A feature or upgrade that you have to have now?

[Matthew]

Better weather. This spring sucks. Oh, and take me back to the 70's and 80s for music. So much better then.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by madsciencenow

I agree the object is the ride but the tool does matter, right? I mean if your bike was equipped with etap... ... this would matter?

Pretty funny..what do you 'have to have now' to ride? A bike..
I enjoy trundling around on my oldest son's single speed Salsa as much as my Merckx or Moots..add etap?..

[MagicHour]

• Power Meter - Zwift has ruined me
• Lately, its some type of mirror, I really like being able to keep an eye on what's going on behind me. Just put Cateye BM-45 bar end mirrors on both my bikes - I think I prefer this type to the Take-a-Look sunglass mirror. Set it and forget it, and it's always on the bike, and just works. Whereas the T.A.L. I wouldn't always grab it b/c of vanity issues, doesn't fit well on all glasses, hard to position, doesn't work well riding in the drops etc.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by Matthew

Better weather. This spring sucks. Oh, and take me back to the 70's and 80s for music. So much better then.

Disco? Hair bands? No, thank you!

A went to high school in the late '70s/early '80s. At a high school reunion I attended, when the DJ was setting up his equipment, many people were heard to say, "I hope he doesn't play the music that was popular when we were in high school - I hated that stuff!"

[donevwil]

Originally Posted by Bob Ross

It just amazes me that more manufacturers don't offer this.

(I don't actually own one, so it doesn't count as my contribution to this Must Have thread, but if I could get them on all my bikes I would.)

Do it yourself.......

[SeanScott]

Hahaha - Never touch your chain again!

[mktng]

Originally Posted by Matthew

Better weather. This spring sucks. Oh, and take me back to the 70's and 80s for music. So much better then.

Two springs ago. It was just grey skies and rain for what seemed like a few months.

Honestly...gave me an excuse to build up a nice (but not too fancy) full friender road bike. Something i can borderline neglect.

Now I can enjoy riding in less enjoyable weather.

Time to go bike shopping!

[thermalattorney]

As others have mentioned, tubeless tires, full fenders, and dropper posts (for the MTB) are all features I wouldn't want to be without. There are two more that stick out for me:

Porteur Racks
I LOOOOOVE front racks for the convenience factor. No bag? No problem! Just strap it on there.

Climbing shifters
After having them on various Di2 bikes for 5+ years, I went a few months without them after switching to eTap in January while I waited for a good deal on a pair of Blips. Was surprised at how much I missed the convenience. For long days in the saddle it's such a luxury but I wouldn't have it any other way.

[bigbill]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Pretty funny..what do you 'have to have now' to ride? A bike..
I enjoy trundling around on my oldest son's single speed Salsa as much as my Merckx or Moots..add etap?..

I've even added 46cm Nitto's to my MXL. It's just more betterer.

[dddd]

Wider gear ratios, something like a 12-34t 9-speed, allows me to change gear ratio faster in steep/rolling terrain with fewer shifts, and without inducing a severe chainline angle that would result from additional required shifts.
That it also expands the gear range is another plus.

Tubeless 33mm tires on the Mavic Allroad wheelset, allows me to use any old touring or cyclocross bike without any need for a newer disc-braked bike. These tires seem to roll as easily as any, as I have been able to coast alongside other riders on the downhill stretches. The huge tubeless tires weigh only 330g each and the i22mm wheelset is just 1600g.

[joosttx]

Kogel bottom brackets

[Matthew]

Disco? No thanks!! But hair bands and classic rock? Hell yes!!! And what I like to call yacht rock. Little River Band, Ambrosia, The Eagles, Hall and Oates, etc. You know, when they actually wrote music and played instruments!!

[benb]

I don't really think there's anything.

I would be fine going back to my first serious road bike from 19 years ago. It was 9-speed, I'm only riding 10-speed right now.

That bike wasn't as stiff (aluminum) as modern bikes but it had a quill stem and so you could always adjust the bars easy and it was nice and comfy.

Probably the closest thing is having a Garmin. I could definitely lose the power meter. I had a HRM right from the beginning.

My Garmin screws up occasionally but on the balance it is a huge help.

I wouldn't mind having cell phones vanish... and responsibilities. Rides were pretty awesome back when I didn't have a phone and no one was sending me messages as to where I was.

I don't think I realized in my 20s how great it was to just take off and ride 50-100 miles on a Saturday with a map in my back pocket and no itinerary and only the roughest of routes planned, and no one really knew where I was or bugged me.

I am not sure I've had any bikes that couldn't take a 25. I haven't rode a 23 since about late 2013. I got my All City Space Horse in late 2018, the smallest tires I've ever run on it are 28s. I have 32s on it right now, but it's had 38s most. I got my Trek Domane in 2016 and that bike has always had 26s. But I would be totally fine with a 25, and I think every road bike I owned had clearance for a 25.

I think I would be fine on 23s too, maybe I need to try some again on the Domane.

[d_douglas]

Originally Posted by Steve in SLO

I have a great bunch of bikes and equipment, so nothing comes to mind except time, youth and fitness.

Amen. Ive had a winter of lots of work, buying my first house, renovating my first house, moving into my first house and two young kids.

What I really want is time to get out and ride... I am working that detail out with my sweet lady now!


As far as technology goes, Dynamo lights are something that I think are just excellent. You never think about whether your lights are charged - they just ARE...

[Gummee]

Originally Posted by benb

I don't really think there's anything.

I would be fine going back to my first serious road bike from 19 years ago. It was 9-speed, I'm only riding 10-speed right now.

That bike wasn't as stiff (aluminum) as modern bikes but it had a quill stem and so you could always adjust the bars easy and it was nice and comfy.

Probably the closest thing is having a Garmin. I could definitely lose the power meter. I had a HRM right from the beginning.

My Garmin screws up occasionally but on the balance it is a huge help.

I wouldn't mind having cell phones vanish... and responsibilities. Rides were pretty awesome back when I didn't have a phone and no one was sending me messages as to where I was.

I don't think I realized in my 20s how great it was to just take off and ride 50-100 miles on a Saturday with a map in my back pocket and no itinerary and only the roughest of routes planned, and no one really knew where I was or bugged me.

I am not sure I've had any bikes that couldn't take a 25. I haven't rode a 23 since about late 2013. I got my All City Space Horse in late 2018, the smallest tires I've ever run on it are 28s. I have 32s on it right now, but it's had 38s most. I got my Trek Domane in 2016 and that bike has always had 26s. But I would be totally fine with a 25, and I think every road bike I owned had clearance for a 25.

I think I would be fine on 23s too, maybe I need to try some again on the Domane.

Ya know... you CAN leave the phone at home.

...which is what I've been doing since 1997

M