Modern bike features that've spoiled old bikes for you..

[Ming the Merciless]

Ahh, but 'back in't day' 'when men were men', touring on single speeds & three gear derailleurs were the norm - !

As was walking on hills

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good evening

Oh and Thru-Axles, brilliant things that guarantee perfect wheel alignment every time.

Okay, I have to admit to wimping out and getting the occasional lift home. :-)

With Q/R it is just flick/flick and the bike is in the car and at the other end it is just as easy.

No, oh that's unfortunate when you realise that the thru axle fell out and is in the car boot a mile or two up the road.

Bye

Ian

 

[chriswoody]

With Q/R it is just flick/flick and the bike is in the car and at the other end it is just as easy.

No, oh that's unfortunate when you realise that the thru axle fell out and is in the car boot a mile or two up the road.

With Q/R you have to first hope you have a bike without the dreaded lawyers lips, which completely defy the words quick and release. Then with disk brakes you have to faff around lining the disk up in the caliper to prevent rubbing as you close the lever. I have them on one of my bikes and I hate the cursed things.

With Thru-Axles the first thing you do on removing the wheel is pop the axle back in the frame and nip it up finger tight. That way no dirt gets in the threads and you don't misplace them. There's no way anyone will convince me that they are not superior to QR, I find them a godsend and make maintenance so much easier.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Built in USB Chargeable Battery instead of Changeable Batteries on Lights

Yeah I know Dynamo (and oil lamps I presume) came earlier but I prefer a light I can change the battery on myself.

Yup - built in LED lights can be a pain
a few times I have put a rear light on and got home to find it had run out of electrons at some unknown point on the way back

I now have 3 rear lights and 2 on the front so I can be reasonably sure at least one will stay on!!

when I had batteries then they lasted longer and I could carry sone soare batteries
I suppose they still could still have run out and me not notice but they never did

Of course - I could by more expensive LED lights with bigger internal batteries but they will still run out unless I charge them before every trip

 

[Jenkins]

STI (and SRAM equivalent) shifting/braking system with hidden cables.
Cotterless cranks and external bottom brackets
Aheadsets

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Then with disk brakes you have to faff around lining the disk up in the caliper to prevent rubbing as you close the lever.

Never had that issue in 22 years of running disc brakes and QR.

 

[chriswoody]

Never had that issue in 22 years of running disc brakes and QR.

Your not the first person I've heard say that, so maybe it's not a universal issue. I've only ever owned this one bike with hydraulic brakes and Q/R.

Also my back wheel goes back in no problem at all, it's just the front wheel, along with the lawyers lips, is an absolute pig to get in. For some reason it requires getting the lever to close almost 80%, then gently eyeballing the rotor in the caliper and pushing the wheel as you close the last bit. Get it wrong and the pads will rub the disc.

Could well be that if you were to measure everything with precision tools, that something is out of whack slightly, I really don't know. Maybe it is just my bike and no others, but it really is a pain in the back side.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Your not the first person I've heard say that, so maybe it's not a universal issue. I've only ever owned this one bike with hydraulic brakes and Q/R.

Also my back wheel goes back in no problem at all, it's just the front wheel, along with the lawyers lips, is an absolute pig to get in. For some reason it requires getting the lever to close almost 80%, then gently eyeballing the rotor in the caliper and pushing the wheel as you close the last bit. Get it wrong and the pads will rub the disc.

Could well be that if you were to measure everything with precision tools, that something is out of whack slightly, I really don't know. Maybe it is just my bike and no others, but it really is a pain in the back side.

I am with you on this.

It was a pretty universal issue back in the day on MTB forums.

I have owned 3 MTB's over the years with discs and QR's (Marin, Giant & Pace) and none of the discs ever lined up with the pads after a wheel removal and refit.

Same with road bikes and rim brakes. Fettle the pads just right, take the wheel off and replace, and the pads were never quite in the same position in relation to the wheel rim.

TA's: perfect every time.

QR's are pretty naff old-tech, imo.

 

[raleighnut]

As was walking on hills

I've still done that with a 21 gear bike (3x7 with 30-28 bottom gear) when it gets to the point of going so slowly uphill that you are slower than walking then I get off and push, please note this is with a heavily laden touring bike, Tent, sleeping bag, stove, pans, some food, and some clothes. It's still easier than carrying all that crap but then who wants to spend a week with the same undercrackers on except maybe @Drago for me I'd sooner have a change and summat dry if it has been persisting it down all day

 

[Mike Ayling]

I dislike disc brakes on road bikes, OK on MTBs (in fact I own a Mountain bike with disc brakes) but on a road bike they're fugly

Agree

 

[brommieinkorea]

first question is, is my 1988 bike vintage ?

I like the concept of disc brakes, but what are they like for maintenance for someone who rides all winter
I dislike my rim brakes on dirty winters days when they grind the rims away, just hate that noise, but would I be better off with discs, or do they come with their own set of problems?

Uh vintage,? Maybe. Rim brakes destroy the wheel, disc's do not, and the mechanical ones are easier to work on than rim wreckers.

 

[brommieinkorea]

Good evening,

The one thing that I could be persuaded is a loss is a frame tube large enough to take a down tube battery so that I could have an X35 (or similar) ebike.

Imagine this as an ebike, the hub motor would almost be hidden by the large sprocket... and then ........ imagine it again with a proper fork and head tube.

View attachment 759235

I went Di2 (10 speed with lots of wires) on my new old stlye 753 frame and as most new electronic gears are wireless (to a greater or less degree ) it is even easier if buying new.

Although I don't have the desire (or the nerve ) to try it,

View attachment 759224
you may be able to glue some disc brake mounts to a steel frame.
(
I think steel is implied by old,
Old bamboo will have rotted away.
Oh no it won't, m' mate has one he made in Vietnam in the early 70s
)
I am only semi joking;

That way you get the pleasure of a really annoying shriek for about 1 wheel rev every time the pads get wet and you get to pay the LBS £54 3 times a year for 4 new pads and these are just Tiagra level (okay about £35 on line)! Gotta love this progress thingie.

But I do like the feel of hydraulic brakes, if only they made hydraulic rim brakes (but isn't a rim a disc without a hole, a-la Polo mints?) as I am not sold on thru axles. Actually I do remember talking about them in 1970s and we all felt stupid, why would anyone do that? I was too young for it to be pub talk but......

Bye

Ian

Hydraulic rim brakes were a thing ,Magura I think. They still destroyed the wheel.