Change come hard in the cycling community

[Dogtrousers]

My dear fellow, shall we expect you to perambulate by velocipede on the next Olde Friday Night Ride To Ye Coast?

Whenever that is, yes. I will be dusting off my Drasine. I'm becoming disillusioned with this "pedal" nonsense.

 

[PaulSB]

Replace cable in about 5 minutes and get going again.

True, if you carry a cable and I appreciate people do, but otherwise stuck in a gear.

I think you'll find those who can fix anything by the roadside are very much in the minority these days. It's so rare to encounter a serious mechanical why bother carrying the kitchen sink?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

why bother carrying the kitchen sink?

A cable is what, 59g, hardly kitchen sink stuff.

 

[Profpointy]

A cable is what, 59g, hardly kitchen sink stuff.

I don't think I'd bother replacing a cable at the roadside (though would if proper touring I guess) but would tend to just stick it in a middling gear and ride home single speed, (or with the remaining brake)

 

[Smokin Joe]

If you stopped 100 cyclists at random you'd be lucky to find one who carried anymore than a multi tool and a spare tube.

 

[Jameshow]

And no pump or levers!🤣🤣🤣

 

[Smokin Joe]

And no pump or levers!🤣🤣🤣

I missed those, but I bet it is often the case. Mechanical skills are fast becoming a thing of the past. Witness the number of cyclists who use the quick release lever like it was a wing nut.

 

[lazybloke]

Whenever that is, yes. I will be dusting off my Drasine. I'm becoming disillusioned with this "pedal" nonsense.

They have pedals! Here's one from my French trip a few months back

 

[Ian H]

I missed those, but I bet it is often the case. Mechanical skills are fast becoming a thing of the past. Witness the number of cyclists who use the quick release lever like it was a wing nut.

That's the problem with 'lawyers' lips' (and the reason I always file them down).

 

[Rhythm Thief]

True, if you carry a cable and I appreciate people do, but otherwise stuck in a gear.

But the thing is, you have to really neglect a bike before you get to the point where a cable is likely to actually break. It's exactly the same argument people use when they say Di2 only lets you down if you forget to charge the battery: mechanical gears don't really go wrong unless seriously neglected.

 

[mjr]

But the thing is, you have to really neglect a bike before you get to the point where a cable is likely to actually break.

Unless it's faulty. Which seems to be getting more common with people buying from online marketplaces awash with fakes.

 

[Dogtrousers]

But the thing is, you have to really neglect a bike before you get to the point where a cable is likely to actually break.

True if you are talking about the cable breaking at the mech. But with brifters the other end is hidden away inside the indexing gubbins and not really possible to keep an eye on. And those gubbins have sharp turns where cables might get damaged.

I have on one occasion had a gear cable break inside a 105 Shifter, leaving me with a high-gear ride home (fortunately it was 95% downhill, and not far) Sorting it out completely defeated me, but the magicians at my LBS managed to get the broken end out somehow.

 

[rydabent]

One thing that is symptomatic of the moral decay of modern society is handlebar tape.

A proper, traditional, inside-out taping approach requires no electrical tape trickery near the stem. It proudly holds itself together and is secured by the bung in the handlebar. Outside-in taping, a clearly inferior approach, has taken hold as the simple-minded population has unthinkingly swallowed the lies of Big Bar Tape, in their quest for ever-improving sales of decadent padded bar tape that goes all ruffly unless you wind it on the wrong way - from outside in. They have mentally undermined the cycling population to the point that they are too weak to fight back.

Furthermore, these same purveyors of Satan's windings have somehow forced upon us cables that are routed under the bar tape. What foppery is this? Brake cables should sprout proudly from the tops of the brake levers, before elegantly curving their way to meet the trusty centre-pull companions. Cables that sneak and skulk beneath the bar tape like the evil serpent who deceived Eve can only lead to to sin and ultimately to everlasting damnation.

Cables flopping in the wind are ugly. My son's late 80's bike has the brake lever cables under the tape, and with down tube shifters, the bike is really clean.

 

[mjr]

Cables flopping in the wind are ugly. My son's late 80's bike has the brake lever cables under the tape, and with down tube shifters, the bike is really clean.

Where does he put his gloves when rummaging in pockets or prodding the sat nav, if he can't tuck them between the crossing lines?

 

[matticus]

Cables flopping in the wind are ugly. My son's late 80's bike has the brake lever cables under the tape, and with down tube shifters, the bike is really clean.

A clean look, and very simple (cheap, reliable) components.

It's no wonder I got sucked into cycling by those bikes!