"Thank you for listening to my FRED talk."

[slow horse]

View: https://x.com/bikesnobnyc/status/1858199452009337072

Any thoughts about the following?

"We destroyed the road bike in 20 years...

"By 1996 we have Dura-Ace 7700. Integrated shifter as good as anything today, or bar-ends and even downtube shifters also available. Came in triple and even worked with MTB derailleurs.

"Brakes are powerful, can be fine-tuned even while riding, and even in short-reach will clear a 28mm tire.

"By early 2000s you have your choice of frames in steel, aluminum, carbon, or titanium--or any combination thereof.

"Also, thanks to those brakes and a decades-old invention called the "quick release," wheel changes took about nine seconds.

"Cranks come in standard, triple, or compact. Stems, headsets, seatposts, etc. were largely cross-compatible between road frames, and even between road and mountain.

"So what have we gained since then?
--Disc brakes that really only exist because rim braking sucks on the carbon rims 95% of people don't
need
--Proprietary cockpits, proprietary bottom brackets, proprietary seatposts, proprietary everything
--Shifters that need to be charged (!)

"Oh, wider rims and tires I guess...which will generally work fine on your 30-year old bike anyway.

"And if course modern road bikes look better...if you are completely insane.

"Thank you for listening to my FRED talk."

 

[Smokin Joe]

Even nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

 

[Drago]

I don't see the problem. If the new bikes aren't your thing then ride old bikes.

 

[mickle]

Yep. All my bikes are chromoly, square taper, rim brake, nine speed (or less). I guarantee that i will never own a bike with internal cables/hoses that run through the headset.

 

[Alex321]

View: https://x.com/bikesnobnyc/status/1858199452009337072

Any thoughts about the following?

"We destroyed the road bike in 20 years...

"By 1996 we have Dura-Ace 7700. Integrated shifter as good as anything today, or bar-ends and even downtube shifters also available. Came in triple and even worked with MTB derailleurs.

"Brakes are powerful, can be fine-tuned even while riding, and even in short-reach will clear a 28mm tire.

"By early 2000s you have your choice of frames in steel, aluminum, carbon, or titanium--or any combination thereof.

"Also, thanks to those brakes and a decades-old invention called the "quick release," wheel changes took about nine seconds.

"Cranks come in standard, triple, or compact. Stems, headsets, seatposts, etc. were largely cross-compatible between road frames, and even between road and mountain.

"So what have we gained since then?
--Disc brakes that really only exist because rim braking sucks on the carbon rims 95% of people don't
need
--Proprietary cockpits, proprietary bottom brackets, proprietary seatposts, proprietary everything
--Shifters that need to be charged (!)

"Oh, wider rims and tires I guess...which will generally work fine on your 30-year old bike anyway.

"And if course modern road bikes look better...if you are completely insane.

"Thank you for listening to my FRED talk."

Mostly rubbish.

Particularly "Disc brakes that really only exist because rim braking sucks on the carbon rims 95% of people don't
Need".
Disc brakes came about through mountain biking, nothing to do with carbon rims.
Once present for MTB, it was found they imrpoved performance in the wet even on road bikes, without much downside.

There are plentry of people against disc brakes because they add weight and (some people think) complexity. But the adoption of disc brakes has never been about carbon rims.

 

[a.twiddler]

Grumpy old man moaning about change.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've never owned any of these things and there are tons of bikes available without them.

Disc brakes actually appear to be pretty good - loads of people use them and like them. I've never tried them but I'll take it on trust. Who knows, I may get a bike with them some day. Ditto electronic shifters.

Proprietary cockpit? WTF? You need to be buying a rather niche aero race bike for this to be a problem.

You forgot to complain about tubeless tyres, btw. They've ruined everything.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Grumpy old man moaning about change.