I think in 50 years any bike with mechanical braking and shifting will be a classic. Mavic is now making their second run at electrically actuated derailleurs, and eventually they or someone else will get it to work properly. When that happens, I don't see why electronic braking would not be next. In 50 years folks will probably consider those little cables from the controls to the derailleurs and brake calipers "quaint". Spoked wheels will also likely be considered quaint. I personally consider a lot of the newest stuff "gratuitous technology" which undermines the appealing simplicity of the bicycle, but one could argue that even a much higher tech bicycle that goes through 50 lbs of NiCd batteries a year to power its various devices is still much simpler than an automobile.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
LouDeeter@aol.com wrote:
> I believe the steel bikes, with precise, semi to fancy lugs, will always have
> a following. Baylis, Sachs, and Eisentraut frames are already on the wish
> list for my collection. I just never see them offered in the right size &
> condition for the price I can pay. When everyone else is going to TIG
> welding, aluminum, ti, and carbon, lugged steel frames will become scarcer &
> scarcer, particularly the good ones. To have seen an Eisentraut on ebay last
> month with TIG welding almost broke my heart. I can't think of more than 2 or
> 3 Ti, Aluminum, Carbon, or TIG frames that have been made in the past 15
> years that will be true collectibles. Someone will always want them, but not
> moi.
> Lou Deeter, "still freezing in Huntsville AL"