gabriel l romeu wrote:
>
>>
>> I think a lot of (not all) so called technical advancements from
>> suicide levers onward are to appeal to a broader group of less
>> skilled riders, good for manufacturers, simpler riders need more
>> complex bikes.
>
>
> I have never observed this. I have seen brilliance in riding using
> all technology within any sub discipline of bicycling. There are
> contemporary mechanisms that are exquisite in their own rite that
> complement the brilliance of earlier designs.
> It is all good. the diversity is what makes it interesting...
I was not referring to bicycling in general, but in the context of this
list, racing and road sports oriented lightweights.
You will note I said a "lot of (not all)" referring to technical
advancements.
For example, the current crop of indexed drivetrain components offer an indisputable advantage in competition as they can shift under load, this advancement also allows the more casual rider ease of shifting and hence the appeal of the bikes, but the advantage comes at the expense of complexity, weight, price and reduced durability.
As a point of reference, I consider an automobile driver who cannot operate a manual transmission "less skilled". The "simple" part probably should have had a smiling, winking emoticon ;-) as I was grinning as I wrote it.
The bicycle generally referred to as a "road bike" was not and is not intended as a general use bicycle. Manufacturers IMO have tried and succeeded through marketing and ease of use modifications in increasing the market share of of this type of bicycle. IMHO the number of riders truly suited to such bikes, racers and sports oriented enthusiasts, has probably not changed much over the years and much like the bike boom of the early 1970's we are again seeing riders who would be better served by other bikes riding the wrong bike. The difference this time is they can shift.
I expect in thirty years there will be another batch of low mileage, "garage queens" for collectors, but this time they will have to worry about the various polymers comprising components and in some cases the bicycle as a whole having gone "crispy" rather than just the brake hoods, tires or the occasional Simplex Prestige.
Marcus Coles
London, Ontario, Canada.