What Piece of Kit Would You Like To Go Back In Time With?

[Vapin' Joe]

Inspired by an article by Dr Hutch in the comic, what single piece of modern kit would you like to take back to the time you got into cycling and just casually turn up on a club run or race start claiming it was a newly developed item and you had one of the few available?

I'd be back in the late sixties with a set of brifters, sure to have peoples mouths open in amazement at a time when friction shifters were your only option.

 

[Seevio]

I'm going with an ebike. I wouldn't tell them and my run of KOM wins would be legendary.

 

[Sharky]

There are so many ....

A cassette with more than five sprockets
Led lights with AA batteries

 

[freiston]

The problem with this is compatibility and standards - a lot of modern stuff wouldn't fit or work on an old bike - so ideally I would take my whole bike (through axles, Rohloff hub, Gates belt, eccentric bottom bracket, clearance for >2" tyres etc. etc.).

But, all that aside (and I have mused on this since I first used this particular piece of kit), I would be considered a wizard if I could take my modern dynamo hub and lighting back to the years of my youth (70s) or even a couple of decades later. The actual bike I was riding then would, imho, be a decent bike to ride even now, even if some of the cycling fraternity would look down on it.

ETA: most people probably wouldn't notice - but modern Marathon family tyres would make a big difference too. I (almost) can't remember the last time I mended a puncture.

But modern dynamo lights in the 70s/80s (or earlier) would cause a sensation.

 

[raleighnut]

The problem with this is compatibility and standards - a lot of modern stuff wouldn't fit or work on an old bike - so ideally I would take my whole bike (through axles, Rohloff hub, Gates belt, eccentric bottom bracket, clearance for >2" tyres etc. etc.).

But, all that aside (and I have mused on this since I first used this particular piece of kit), I would be considered a wizard if I could take my modern dynamo hub and lighting back to the years of my youth (70s) or even a couple of decades later. The actual bike I was riding then would, imho, be a decent bike to ride even now, even if some of the cycling fraternity would look down on it.

ETA: most people probably wouldn't notice - but modern Marathon family tyres would make a big difference too. I (almost) can't remember the last time I mended a puncture.

But modern dynamo lights in the 70s/80s (or earlier) would cause a sensation.

My Mother's bike had excellent dynamo lighting, a mid 50's Triumph 'Palm Beach' Mixte with Sturmey Archer front Hub-Dyno and a small accumulator on the seat tube it also had the 3 speed rear hub gears and full Bluemels mudguards, The lights were as good as Mopeds of the time. Mum worked as a Clerical Officer for 'Post Office Telephones'* in Leicester for 8 years meeting and marrying my Father then having me was the only reason she left a very well paid job hence being able to afford a quite expensive bicycle which she rode daily from Enderby into Leicester in all weathers (as people did back then)

*Note this was before they became GPO telephones, modern version would be a C/O for BT still a well paid position.

 

[PeteXXX]

My Wahoo.. 👍

 

[esoxlucius]

Looking back now those old clumsy friction shifters on the down tube were awful compared to modern gear changing tech. An old five speed "droppie" was bad enough with one lever, but I was cool and had a 10 speed, so had to deal with two of them!

Nowadays it's a little click on the drops for up and down seamless changes. How did we manage back then.

 

[biggs682]

Looking back now those old clumsy friction shifters on the down tube were awful compared to modern gear changing tech. An old five speed "droppie" was bad enough with one lever, but I was cool and had a 10 speed, so had to deal with two of them!

Nowadays it's a little click on the drops for up and down seamless changes. How did we manage back then.

A lot easier

 

[wakemalcolm]

Looking back now those old clumsy friction shifters on the down tube were awful compared to modern gear changing tech. An old five speed "droppie" was bad enough with one lever, but I was cool and had a 10 speed, so had to deal with two of them!

Nowadays it's a little click on the drops for up and down seamless changes. How did we manage back then.

I had an almost telepathic relationship with my Suntour Powershifters. Pure muscle memory; never had to worry about indexing.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Nowadays it's a little click on the drops for up and down seamless changes. How did we manage back then.

I use friction shifters now. Much prefer them to STI,

 

[VinSumRox]

11-34 rear cassette

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I think taking a modern geometry mtn bike back to the late 80s would be pretty cool.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I'm going with an ebike. I wouldn't tell them and my run of KOM wins would be legendary.

Sadly you would hsve to wait decades for Strava to turn up. Plus you did not take a charger and will just have a heavy slow bike after your first club run 🤣

 

[VinSumRox]

Pogacar's legs

 

[sevenfourate]

Lance Armstrongs ‘pick me up’ kit…….