I try to keep an open mind about modern things, and some of them, indeed are quite wonderful. However it is overstating the case to say that modern bike technology is moving in the right direction. It is almost universal to say that a good design is one that has good functionality, durability, practicality, broad sweeping overall silouette and beautiful intricate detail. This is the same for clothing, bicycles, autos, sink faucets, watches, couches, light switches, hairstyles, landscape design and just about anything else.
Take the case of the modern bicycle design as currently seen in race/sport mode: : Modern bike frames are light , cheap to manufacture , harsh , hard or impossible to repair , fail catastrophically rather than gradually and are nicely rust free , The brakes are easy to adjust and work well . The shifters are quick , tempermental , delicate and impossible to repair. The wheels are either unimproved over past designs or impossibly expensive or designed for special purposes and not generalized in application, but very light. The clipless pedals are durable and functional and attractive but work only for specialized shoes as opposed to past designs which were good for a variety of shoes. The sealed bearings are good but do not deliver on the promise of being impermeable to dirt, nor do they offer the possibility of being able to be polished out, overhauled and brought back to life 30 years later. Some items like the jerseys and the saddles are so overdone with advertising, logos and garish embroidery that they border on looking like the many billboards that populate ugly post-industrial areas of blighted cities. Some bike parts in particular (lest we harp on them again and again) are simply hideous in silouette, and detail. These are the very visible stems, quick release levers and hubs, and mini pumps.
Overall, I would say that things are not moving in a good direction, and these bikes will find their way to the pawn shops and on to the recycling bins of the world, simply for their lack of durable design and ability to be repaired. If I were a time traveler from the 1800's and I were asked to state which high end bike has the most modern design, the one from 2005 or the one from 1980, (without benefit of riding them), I would no doubt choose the 1980 design for its sleekness, and overall integrity. The older model looks like speed and agility and the modern model looks clunky and staid and sexless, and that is strong damnation for any design indeed.
Not backing down on my principles, even in the interest of being open minded and friendly to any particular list member.
I am Garth Libre in Miami Florida
(PS. thanks to all the people that helped me with yesterdays restoration tips- I feel more confident now)