downgrading with age.

[mig]

i used to be fairly keen on having up to date bike technology for even a training style bike. wanted 8spd when it started, wanted ergo levers, wanted DP calipers etc etc.
as i have aged though i find myself 'regressing' (advancing?) to a bike with either a hub or fixed gear, not really bothered what material it is made from, not even got a basic bike computer on the 'bars etc etc.

is this normal?

[Brucey]

yes... you are a bit like me...

er....

no.... you are a bit like me.....

and I'm surely not 'normal'....



cheers

[Samuel D]

I think this is not strictly age-related but experience-related. If you cycle and think long and hard about the activity, you will likely come to the conclusion that most complications added to bicycles do not enhance them but diminish them.

[landsurfer]

I think this is not strictly age-related but experience-related. If you cycle and think long and hard about the activity, you will likely come to the conclusion that most complications added to bicycles do not enhance them but diminish them.

+1
I've been told off to-day in the tubeless tyres post for just this attitude.... but i take it in a good natured way.
I've become "comfortable " with my level of bike tech and have no desire fro the latest, shiniest, fastest thing ....
Just like to ride ..........

[thirdcrank]

I'd not bother about ageing if you are thinking of riding fixed. One of the first signs of me ageing was switching from fixed to a single freewheel on the hack because I was getting too idle to pedal all the time. (That was before they invented the expressions single-speed or fixie.)

[blackbike]

I've regressed to 8sp and bar end levers on my road going bikes as they are simple and are compatible with MTB chainsets which give lower gearing more suitable for my age.

There's no point buying the latest stuff when you are older as you go a tiny bit slower every year whatever you buy.

An advantage of getting older is how much longer cycling components last. As a young speedy rider I wore out drive trains too fast, wheels became buckled and spokes broke, luggage racks and mudguards disintegrated and even frames and forks sometimes fractured.

Now I have slowed down these things are not a problem at all.

I still spend heavily to keep my MTBs fully equipped with new XT equipment as slick, reliable gear changing in muddy conditions is still essential even though I am not going fast as in my XC racing days. Cheap road shifting systems are very good but cheaper MTB gears are not up to serious off road use in harsh conditions.

[deliquium]

I think this is not strictly age-related but experience-related. If you cycle and think long and hard about the activity, you will likely come to the conclusion that most complications added to bicycles do not enhance them but diminish them.

+1 and well stated/erudite

[tatanab]

I like good quality kit. This does not mean the latest and greatest. I went indexed in 1993, clipless in 1995, first cycle computer in 1997, first Ergo levers in 1998, first cassette hub in 2003 - so you can see I am a late adopter of new ideas. I still have much of that equipment, now 20 years old. My regular rides are all 8 speed indexed Ergo or downtube. I see no point in "upgrading" to 11 speed electronic kit, it just does not suit my needs and I do not regard it as an "upgrade" at all. I have a couple of machines that are still on friction levers and toeclips because it suits the period in which the frame and other components were made. No, I would not have a hub gear for anything but a town hack, it just does not suit my ideas on what is good for touring. Yes I have a fixed wheel machine.

[ambodach]

For years before it became trendy I used a hubgear for touring. I still have a part hub gear on a Brompton and a 3 x 8 on my Bike Friday. I also have a garmin for distance and speed but that is the limit of my modernisation.

[mercalia]

The biggest downgrade is to only have one bike... how many here have donwgraded?

[tatanab]

The biggest downgrade is to only have one bike... how many here have donwgraded?

3 would be my minimum (I've done that in the past) - a geared touring bike, a fixed wheel and a geared trike. Currently I have 8 machines because of interest in old(ish) machines and tricycle technology (axle design).

I've considered what I would have to do if/when I eventually move into oap style accommodation. I'd have to get rid of my big welsh dresser to leave room for pedal cycles - but how many would depend mostly on how active I still was as a cycle tourist.

[scottg]

The Dale K rule was, the older you get, the lighter the bike you need.
Lighter bikes are faster, and easier to carry up stairs.

[old_windbag]

I've regressed to 8sp and bar end levers on my road going bikes as they are simple and are compatible with MTB chainsets which give lower gearing more suitable for my age.

I don't think thats regressing as much as a good design choice. As you say it offers the ability to have wider gearing choice towards lower gears with age perhaps. I'm pondering revitalising a bike at present, it has bar-cons and as much as I could change them to brifters, they are actually easy to use, simple and reliable. They fit the purpose of the bike and even though I'm far from retiring I would keep them as they have more positives than negatives. Don't get me wrong I love my campy/shimano dual controls but the older tech still exists and sells for good reason.

[landsurfer]

I think this is not strictly age-related but experience-related. If you cycle and think long and hard about the activity, you will likely come to the conclusion that most complications added to bicycles do not enhance them but diminish them.

+1 and well stated/erudite

+2 .. totally agree ....

[mnichols]

The biggest downgrade is to only have one bike... how many here have donwgraded?

I can see the appeal of this, mainly economy and simplicity. I've built up to 7 over the years. I use three, the others just hang there gathering dust and taking up space. I think I would always want a backup bike in case one is in for repair, and the option of going properly off road - so a full sus, but 7 is over the top.

My main bikes are a Cannondale Synapse, an Enigma Etape and a Sonder Camino Ti. I've also got a Specialised Epic Full Sus which seldom sees the light of day, but I like the fact that it's there if I need it. I've got a spin bike for when it's wet, but not sure if that counts, and I could probably swap for rollers or a turbo.

With the Sonder, which is a 'gravel' bike with disc brakes and drop handle bars that will take different wheel and tyre sizes, I've realised that you can have one bike to do it all, and just change the wheels. Oddly though I'm not sure that this one is it. It's very, very, very close but if I had to have just one bike I would probably go for a Kinesis Tripster or Genesis Croix-de-fer, Titanium with Disc Brakes

As I already own (and love) the other bikes there probably is not justification in swapping out, but as the others fail I doubt that I'll replace them, and if I had to pick one of the current crop it would be the Sonder Camino Ti.