Best Innovations of the last ten years?

[BigG]

Slightly (but only slightly) off topic, but I hope that the Moderator (God bless him!) will allow it.

Ten years is far too short a period. There have simply not been enough significant developments in that time. Fifty years is needed to make a list useful. On this basis, I suggest the following:

1 The introduction of the mountain bike. This has transformed the market and opened it up to a whole new generation.

2 The Moulton. This did not transform the market, unfortunately, but was the precursor of a new breeed of folding bikes which did.

3 The universal adoption of cotterless cranks. Anyone who remembers struggling with a recalcitrant cotter pin will support this.

4 Indexed derailleur gears - particularly rear gears. This was a useful aid to even the most experienced cyclist and a godsend to less experienced ones. I doubt that rear blocks of more than 5 or 6 sprockets would have been possible without it.

5 The widespread use of aluminium alloys and stainless steel in components. This has virtually eliminated the former widespread problem of corrossion.

6 Kevlar belted puncture resistant tyres. My memory suggests that my old favorites, John Bull Safety Speeds, did not suffer from many punctures, but I am sure that this is the result of a rose-tinted memory. Punctures remain one of the most annoying features of cycling today.

I should like to add to that list, a few developments which I think were unhelpful as follows:

1 Isis and Octalink bottom brackets. What was (is) wrong with the universally adopted square taper?

2 Aheadsets. These give no advantage to the rider and are more limited in adjustment than the old quill stems.

3 Aero brake levers. These may shave about 3 seconds off a 25 mile time, but are of no benefit to the rest of us. They increase cable resistance and make adjustment of the bars by more than 1 or 2 cm impossible without replacing the cables and retaping the bars.

I am sure that many of readers will take exception to these comments and I should be more than interested to read other peoples opinions.

[hubgearfreak]

Er, the diamond framed bicycle might have been (despite the UCI's best efforts to provide an equal playing field) but other configurations, from folders to streamliners, are still being developed.

designers do keep trying to improve upon it, but none have yet. one-sided forks, cast magnesium, pedersons, recumbents, choppers, bromptons all have their place for the eccentrc, but an improvement in terms of cheap and available transport they're not

seeing as they've been tinkering for 130 years or so and have yet to do anything other than come up with ornaments for the affluent, i'll not hold my breath

[speedsixdave]

In the last ten years-ish:

Disc brakes, especially BB7s, which work really well, are easy to set up and maintain, and very cheap considering;

The re-popularity (?) of multi-speed hubs, and especially that Big S now take them seriously - I suspect that these will really change the non-racing-bike market in the next decade;

Ditto for dynohubs;

S&S couplings, esp for the tandem;

LED lights, as mentioned;

The continuing development of the German premium bike components industry - the gift that keeps on giving.

[speedsixdave]

Er, the diamond framed bicycle might have been (despite the UCI's best efforts to provide an equal playing field) but other configurations, from folders to streamliners, are still being developed.

designers do keep trying to improve upon it, but none have yet. one-sided forks, cast magnesium, pedersons, recumbents, choppers, bromptons all have their place for the eccentrc, but an improvement in terms of cheap and available transport they're not

seeing as they've been tinkering for 130 years or so and have yet to do anything other than come up with ornaments for the affluent, i'll not hold my breath

Not true. Folders are transport for the masses. But I'll agree with that last comment re Dr Moulton's last decade.

[hubgearfreak]

Folders are transport for the masses.

odd you should say that. i imagine a typical brompton/dahon owner to be one who works so far from home that they need to catch the train for part of the journey. and then that's mainly in london.
either they've got a well paid job in the very centre where there are no homes, or they've got a nice big house away from all the central flats. transport for the masses it isn't. i've yet to see a lincoln allotmenteer going to collect some of their crops on anything but an old raleigh and bromptons are conspicuous by their absence in the pictures you see of indian and chinese workers going to their factories.

perhaps if your definition of masses is well paid london prefessionals then you may have a point

[Trigger]

Coming in at a tangent I would add internet forums.

They allow us to share real world experiences of kit that works and stuff that doesn't, regardless of cost. I'd much rather hear of kit reviews from a few people who regularly commute many miles in the real world than from someone working for a mag who has tried something for 10 minutes.

Mags have their place but you can't beat real world, long term kit reviews from like minded folk

Granted, forums probably pre-date the last ten years, but it's only recently that they've become such a cracking resource (and that goes for all hobbies/interests not just cycling).

[hubgearfreak]

Coming in at a tangent I would add internet forums.

They allow us to share real world experiences of kit that works and stuff that doesn't

yes, i agree. we also help each other to repair and mend old things and hence avoid buying new kit

[reohn2]

I should like to add to that list, a few developments which I think were unhelpful as follows:

1 Isis and Octalink bottom brackets. What was (is) wrong with the universally adopted square taper?

Agreed ISIS and Octo are, and will remain, utter rubbish compared to square taper BB's.Square taper BB's are very reliable for very long periods IME which is more than can be said for ISIS and for some unknown reason ISIS BB's cost three times as much S/T

2 Aheadsets. These give no advantage to the rider and are more limited in adjustment than the old quill stems.

They are much better than quill stems in that they're frontloading,two bolt affairs mainly,sometimes four, so are easier to change.I know quill stems could be and some are, but not the vast majority.
They're not limited to adjustment,not any more than quills,its just a matter of having a good selection of spacers.
They're stiffer than quills as they bolt directly to the steerer tube.
As they can be bought in a variety of angles and lengths are far more adjustable than quills.

3 Aero brake levers. These may shave about 3 seconds off a 25 mile time, but are of no benefit to the rest of us. They increase cable resistance and make adjustment of the bars by more than 1 or 2 cm impossible without replacing the cables and retaping the bars.

I can't say I've noticed anymore cable resistance with aero levers,though in fairness its that long since I've used non aero I've forgotten,but one things for sure dualpivot brakes are fantastic compared to any singlepivots,single finger braking or at most two fingers being totally safe.
Adjustment of the h/bars is just a matter of leaving more outer cable,upto 7cm isn't a problem IME.

[LANDSURFER74]

At a relitive 'pittance' remember the ' brick kids' almost killed by oxfam ...

[CREPELLO]

Slightly (but only slightly) off topic, but I hope that the Moderator (God bless him!) will allow it.

Ten years is far too short a period. There have simply not been enough significant developments in that time. Fifty years is needed to make a list useful.

The time period I've suggested was only designed to help us focus on what has, or hasn't happened during that period. Ten years is quite long enough to observe changes trends and whether new products have become indispensible or instantly obsolete. That there may not be that many innovations could be a talking point in itself. Thinking about it, the nineties may have offered us many more innovations and useful products, but we can still speculate as to why*. To take another time period (such as 50 fifty years) would be quite arbitrary and would then bring in too many changes and innovations into the discussion. Best start your own thread when this one has run it's course

*Did the nineties give us more useful innovations and products? And if so, why? I have a theory that they may have done so. That we got those products I think is down to the increased growth of the global market allied to the increased money and commercialisation of cycle sport. This lead to a lot of investment that gave us many of the designs we're still using. That research and investment probably tailed off as designs were honed and perfected. And has the big S merely consolidated it's place as the Microsoft of cycling over the last ten years?

Take STI's for example. The basic design won't have changed much and until it shows itself long in the tooth, we will happily carry on buying them in new styles. The newish electronic Dura Ace STI's are obviously not the real step change that we need to change our quality of cycling, the way that the original STI's were.

[gilesjuk]

1 Isis and Octalink bottom brackets. What was (is) wrong with the universally adopted square taper?

They creak. Isis was short lived but a damn sight easier to remove the cranks from.

Hollotech is the latest thing, plus press fit like BB90 and BB30.

2 Aheadsets. These give no advantage to the rider and are more limited in adjustment than the old quill stems.

Quill stems have two big problems, they seize in the steerer and on mountain bikes they tend to move when riding over rough ground. There's other weaknesses too.

There's plenty of adjustment in an aheadset if the steerer tube isn't cut off and spacers are placed above the stem for possible future adjustment.

[hubgearfreak]

Take STI's for example.

let's not. indexed gearing's been around longer than we've all been alive, let alone 10 years

[BigG]

My apologies to Crepello. I did not mean to hijack the thread, only to add some additional thoughts. I didn't think it justified a new thread.

[Steve Kish]

For me:-

The arrival of alternative sources of clothing (Lidl, Aldi, Decathlon) and also, must agree with LED lighting. My current set-up out-performs my car headlights!

[Freddie]

On a tangential, I know what I'd like to see. A usable folder that's as good at being a bike (preference for day rides/touring) as it is as being a folder, I envision something will 20" wheels that folds down small to take on buses/trains as normal luggage, yet has no deficits as a bike for anything more than short journeys. I think it can be done, but is unlikely to be done by any manufacturer. May be a challenge I have to take on myself.