CyclingTips: the slow crawl of road bike progress

[Clean39T]

https://cyclingtips.com/2018/05/jra-...bike-progress/

Great little write-up from James Huang that is music to this crowd's ears...

Never hurts to listen to a few echoes - amiright?

[m4rk540]

New bikes haven't improved that much, but they have, in every way, but not in big ways, but ride an old bike but not too old, just don't race, but set a Strava PR on it. Does that sum it up?

[doomridesout]

I ride a 2005 Seven Axiom SL (I think it was called the Alaris) as my only road bike, I don't race, it doesn't hold me back with a current build, rides great.

[nobuseri]

I will say one thing: that bike pictured is pretty baller. Must be a nice ride.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by nobuseri

I will say one thing: that bike pictured is pretty baller. Must be a nice ride.

I kinda have a thing for LeMond spine bikes. Couldn't afford one when I was in just post college or grad school while they were current, but the Sarthe I bought then still sees regular use. Every so often I look around to see if there's one out there that isn't a catastrophe where the materials are bonded.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by m4rk540

New bikes haven't improved that much, but they have, in every way, but not in big ways, but ride an old bike but not too old, just don't race, but set a Strava PR on it. Does that sum it up?

The last few months of my life? Yep.

[cadence90]

What's that thing called in science where the result of the experiment is the result the experimenter wants to see when setting up the experiment?


.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by cadence90

What's that thing called in science where the result of the experiment is the result the experimenter wants to see when setting up the experiment?


.

Confirmation bias?

[m4rk540]

Originally Posted by nobuseri

I will say one thing: that bike pictured is pretty baller. Must be a nice ride.

I should have stopped reading when he began to wax about compliance in new bikes. That and road seams or something.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

I kinda have a thing for LeMond spine bikes. Couldn't afford one when I was in just post college or grad school while they were current, but the Sarthe I bought then still sees regular use. Every so often I look around to see if there's one out there that isn't a catastrophe where the materials are bonded.

There’s a NOS Sarthe frame/fork w new CK headset and the nice grey w yellow panels scheme in my size locally for $175. I have zero need for it, but it’s a great frameset and I’ll probably buy it for a good can’t-hurt-it trainer. That Lemond geo works for me. And if I duff-around some CAT-V races, I don’t see it holding me back at all. OX Platinum isn’t Spirit, but it ain’t bad.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

There’s a NOS Sarthe frame/fork w new CK headset and the nice grey w yellow panels scheme in my size locally for $175. I have zero need for it, but it’s a great frameset and I’ll probably buy it for a good can’t-hurt-it trainer. That Lemond geo works for me. And if I duff-around some CAT-V races, I don’t see it holding me back at all. OX Platinum isn’t Spirit, but it ain’t bad.

Do it. If I came across another 55cm for that price I'd buy and stash just in case anything happened to my original.

[jumphigher]

What a fluff article.

[eddief]

Originally Posted by jumphigher

What a fluff article.

every cliche and myth and all the non-measurable stuff we all talk about all the time.

[CNY rider]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

. OX Platinum isn’t Spirit, but it ain’t bad.

Tangential but could you elaborate?
My finest riding steel bicycle is made from OX platinum.

[FlashUNC]

I take the opposite tack reading that story. Its something of an oddly reshaped Ship of Theseus. Improve enough little things and you start to realize larger changes out a whole laundry list of small tweaks.

Yes, the last three big changes in road bikes happened a couple decades ago now right lever mounted shifting, clipless pedals and carbon frame construction. But the small stuff, as they say, adds up.