pootling around on my old Galaxy this afternoon with Suicide levers, I use them all the time, they're great for slowly, slowing down for corners, things of interest, etc. I get on the drops for any serious stopping.

Below is a pic of probably the best simple engineering solution for gear levers ever created, Simplex Retrofriction.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Cycling capes and a deer stalker for head protection.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Rolled up blankets, with a bottle of whisky in the middle, strapped to the bars for bike packing.

 

[battered]

When people choose to, instead of STI. Doesn’t it make you question why they are considered superior to STI?

If downtube is the outside lav then STI is the hole in the ground.

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.

 

[Teamfixed]

You're all way off...
Chamois lined shorts!
Wallop!!!!!!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

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.

Nothing hair shirt about it. It’s just a far better engineered gearing solution. Tried STI, it was shoot in so many ways. If it suits you fine, but don’t mistake that for it being superior.

In summary something does not become hairshirt or a poor solution because it’s an older one. Good solutions remain just that. Good.

 

[battered]

That's just bad braking technique for long hills.

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.

 

[GuyBoden]

Perhaps we've got too soft nowadays.

 

[battered]

Nothing hair shirt about it. It’s just a far better engineered gearing solution. Tried STI, it was shoot in so many ways. If it suits you fine, but don’t mistake that for it being superior.

In summary something does not become hairshirt or a poor solution because it’s an older one. Good solutions remain just that. Good.

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.