Change come hard in the cycling community

[PaulSB]

What's the roadie feeling on suspension stems, rear suspension, dropper posts etc, I wonder? I can guess...

I do think that resistance to change is a factor in adopting new technology, certainly on CC.

Older people tend to resist change much more than younger people, and let's face it, the CC demographic is skewed towards the ancient end of the age spectrum.

As a roadie and gravel rider my latest bike, 3 weeks ago, has a Redshift stem. It's a Kinesis ATR-V3 intended for winter and gravel riding. So far I'm enjoying the stem. I'll probably have one on the summer bike I'm pondering for 2025.

While I agree there is an apparently high resistance level to new technology on CC I don't think, in general, older people are resistant to change and adopting new technology. I do think the resistance levels are high on CC, I have the impression amongst cyclists there is traditional cohort who view those who embrace change or technology with some disdain.

In my social circle, cycling or civvy, I know few people who don't/won't embrace technology. Those who don't/won't/can't tend to be people who didn't need to use technology in the workplace.

 

[Oldhippy]

I think so much of is just redesign that doesn't really need redesigning personally. Electrickery gears for example on anything that is intended for utility or cycle touring for example is just another faff you don't need, the same for rechargeable lights when modern dynamo does a more than good job. Just my tuppence worth.

 

[presta]

I made the mistake of fitting one of those egg shaped rear dynamo lights to my Karrimor carrier, swapping the 6V bulb for a 3V one and wiring it up in parallel to my front Never Ready light

For years I had a dynamo front light running off the D cells in an Ever Ready rear light, it was ideal for me as it meant the batteries actually got used up instead of just self discharging.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I think so much of is just redesign that doesn't really need redesigning personally. Electrickery gears for example on anything that is intended for utility or cycle touring for example is just another faff you don't need,

You might not need them, but others have enthusiastically embraced them and wouldn't go back.

The modern technical advantages are there for those who want them but it doesn't stop anyone happy with down tube friction shifters on a steel frame from using them. Everything is still available.

 

[All uphill]

I think so much of is just redesign that doesn't really need redesigning personally. Electrickery gears for example on anything that is intended for utility or cycle touring for example is just another faff you don't need, the same for rechargeable lights when modern dynamo does a more than good job. Just my tuppence worth.

Agreed.

I tour, tootle about and do my shopping by bike. The simple and cheap bikes I have meet those needs. I don't need more.

If I was competitive I can see that I'd value more tech.

The one advance I'd like is hydraulic brakes, but that's not cheap or easy on my bikes.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Most brakes have sufficient braking power most of the time. The difficulty is accessing that power safely, when the consequences of locking the wheels can be disastrous.

My issue with disc brakes on bikes is precisely the opposite. Some of my commute is on narrow lanes with poor sightlines and I always worried about instinctively grabbing a big handful of disc brake and catapulting myself over the bars!

 

[raleighnut]

My issue with disc brakes on bikes is precisely the opposite. Some of my commute is on narrow lanes with poor sightlines and I always worried about instinctively grabbing a big handful of disc brake and catapulting myself over the bars!

I've got a bike with cable brakes that'll do that......................Raleigh 'Road Ace' (531 frame) with 105 calipers and 'Bar End' brake levers on 'Bullhorn' bars, now it's all supposed to be compatible but more than one finger on the brake levers causes either wheel to lock instantly.
It's OK to ride normally but one bit of 'panic braking' and I've been over the top more than once, everything is set up perfectly there is just no 'feel' to the brakes.

 

[Jameshow]

In the last 30 or more years, there has been three really big improvement in cycling. They are click shift, clipless pedals, and disc brakes. I have been around long enough to see the introduction of all three. And in the case of all three, the cycling and especially the racing communities, pushed back really hard. Since all three had common sense and logic behind them, can anyone tell me why the cycling community resists change with such vigor?

Not to mention carbon fibre, aheadset, factory built / carbon wheels...

Disc brakes are heavier and dont really improve braking on a road bike. A commuter definitely but I can still lock my brakes using DP calipers.
Those with weaker hands may differ....

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Some of my commute is on narrow lanes with poor sightlines and I always worried about instinctively grabbing a big handful of disc brake and catapulting myself over the bars!

You’d rather grab a big handful and keep moving at speed on a collision course?

 

[Punkawallah]

Not to mention carbon fibre, aheadset, factory built / carbon wheels...

Disc brakes are heavier and dont really improve braking on a road bike. A commuter definitely but I can still lock my brakes using DP calipers.
Those with weaker hands may differ....

The nice boys at GCN have done a couple of videos demonstrating that disc brakes have a shorter stopping distance than rim, and hydraulic have a shorter stopping distance than cable.

 

[PaulSB]

My issue with disc brakes on bikes is precisely the opposite. Some of my commute is on narrow lanes with poor sightlines and I always worried about instinctively grabbing a big handful of disc brake and catapulting myself over the bars!

I suspect if you grabbed a big handful of any brake you would go over the bars. Emergency braking is always going to run that risk.

 

[matticus]

While I agree there is an apparently high resistance level to new technology on CC I don't think, in general, older people are resistant to change and adopting new technology. I do think the resistance levels are high on CC, I have the impression amongst cyclists there is traditional cohort who view those who embrace change or technology with some disdain.

In my social circle, cycling or civvy, I know few people who don't/won't embrace technology. Those who don't/won't/can't tend to be people who didn't need to use technology in the workplace.

I work in the Space industry, where much innovation is born, but we value reliability.

We embrace useful tech, not tech that has a big marketing budget.

And yes, I am cautious about new bike tech: it's rarely as useful as e.g. a new improved laptop. Plus I guess Im old enough to have seen many "Next Best Things" die on their arses.

L-shaped cranks Sir? Suits you!

 

[iandg]

Racing background from early 70s to mid 80s. I adopted clipless pedals and slant parallelogram gear shifting pretty quickly.

Since stopping racing - I tried STI shifting, didn't like it, like the option to switch to friction when things go wrong. I tried tubeless but the few times it failed I needed a tube and a tyre boot so what was the point?

My new e-bike has disc brakes. I like them but I don't find it a much better system to the V-brakes on my Surly Cross Check and Long Haul Trucker. With the CC and LHT I have a number of components that are interchangeable and various spares that I can use if needed.

To me it's a money (and 'environmental') thing.

Why upgrade and spend more money to keep up with bike trade fashion when I have everything that suits my needs?

 

[PaulSB]

I work in the Space industry, where much innovation is born, but we value reliability.

We embrace useful tech, not tech that has a big marketing budget.

And yes, I am cautious about new bike tech: it's rarely as useful as e.g. a new improved laptop. Plus I guess Im old enough to have seen many "Next Best Things" die on their arses.

L-shaped cranks Sir? Suits you!

Yes, me too, I've seen a lot of stuff come and go. I think most of us are savvy enough to know L-shaped cranks were pretty daft. In fact the only time I heard them discussed was on CC!!!! 🤣

I would argue 99% of new tech comes with a big marketing budget. To dismiss that tech because of a marketing budget is, to my mind, a part of the resistance this thread is discussing.

Do Apple leave their new iPhone, Macs etc. on a shelf gathering dust? Does Samsung pile hundreds of boxes in phone shops waiting for punters to have a look? No, of course not. All new tech, useful or not, comes with a big budget to tell us it exists.

Shimano would never ship a few di2 kits to the local LBS and rely on word of mouth. If I questioned the value of a product based on marketing spend I'd never try/buy anything.

There's plenty of expensive cycling tech that works. Following an RTC I need di2 to help me change gear. Possibly the same for disc brakes though i've had them for years. Garmin Varia has been a boost to my confidence since I got back on the bike after being hit from behind by a tractor.......at 35mph.

I'm alive, possibly thanks to helmet technology.

 

[PaulSB]

Speaking of helmet tech, this popped up in my news feed. Now we all need one, perhaps two.......a spare for when we have a fall?

Clever helmet!!