modern Bikes?

[Gaddmeister]

Re:

Well I asked the question and has raised quite a debate! What I have gotten from this is that everyone has their own preference. Yes, sizes of wheels have changed....I still know not why, however, the choice today has opened up a wider opportunity for people to set their own individuality. We like what WE like and we have more choice these days. Like cars, phones, tvs etc. I still believe we would all still be enjoying mountain biking if the 26" wheel was the only size, but hey? Each to their own! Happy cycling fellas!

 

[dirttorpedo]

Re: Re:

What does a 29er do that a 26" doesn't then? Thought this was a retro site? lol. Convince me to the modern world!

Wheel sizes. Until a few years ago 26" wheels were the prevalent size for mountain bikes. Other wheel sizes had been experimented with prior to this though.

The cycle industry decided that the performance benefits of larger wheels in terms of the so called 'wagon wheel' effect was the way forward about five years ago. The larger the wheel the less the angle of incidence when encountering bumps and hence a noticeably smoother ride. Big wheels 'flatten' the terrain as it were. The 29" wheel size became the popular standard.
But bigger wheels are also heavier just where you least need extra weight caused the rotational or centrifugal effect. 29ers are also great in a straight line, but not so nimble on twisty stuff as their smaller wheeled counterparts.

And then there is 650B aka 27.5", which is somewhere in between. You get most of the flattening effect of the 29" wheel but with less added weight and better handling. This has become the new 'standard' for the past couple of years.

With all the 'the next big thing' marketing schtick. it is perhaps no wonder that mountain bike sales have nose dived whereas road bike sales have increased massively.

I suspect the aging of the cycling population has something to do with this (as did the Lance Armstrong effect). I know lots of local guys who got tired of breaking themselves and their bikes riding those crazy trails on the shore so they decided to try road bikes.

 

[The History Man]

Transversely, the ageing cycling population finds mtb riding less competitive, less about speed and more sociable than more fashionable road riding.

 

[Gaddmeister]

Re:

MTBing has always been social, a chance for the lads to get together an have a laugh, to have a dabble at racing, to admire ones steed etc etc. No different to road bikes really. I have always loved the Tour de France, but never fancied road bikes as they have never offered the versatility of trying that bridleway when you ride past. We all enjoy cycling, that's a fact, and we all seem to do it in our own way. Us oldies remember the way it was and some of us have stayed with it, comfort zone or younger memories? Others have ventured with the times and have ridden the wave and enjoyed it! As long as we are all happy.....who gives a toss!

 

[SEANSTEPHENS]

Re:

I went into a bike shop today and I was chatting to the chap working there about the carbon pinarello they were selling and he said to me that the gears had no cables. In fact there were batteries inside the tube and wires going into the mechs and they were electronically operated, no adjustments necessary... Ever

And this was on a bike weighing just 14ibs
It seems to me that bike technology over the next few years is going to change dramatically

Sean

 

[fagin]

Re: Re:

I went into a bike shop today and I was chatting to the chap working there about the carbon pinarello they were selling and he said to me that the gears had no cables. In fact there were batteries inside the tube and wires going into the mechs and they were electronically operated, no adjustments necessary... Ever

And this was on a bike weighing just 14ibs
It seems to me that bike technology over the next few years is going to change dramatically

Sean

Mountain bike version released as well now.
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/artic ... kes-41184/

Half the people I ride with can't even index their medieval wiry brakes. Electronics and mud should be interesting.

 

[cce]

Re: Re:

I went into a bike shop today and I was chatting to the chap working there about the carbon pinarello they were selling and he said to me that the gears had no cables. In fact there were batteries inside the tube and wires going into the mechs and they were electronically operated, no adjustments necessary... Ever

And this was on a bike weighing just 14ibs
It seems to me that bike technology over the next few years is going to change dramatically

Sean

Mountain bike version released as well now.
http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/artic ... kes-41184/

Half the people I ride with can't even index their medieval wiry brakes. Electronics and mud should be interesting.

sealed and self-indexing.....

 

[Rampage]

£1k for the full system, bargain!

 

[EggyBum6969]

Re:

dam i had the idea about flat screen tvs that are mirrors when off a couple of years before it was invented

i came up the concept of dual core cpus 2 years before they were ever talked about

an i thought about wireless electronic gears on bikes
many years ago but i thought it could be dangerous
if they didnt work properly an caused injury or cancer like smart meters do :O) well it looks like electronic gears are now a reality dam i should really take the ideas i dream up at night to someone who can develop them

 

[cce]

Re: Re:

dam i had the idea about flat screen tvs that are mirrors when off a couple of years before it was invented

i came up the concept of dual core cpus 2 years before they were ever talked about

an i thought about wireless electronic gears on bikes
many years ago but i thought it could be dangerous
if they didnt work properly an caused injury or cancer like smart meters do :O) well it looks like electronic gears are now a reality dam i should really take the ideas i dream up at night to someone who can develop them

There were dual core 6502s in the mid 80s, and campag have been tinkering with electronic gears since the early-mid 90s