I am a life long roadie, I raced years back, did the work bike commuting for years, my father was a roadie too. That said over the last few years something weird has happened. I don't want any of the new road bikes I see in shops. I don't want disc brakes, electronic, hydraulic, or internal cable systems that will take hours to replace a simple cable. I just want a simple machine that is trustworthy, has good geometry, that is fast, easy and economical to service. I will probably have to stick to used frames and retro components from now on because I can't buy that new at a bicycle shop any longer.
I won't ever buy or ride a bike with full integration ever, yet the manufacturers seem hell-bent on forcing it upon us. Hydro disc brakes i can at least see the point of, especially here in the UK. Full integration is just a fashion fad, supposedly touting a 1 watt saving. Like press fit BBs there’s a whole world of pain in time, complication, and expense waiting for customers down the line, and even up front with bike fitting problems.
the more modern bike U have then more expensive maintenance will be! ALso all the integration and wireless shifting thing are not needed for 99% of riders + self serviceability is almost none.
Propper athletes will probably appreciate 2010's era bikes from a performance standpoint while modern road bikes are plush and comfy, and fun, but definitely designed more around the average consumer.
IMO modern bikes look good, I like the aesthetics of integrated cables and aero frames, also deep wheels look cool. However, I despise disc brakes due to their heavier weight and difficulty of maintainance, rim brakes are literally the easiest part of the bike to maintain. Disc brakes, electronic shifting and all that also drive up the cost of parts and new bikes, which are nowadays insanely overpriced.
I am a life long roadie, I raced years back, did the work bike commuting for years, my father was a roadie too. That said over the last few years something weird has happened. I don't want any of the new road bikes I see in shops. I don't want disc brakes, electronic, hydraulic, or internal cable systems that will take hours to replace a simple cable. I just want a simple machine that is trustworthy, has good geometry, that is fast, easy and economical to service. I will probably have to stick to used frames and retro components from now on because I can't buy that new at a bicycle shop any longer.
I won't ever buy or ride a bike with full integration ever, yet the manufacturers seem hell-bent on forcing it upon us. Hydro disc brakes i can at least see the point of, especially here in the UK. Full integration is just a fashion fad, supposedly touting a 1 watt saving. Like press fit BBs there’s a whole world of pain in time, complication, and expense waiting for customers down the line, and even up front with bike fitting problems.
the more modern bike U have then more expensive maintenance will be! ALso all the integration and wireless shifting thing are not needed for 99% of riders + self serviceability is almost none.
Good thoughts
When you gotta spend $800 to try a stem that's 10mm different, something is seriously wrong.
Propper athletes will probably appreciate 2010's era bikes from a performance standpoint while modern road bikes are plush and comfy, and fun, but definitely designed more around the average consumer.
Let's go brandon
IMO modern bikes look good, I like the aesthetics of integrated cables and aero frames, also deep wheels look cool. However, I despise disc brakes due to their heavier weight and difficulty of maintainance, rim brakes are literally the easiest part of the bike to maintain. Disc brakes, electronic shifting and all that also drive up the cost of parts and new bikes, which are nowadays insanely overpriced.