What will be the next 'big thing' for bikes?

[Nearly there]

A machine gun to deal with left hookers,

And a bazooka on the back for those cars that get too close

 

[sdr gb]

Mini windscreen wipers on your glasses for riding in the rain.

 

[ColinJ]

Mini windscreen wipers on your glasses for riding in the rain.

I've often wanted something like that!

Actually, what I want is a pair of cycling glasses that keep 100% of any wind, rain, sleet, snow, hail or grit out of my eyes without becoming obscured by water droplets or steaming up.

 

[MontyVeda]

a track pump you can fit in your pocket

a track pump concealed in the seat post.

quick release the seat post, seat pops up, attach hose to valve near bottom bracket and pump the spring-loaded seat post up and down until the desired pressure has been achieved.

 

[MontyVeda]

why not compressed air in a section of frame, complete with connecting hose and gauge?

dang you beat me to it... kind of.

 

[coffeejo]

This is very much a wish list idea - seat posts that automatically centre themselves so you don't spent the next three weeks making slight adjustments to the left, to the right and then back again if you accidentally knock it out of alignment whilst adjusting the height.

 

[MontyVeda]

This is very much a wish list idea - seat posts that automatically centre themselves so you don't spent the next three weeks making slight adjustments to the left, to the right and then back again if you accidentally knock it out of alignment whilst adjusting the height.

 

[PBancroft]

Petrol engines, and a radio. Maybe better cushioning for the seats... hell, why not have five of them per bike? I suppose you have five seats you're going to need more wheels - a bit controversial, I know, but that's how the best ideas come about. Some sort of casing to keep the weather out would be nice. And fewer gears. My bike has far too many gears. About five seems right. And a reverse.

Hm. And tax. Definitely tax.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I've had some great ideas, if only somebody could figure out a way of getting them to work ...

• Don't you think it is a pain having to take your hands off the bars to reach down for the gear shifters? I reckon it would be great if the shifters could be mounted on the bars themselves, or even better - combined with the brake levers somehow.
• Another problem with gears is getting the adjustment right when changing up or down. I find that the chain always ends up making funny noises or auto-changing to another gear. What we need is some sort of gear 'quantiser' that makes gear changing 100% accurate.
• I've had it up to 'here' with clips and toestraps. The straps cut off the circulation in my feet and I always struggle getting my feet in or out of the clips unless I leave the straps really loose, in which case why should I bother with them? We need a special clip embedded in the sole of each cycling shoe, preferably not protruding from the bottom. That would engage in a mechanism attached to the pedal. Feet would be securely fixed to the pedals when riding, but could easily be detached when coming to a stop. I really think that would be popular!
• Paper maps are great at home but not so handy on a bike. I don't want to stop at every junction and take out a map to see where to go next, especially if it is wet and windy. Yes, we can buy bar-mounted map holders, but then we have to stop every now and then and take out the maps and refold them. Then of course - what if we are riding near the join between 4 maps? We might have to swap between all 4 maps as we progress on the ride. Ideally, we'd have a machine which could tell us which way to turn. I'm not sure that it would ever be possible to construct such a device, but it would be useful if some clever clogs could work out how to do it!
• I live in a hilly area and need gearing which can cope with steep climbs and fast descents. With only 10 gears, it is hard to cover such a wide range of speeds effectively without big steps between each gear. I would like to see the production of a so-called 'triple-chainset' with an extra ring to give us low gears without big steps between the rings. Having only 5 sprockets is a bit of a handicap though. The only way for them to cover a wide range of speeds is to have those big steps again. 10 or 11 sprockets in one cluster would be fantastic, though of course it would be impractical to do this because the back wheel would have to be dished beyond any safe limit - we can only dream of such a thing!
• How about frame materials which are lighter and stiffer than steel and which don't rust? I'm sure that the materials scientists can come up with something.
• Cycling clothing which isn't itchy and doesn't go baggy when wet!
• Saddles with bits cut out. I've never enjoyed perineal pressure so why not just remove the bits of saddle which cause that!

You probably thought that bike design was already perfect but I hope that my ideas prove that there is still progress to be made? All it will take is a few bright people to bring them to fruition ...

You're living in the realms of fantasy there, son. None of those ideas will ever catch on, they'll break, pack up in the middle of nowhere leaving you stranded, won't be any better than what we've already got, and if ten gears and a steel frame were good enough for Tom Simpson then it ought to be...

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

How about a WAD - a Wind Abatement Device?

 

[Manonabike]

Autopilot?

 

[Leedsbusdriver]

Fit a dynamo to the back wheel,then wire it up to a kettle so you can have a brew on the go.

 

[Fab Foodie]

a track pump concealed in the seat post.

quick release the seat post, seat pops up, attach hose to valve near bottom bracket and pump the spring-loaded seat post up and down until the desired pressure has been achieved.

Been done I think ...

 

[Leedsbusdriver]

Doesn't your butler follow you with the silver service?

Yeah but he is 84 now so he gets out of breath after 10 miles (lazy bugger)

 

[Night Train]

Anti theft device.