Which Major Component is the Least Evolved Part of a Bike?

[MaraudingWalrus]

Originally Posted by chiasticon

method of securing handlebar tape.

it always amazed me that machines worth over $10k will just have some electrical tape wrapped around the end of the bar tape, to secure it. like you engineered the crap out of everything else on this machine and the one thing the rider stares at the whole time just has some random tape you got from Home Depot wrapped around it to keep it on there. oh sure, they provide some branded ones. but the Home Depot stuff works better anyway.

ESI has a better finishing tape. It's pretty sweet.


Also Arundel has these things which are cool.

[victoryfactory]

Tires, of course. they still go flat.

VF

[Dead Man]

Originally Posted by victoryfactory

Tires, of course. they still go flat.

VF

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...kstarterButton

I'm sure they ride GREAT

[pdmtong]

My vote is the lowly tube. Holds pressure for 1-2 days.

I ride. My wife rides. My daughter rides.

I am so tired of pumping up tubes.

[Tony T]

Originally Posted by Dead Man

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...kstarterButton

I'm sure they ride GREAT

So now we're going backwards!

[cmbicycles]

Originally Posted by jtbadge

That's the worst part to me - the provided finishing tape just never works as well as plain old electrical tape.

I like the directions on Arundel bar tape. Says something like, "take the provided finishing tape, stick it to your toolbox and wrap with electrical tape."

[Dead Man]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

My vote is the lowly tube. Holds pressure for 1-2 days.

I ride. My wife rides. My daughter rides.

I am so tired of pumping up tubes.

your wife and daughter ride latex?? I'm the only one that gets latex, round hur

[Pastashop]

Some of the components have already evolved and been optimized to a point where any further "evolution" is just pointless. The triangulated structure of the frame, for example... The wire spoked wheel...

But there are still some components that are functionally un-evolved but should evolve. Exhibit A: pedal-crank interface; should change to a conical fit at 45° angle, like they did with lug nuts on car wheels ages ago.

As a counter-example, the splined spoke nipple is a totally good idea from a wheel strength aspect, albeit making it out of Al is a retrograde move due to fatigue properties of Al.

I'd also like to see better light integration for bikes out of the box – all vehicles on the road are required to have lights already, and nobody expects to walk out to the parking lot with the lights on their car stolen, despite each lamp costing upward of $400 to replace in many makes / models. I'm convinced that if lights were integrated with bike frames by default, meeting some minimum brightness and blink pattern requirements, we would have a lower rate of accidents.

... but don't get me started on things that DEvolved ...

[shovelhd]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

My vote is the lowly tube. Holds pressure for 1-2 days.

I ride. My wife rides. My daughter rides.

I am so tired of pumping up tubes.

My vote as well.

[Cicli]

Originally Posted by MaraudingWalrus

ESI has a better finishing tape. It's pretty sweet.


Also Arundel has these things which are cool.

They sell it at Home Depot for half the price of ESI. It is just self fusing silicone tape. Works well.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Stephen2014

Why do derailleurs even exist when there's hub gears? And shame that shaft drive hasn't become high tech mainstream since the Victorian shaft drive bikes that were around.

Chains via a derailleur much more efficient, lighter, more simple, cheaper.

Same for shaft. VERY proprietary in terms of frame/hub design. Heavy, complicated. I tried to sell some shaft commuters once and they not only didn't sell well(expensive), the service was a nightmare.

[Davist]

I was going to say the FD, like others, but then I thought perhaps it's the most evolved. I echo OP above, chains and derailleurs are efficient beyond belief.

I'd like to see lights integrated better, curious about that custom bit where the fork tip is conductive for the generator hub..

Also, to my knowledge, which is minimal in these matters, isn't it high time the front rack is attached to the frame? This is how the motorbikes do it with the fairings, far more stable and able to carry more weight. So far only the IKEA bike has this to my knowledge.

[Fatty]

Lots of opinions here.
http://www.pinkbike.com/news/pinkbik...tain-bike.html

[Bob Ross]

Originally Posted by icepick_trotsky

The end crimps for cables. Ugly and annoying!

Agree that they haven't evolved...although if anodized colors can be considered an evolution of sorts, I totally disagree with the "Ugly and annoying!" part. The last two mechanics who replaced my cables (on two different bikes) upped the aesthetic ante 200% by digging up some cleverly color-matched cable end crimps...without even being asked.

[dustyrider]

So this was a pink bike poll the other day, and I immediately started to think it was a clever way to see what new standard folks would happily accept.

I've become very jaded it would seem.