What's the best cycling innovation in 'recent' years?

[Smeggers]

Carbon Fibre mebbe then

 

[User482]

The crud catcher.

 

[asterix]

Modern fabrics for clothing.

 

[ghitchen]

My first bike was a 5-speed steel Raleigh Olympus circa 1972. After a gap of 30 years I returned to cycling and after 34 years of bicycle evolution my Bianchi is lighter, stiffer and has more gears, but there are very few real differences apart from clipless pedals and Erogpower levers. The thing that I do notice as being obviously superior are LED lights. These have a light output and battery life that would have seemed like science fiction back then.

 

[lifeson]

Interest free credit

 

[Fab Foodie]

My first bike was a 5-speed steel Raleigh Olympus circa 1972. After a gap of 30 years I returned to cycling and after 34 years of bicycle evolution my Bianchi is lighter, stiffer and has more gears, but there are very few real differences apart from clipless pedals and Erogpower levers. The thing that I do notice as being obviously superior are LED lights. These have a light output and battery life that would have seemed like science fiction back then.

I'd go with this too. I could live with Toe-clips (and still do on my fixie) and I can live without STIs/Ergos.
I agree with ghitchen and simon adams that LED lights are such a huge benefit compared to the battery systems of yesteryear. Lighting for bikes has really improved full stop.

 

[Abitrary]

workstands

 

[yorkshiregoth]

Lighter/brighter lights.

 

[Abitrary]

Actually, now i think of it *brifters*

That translates as brake shifters. Although a couple of goobers in the so-called technical section didn't know that

 

[papercorn2000]

STI shifters, mountain bikes

 

[palinurus]

Cheap reliable LED lighting.

 

[Crackle]

STI shifters, make the biggest difference to my everyday riding and have helped improve my riding style more than anything else. I wouldn't agree with clipless because clips worked pretty much on the same principles though arguably not as well and lights are nice but don't actually 'improve' my riding.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

STI shifters. Defo.

I have two road bikes, one with STI, the other much older one has downtube mounted friction shifters. The STI is vastly superior.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Michelin Hi-lites. Before them clincher tyres were heavy, slow and dead. They were the first clincher you could race on and be competitive and did away with the need to spend half your life trying to stick a tub on straight.

 

[redcogs]

The Rohloff speedhub. No competition, but what a price.