Watching this video while looking at my wonderfull bespoke steel bike with rim brakes, aloy wheels, down tube shifter with 10 speeds and outer cabling that is still lighter than an aero modern road bike and saying to it: "oh, I love you so much!".
I'm also looking at my bespoke steel bike. I did go for ultegra mechanical rim brake groupset, so "modern" shifters compared to yours. I don't actually know how much it weighs, but don't really care. A friend of my father-in-law was bemused to the point of anger that I wasn't buying carbon. 🙄
In the uk, Facebook is the place to get bargain old steel bikes. You can pick up top of the range early 90s unsuspended mountain bikes for around £50, put schwalbe marathons & mudguards on & you got a great city commute bike. I even met a guy bought a mint condition hand built late 80s/early 90s tourer, 531 frame, 105 group, stunning paint job, £90. That's a forever bike right there for next to nothing.
@@Lacking_something If you get faster than your father-in-law with your metal bike, he will get even angrier! 😂 But this is also the beauty of steel bikes with oldish technology, it's priceless when you drop a 20k carbon bike rider!
Everything we’ve learned since the start of 2020 has been about control. The plandemic was contrived to introduce the jibby jabbies and everything that was conspiracy theory has proved to be conspiracy reality. I agree, you’re better off without anything electronic on your bike.
You don’t need an app to ride a bike with electronic group set either 🙂 You just need an app to set it up once, same way you need a set of hex keys to set up your derailleurs on mechanical group set 🙂 Both are a tool, one of them is electronic, that’s all.
@@damagedmak what? You’re literally using an electric tool to watch this video and converse with me and somehow this is fine, but setting up your derailleur with it once in a lifetime of your bike is a work of the devil? Come on man 😁
@@damagedmak You’re still slave to food production chains, electricity and gas, modern medicine (which is by the way mostly developed using the technology you’re so much trying to get away from). There’s an entire iceberg of tech, social and economic slavery, you’re only rejecting the very small tip of it. But it doesn’t change much in the grand scheme of things. 🙂 One thing I agree with is that I’d prefer the electronic shifting setup app to be open source or the protocol to be open. Not because of certain ideology, rather convenience. I am still a slave to companies that produce chips, memory and displays, same way as you 👹
Reginald, you're spot-on. I've been called "old-school" for having similar thoughts to yours, but I think it's just common sense. On a side note, I'm impressed with how unbothered you seem to be while riding in heavy traffic on multilane roads with cars brushing past you. Stay safe out there!
“Great minds think alike.” 😅 You get used to it when you don’t have a choice. Where I lived in the UK was just as bad, in fact I had less space and the roads were busier and the drivers way more aggressive… so this place is quite relaxing by comparison. 🙂 Just over the border in Malaysia it’s like Mad Max, people literally drive like they didn’t have any test, fast, reckless, hate cyclists (extremely poorly educated on road safety) and there are potholes everywhere! That place scares me. 🙁 Thank you anyway and you too! 🙏🏻🙂
I have a titanium bike that I bought about 2 years ago as New Old Stock. I figure it was about 12 years old when I bought it. Ultegra 6600 10 speed. Aluminium wheels, rim brakes. Tube tires. Not tricked out at all, it's 8.3kg without pedals. It is totally perfect for me. I can't think of a single "improvement" in the last 15 years that could improve my bike. If that makes me a luddite, I proudly accept the moniker. 😊
That’s a fine attitude to have my friend! However, I bet I could improve it… 😉 Although I’m not saying the cost would be worth it to you if you are already happy. 😊👍🏻
@reginaldscot165 Oh, for sure it could be improved. Wheels would be the first place. Lower rotational inertia would make make a big difference, I know. Lighter tires and tubes, too. But for the type of riding I do, the cost / benefit analysis just wouldn't pan out. Yeah, I'm very happy with what I have now. 😀
All I can say is I am with you. Shame that over the last decade+ we have seen conspiracies turn real but people turn the other cheek. Sad to see your friend had more money then sense, oh well. Recently been on a 80's road bike stint and have been loving it.
Great video! As a 70 year old I've learned that even when someone asks you for advice, they do not want it. As for bicycles, I'm still kicking myself for selling a steel frame Soma ES that rode so sweet and smooth.
Ha ha yes that can be true. Sometimes people ask me for advice and then do the complete opposite… then they come back to me to fix their problems. 🤷🏻♂️😆
I have a Cannondale mountain bike. But I wanted to also own a street bike. I picked up a 70s era steel frame Panasonic 10 speed, made in Japan, $75.00. I'm happier than a clam.
@@rangersmith4652 100% I am regular at sites with second hand bikes. And so many of these machines are getting dumped already. Even bikes like the SL8. People are hoping for a bail out. But who is going to buy a second hand stuff for 6+ grand.
flagship modern bikes nowadays are Propietary problem and issues for the Future.... IF you are not planning a Racing bike...better spend and invest on Titanium or steel Frame , mechanical Group and rim brake. Thats a problems proof Bike.
I love how you all believe that the parts will be available in the future. Wrenching on a bike yourself is a one thing, having parts to wrench on is another. Mark my words, soon we won’t have parts available to take care of our older equipment.
I agree, besides with the rim breaks... mostly one can't order a Ti/Steel frame for Rim breaks anymore as far as I have seen... discs are of course not necessary for most drivers, but they work and are easy to maintain, so I don't have problem with those... :)
@@hellebarde1450 Yes of course you can custom order a rim brake frame from Merlin Titanium from Stinner From Condor U.K italian tubes, Richard Sachs, there are plenty of builders that will continue the rim brake .As well (i did write and send them an email asking for future rim brakes Hubs) Yes sure there will be manufacturing chris king hubs rim brake, white industries, etc etc etc. NO worries for future Real Bicycles.
The problem my friend is that mechanical, rim brake groups are getting harder to source. It may be a good idea to stock up on components while they are still available.
It's not just electric cars that can be controlled remotely. Anything that can receive over the air updates can do this, so almost all modern cars fall into this category. Ford have patented the idea of a car that makes annoying noise through the speakers when you miss a car payment, as well as the idea of a self driving car that will drive back to the dealership when you miss a payment. Lucky no car finance company has ever mistakenly decided someone has missed a car payment then... GM have already been caught selling the details of every trip the owners of their cars take, including time, start and stop locations and driving style - the only reason it saw the light of day was when a car owner had his insurance premium double for no reason and put in a freedom of information request to the insurance company and got back a list of everything he'd done with the car that year back. If it needs to be on the internet to work, you don't own it. Louis Rossmann's channel is both eye opening and frightening in his cataloguing of the level of absolute shitweasel that runs corporations these days.
Great and interesting and informative comment! I think I’d be tempted to get a screwdriver and a side cutter and disconnect my car speakers 🔊 😅 Now you know why I drive a car made in 1996. 😉
100% agree. BUT……..so many clueless riders have bought into this stupidness and will never admit to getting it wrong. I think it’s the worst period ever for buying a bike and it will only get worse. What ever happened to keeping things simple and functional. Nothing wrong with rim brakes, QR wheels, cable gears etc. The list goes on
The bike industries were, until 10 or 15 years ago, still unaffected by mikroelectronics, apart from speedometers. Few products have changed so little and so slowly over more than a century. But, just as with modern cars, bikes are being developed into unnecessarily complicated, increasingly expensive to obtain and to maintain vehicles. And obsolescense will befall a product, which formerly had the potential to be used for many decades. Such product properties contradict the principles of permanently pushing economical growth and permanantly growing profits. There are over-proportional profits-maximising intentions behind it, not to do the really best for the customer.
I got so tired of suspension and gear maintenance that I built a full rigid rim brake singlespeed. I have like ten bikes yeah I know shlt got a little out of hand there for a moment. From road to triple crown dh and they are all covered and dust and spidewebs. My BIL says they are decorated for halloween. Now the singlespeed I call it the luddite and the 20 inch bmx are all I ride.
Buying the aero top spec bike is like buying supercar IMO. Too expensive to buy (and maintain), too sporty (uncomfortable) for normal people just to enjoy cycling. I prefer Ti gravel (with 40mm clearance) bike with ext routing cable, when using disc brakes maybe i will opt the hybrid mech hydraulic system (with cables). Keep up the good work, man. 🎉
Excellent comment and I like your bike specs! Well, to add to your analogy: it’s like buying a super car… 🏎️ but it’s heavier than a transit van 🚐 and no faster than a Hyundai i10. 🚙 😳 All the best and happy gravel riding! 😊
Most modern bikes are vanity projects, integrated cables, brand only stem / handlebars / seat posts, seat post clamp designs that don't work. Bikes are meant to be a greener form of transport and we are batteries more and more, carbon (which can be recycled but not as easily as steel / aluminium) and tubeless tyre sealant. I do think ebikes have a place but a lot of the batteries cannot be recelled as this damages the battery management system. This is why the self conversion market is growing as you can keep the outer case and get new batteries put in. Great video as always
The utter corruption of the modern bike industry really is something to behold. Total contempt for the customer. The simple fact that complete, proven, frauds like zero friction cycling are taken seriously & given a platform is disgusting. Edit: Zero friction cycling also patrols comment sections & uses fake sockpuppet accounts to mock critics, there's one in this thread already.
It seems to be everyone that is screwing us to be honest… everyone including the government just wants to squeeze every penny out of you. Ride safe my friend! 🙏🏻
@@reginaldscot165 zero friction cycling is a criminal. Not joking, he uses illegal marketing methods & abuses anybody who questions his credentials & results. Absolutely vile human being.
@@reginaldscot165 mate, wax is not a suitable lubricant for roller chains, because it is a solid, not a fluid. This is well accepted engineering practice, & there's hundreds of years of industrial science behind it, it's not even vaguely debatable. Zero friction cycling refuses to disclose his credentials, or whether his results have been peer reviewed, or replicated by accredited testing facilities, he just abuses anybody who questions him using the hundreds of obvious sockpuppet accounts he controls. None of this is legal. None of it. I've been trying for months to get simple answers from him but all he does is abuse me & evade answering, it's ridiculous. Industrial lubricants come with technical data sheets, best practice advice, etc, but bike stuff can be called "super secret" & sold at a huge mark up with zero evidence of it even being a real lubricant, it is simply insane & utterly unsafe, a genuine farce.
@@reginaldscot165 uncool deleting my comments mate. Zero friction cycling makes money from giving advice & selling products that defy hundreds of years of scientific research on roller chain lubrication methods, & refuses to answer simple questions about his credentials & methodology. Those are facts. Wax is NOT a suitable lubricant for roller chains, because it is a solid, not a fluid. That is also a fact.
I recently went shopping for a new bike. Wanted a decent bike without crazy tech but a road bike without discs is hard to find these days. Settled on a Giant Contend SL1, rim brakes and 105 mechanical group set. Happy so far and it should last forever!!
Good to have you back Reg -- I finally pulled the trigger on a Ti bike, mechanical all the way. I don't want the world of software and batteries to intrude on my enjoyment of cycling.
I totally agree with your arguments. I will be running my 10 year old bike with rim brakes and mechanical shifting for many years hopefully. In with part of the world do you live, I live in Holland.
Reginald, I think you should be happy that you totally convinced me to ride metal frames only and stay away from tubeless? Keep on with making such great videos!
Tubless isn't bad as he makes it sound at all. He is extremely hyperbolic about it. I've been running it for years on my road and gravel bikes. But, since I now have two road bikes, I did put TPU tubes in them. Tubless isn't great if you have a bike or wheels that tend to sit or not get constant use.
This was maybe your best analysis to date but your analogies to the current state of affairs makes it an A+. After retuning my trusty Trek 5200 with new fork, bars, bottom bracket and wheels the past couple of seasons, it’s never been more silent or ridden better coming in at 19 pounds. So, it may be time to install those TPU tubes planned as backup. This video is a gift to humanity in more ways than one.
That’s such a nice thing to say. I was a little hesitant to post this one for obvious reasons and I did cut some stuff out in the edit. But I’m glad it’s out there now. Yes, give TPU a try, it’s a cheap upgrade and if you don’t like it you haven’t lost much. All the best and thank you again. 🙏🏻🙂
@@reginaldscot165 - have some TPUs just not installed, two are in the bike bag. Maybe... I'm feeling lucky. Respect for the bravery as it matters. Here in the States we've been fighting to see scientific discussion again and an end to the censorship. X helped and I've read studies from the beginning around the world so I understand exactly. Pretty brave here on the Goolag Tube. As an example, Dr. John Campbell's channel survived and had to go a long route to avoid being taken down. Best to you and your family. God bless.
Great talk! I agree with you 100%! My road bike is 14 years old, 10 speed and I'm gonna keep it going as long as I can. I'm not a slave to marketing and I reckon I'm more of a cyclist than all of the 'all the gear no idea' cyclists out there. I wouldn't dream of putting any part that needs a battery or chip on my bike!
I think the Technology market has already reached peak stupidity. My iPhone is designed to not work in just few years. Carbon Bikes are designed to fail. The industry is pushing shit bikes as part of constructed obsolescence. The Consumers has reached peak stupidity, as more people are buying e-bikes. They think they need full suspension to be able to ride on broken tarmac or light gravel😒 You are really spot on with Electronic braking. I could also imagine that it will happen to bikes, and road bike users would be the ones in trouble because we are the only breed of cyclists who travel long distance. Non Cyclist everyday people just own cheap bikes only to get from point A to B, and don’t maintain their bikes at all. They have no interest in their bikes in the first place, and the government won’t be able to control their bikes. Old school technology like mechanical shifting is going to remain only because they are affordable, though we wouldn’t be seeing any Dura Ace level mechanical shifting anymore.
That might be true about cheap bikes, however what’s interesting is electronics are actually incredibly cheap but they make them seem expensive so they can bump up the price! Like $4,000 for a group set. 🤦🏻♂️ It actually takes more ingenuity and mathematics to make a mechanical ⚙️ group set. All the gears and cogs and spring and pins and tooth angles! It’s actually quite easy to make a servo to do all that. So over time it will get cheaper and more cheap bikes will get it. People will be told it’s an advantage and they will buy… throwing the “old” technology out. 🙄 I think you are right however, I think someone somewhere will be making the mechanical stuff, if they don’t… maybe I will buy some machines and do it myself! 🤔🤭 All the best and great comment! 🫡
Downtube shifters never fail. Just pull a cable and feel for the gear change. A modern downtube could be hooked up with shimano 105 derailluers and give you a good gear range for dirt cheap. Probably cheaper doing that than to make tourney di2 or some crazy stuff like that.
Yes i so agree with you! I experienced something similar with scanner-printer combo. In order to scan, you have to fill the magenta color for printing. But I don't wanne print anything. That does not matter. Oh and you must download this new software package update. Oh you cannot print in black and white, because the color ink part is below a certain threshold. Oh and you need a subscription too. Puts printer scanner away, grabs phone and make picture, send picture to the one who wants it. It must be on paper, yeah here is the picture you print. Bye!
Bravo! You video hits close to home. We see so many customers wanting to add $1000.00 computers on their entry level bikes , wanting to "upgrade" to tubeless tires, and the like. These sheople need to wake up and stop following these marketing trends. I applaud your views on the subject, sir.
I 100% agree with every single aspect of this video!!! This is why I have rebuilt a 1976 Ford Pickup to be my work vehicle. 90% of my issues with vehicles have all be electronic, I’m done with it. But I also agree, I love my iPhone
Reginald I am with you 💯. Rim brake frame from the past coming, only 12 years ago. It is plastic, sorry carbon for its sins, but high lights how much better the so called modern materials were for a fraction of the price not to long ago.
Everything you're saying makes perfect sense. I've always had this funny feeling looking at the new road bikes coming out, and hearing it from an expert is extremely reassuring!
I had TCR1 for 12 years. When it came time to upgrade I test road a Propel. Within the first 100 metres I knew the Propel was not suitable for long rides. It was literally as stiff as riding on steel rims without tyres. It was absolutely horrible.
I was thinking i should probably buy a replacement 11 speed Shimano mechanical groupset before the e-shifting bike apocalypse is in full swing and you can't buy them anymore
I agree. Although I do like my tubless tires and disc brakes. Though my bike is a steel Kona Rove DL with the TRP hy-road cable actuated calipers. But all this electronic stuff is all about control ultimately, I think you’re spot on. The masses have to be conditioned first through the convenience of technology.
Cycling and racing for 45 years, previously `cat 1, ridden them all, the best bikes, from a DeRosa SLX with Campagnolo Chorus and Ambrosio Montreal tubular wheels in the later 80’s to my current Pinarello F8w with SRAM Red (rim brake of course). My best bike was a 2012 Team Liquigas Cannondale Super Six with mechanical Super Record and Mavic cosmic ultimate full carbon wheel set…THAT bike for me was the pinacle of bicycle engineering and it all went downhill after that. I had Aldo & Marco Gios recently build me a replica of their 1981 Via Roma frameset (ridden to a Milan San Remo victory by Alfons de Wolf) with same year full super record group set, Cinelli bars, stem and saddle, and Ambrosio Nemesis tubular wheels - what a joy to ride! Precision steering, a fast and supremely comfortable ride even with toe clips (with my Adidas 1975 Eddy Merckx model shoes) and 21mm tubular tires. Brings me back to my junior years and had me realize that this entire stupid fat road tire trend has nothing to do with speed and all to do with compensating for engineering flaws of current framesets with serious comfort issues. Wish we had builders who reproduced former popular bike models with mechanical group sets and rim brakes…there must be a market for that. Bike brands, are you listening? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-J_69lNsBhas.htmlsi=ZyADlMjCEW75g6gU
9.820 Kg in size small? OMG. I got 61 cm 1981 Colnago Super with heavy ass San Marco Rolls saddle and heavyweight aluminum components that weighs in just 10 Kg. And it is super comfortable and smooth. I had Campagnolo headset die on me recently, so I replaced that with Tange Levin headset. With simple hand tools and a press-fit from Aliexpress I finished the task in 40 minutes. Now try to change headset bearings in modern bike in 4 hours...
I both of my mountain bikes weigh less than 10 kg, including the pedals and water bottle holders. The big problem is that now I can't find replacement wheels for my rim brake Ti bike (from 2000) and the rims do eventually wear out. The 29er bike I bought in 2015 has a different standard for both the front and rear wheels compared to the current standard, so once again replacement wheels have to be custom built.
@@reginaldscot165 Yes, there are rims that will fit, but I cannot find tubeless compatible rims that will work. Mavic used to make 26" UST rims, but that stopped when they went bankrupt. I suspect there just isn't enough demand.
Wow, I'm amazed at how well aligned I am with Mr. Scot. Great comments. I'm with him - I'll keep my rim brake, metal frame, clincher tire, mechanical shifting bikes, thank you. Oh, and I'll ride them for free (essentially) whenever I choose.
That’s why I ride full mechanical, it is very easy to maintain. No internal routing, no bleeding required. I am not a pro cyclist so rim brakes and mechanical shifting are more than enough for me
I like to build PCs and accomplish complex tasks using them. I like bikes because they are the opposite end of the spectrum. Tubeless tires, hookless rims, electronically-controlled shifting, hydraulics in any form, brakes that overpower my tires' traction, and cabling I can't access are all our for me. Reginald is 100% correct. All this electronic control is about exactly that -- control. Not control _by_ you, but control _over_ you.
My ebike once stopped working and would only go into eco mode. I took it to the shop and the only thing it needed was a firmware update. That's only happened once but also the original controller which was non Bluetooth had to be replaced by a new one which is Bluetooth compatible. After awhile there is a warning signal to get my bike serviced flashes up periodically but I pretty much ignore it.
When an international ferry company allows motorbikes but bans cycles the cynical explanation seems more believable than the innocent one to me. But I'm also crazy.
Imma be honest, I got myself an old Bianchi Mega Pro (the alloy 7005 version from Pantani's era) and it's ALL mechanical with rim brakes and a Campagnolo Veloce 10spd groupset... Round tubes, visible welding, all aluminum. I'll run it as long as it lasts.
I won't lie, my heart sank when i seen a Giant bike on the thumbnail....!! Thankfully, my newly acquired Giant TCR Advanced in mechanical Ultegra meets with your approval 😅
1. Kestrel Talon SL with R6600 Groupset + R7800 Drifters + Mavic Wheels (Low mile). 2. Kool Stop Pads + Conti Tires + New Cables. 3. Strip all the components off the Kestrel and refurb. 3. New Ti Frame from ChooChoo Town. Under $2,000 USD total. They can sell their $16,000 CF Superbikes to the gullible.
The big advantage for disc brakes is that you can run wider tyres. I am limited to maybe 28mm tires on my rim brake road bike, but on a disc frame I could easily run 30+
They also don't destroy your rims. Especially if you use your bicycle daily in all types of weather conditions. Have been a professional bicycle mechanic since 1985 . I liked disk brakes since I was first starting to see them. The newer ones are very reliable and well suited for most poeple. I was surprised it took so long for pro road bikes to get them considering the advantages when using tubulars and carbon fiber rims.
@@reginaldscot165 Btw, what are your thoughts on the METL tyre? Supposedly made with NASA technology and does not need air. Its meant to be elastic like rubber and as strong as Titanium
I just bought my first non-hybrid bike. I got a gravel bike. Wanted to try something different. At first I was worried about having gone from hydraulic disc brakes to mechanical, but honestly I only notices a bit of a difference, but not much. So no regrets. Loving my new bike. Aluminum frame, carbon fibre forks. Specialized Diverge E5.
I agree with all you say except at the end when you say "When you are out riding do stay safe". Far better to say "Drive safely and watch our for cyclists when out in your car".
I recently bought a titanium rim brake bike, a van nicholas Boreas, precisely in line with your arguments. External cables, mechanical group and a decent material frame. With hooked alloy rims...
I am a techno-phile myself, and I do enjoy the electronic shifting on my mountain bikes espeically. But I am for the most part very much with you. I love my car because it was a means of getting out across the large country I live in. It's freedom. I love my bikes for the same reason much like you described. I couldn't agree more that electronic braking on a bicycle is completely ridiculous. I can at least see pros vs cons for electronic shifting, but braking needs to be physically connected. In fact I am starting to re-evaluate my fondness for hydro-disc brakes on my road bikes, though I still like them quite well (as a very tall and therefore gravity challenged person). But for my protege who is much smaller, I built him a very light and fast alloy rim brake road bike with 2x11 speed mech shifting. I am skilled at keeping my hydro brakes and e-shifting systems maintained, but I also know that the rim brake mech shifting bike for my younger lighter protege is much easier to keep up and running. I absolutely have no desire for carbon bikes for myself; I can break a frame pretty easily at my size. The lightweight and fast aluminum alloy bikes I do get (Specialized Allez sprint frames both disc and rim) are a fantastic value and still very light and fast. If my 5 year old mtn bike was carbon, the frame would have been trash long ago. The aluminum mtn bikes I have are relatively light, very affordable, and take a beating especially when racing them compared to carbon. I do love computer tech, but I am also very wary of how much information is out there and how much control that gives companies (and governments more so - give them any power and they always take the maximum). I love the telemetry and data I can analyze about my riding and fitness, but I am at the same time very aware of how much that can be used by such parties that don't always have our best interests at heart to say the least. I have a 12 speed SRAM electronic road bike, but I still like to go back to my very similar build of 11 speed mech setup, both with discs, and I really don't think I lose anything going to the older mech setup. It's even a hair lighter.
Having no brakes is not that big of a deal generally, if you can just shove a foot on the rear tire. Takes a bit of practice. Not disagreeing with the overall point- the level the government will go to to get someone to pay is silly. Revocation of any and all licenses- remember they are pushing hard for bicycle licenses in some areas- including hunting, fishing, driver’s, professional, etc. Yes, they sure as heck would lock up your bike remotely if they could.
That’s a good point about licensing. 👍🏻 Yes you are completely right. About slowing down with your foot on the tyre, I wouldn’t like to try that coming down a mountain, after all my shoes are carbon so I don’t think they would make a good breaking surface! 🤣 All the best and safe riding!
I use to do that on my BMX bike back in the day, it has absolutely no brakes, you definitely go through quite a few shoes doing that, plus your parents absolutely hate it when you come home and half of the sole of the shoe is now missing. Made matters worse my Mongoose decade had a deck on it, on occasion it would grab the shoe and wedge it under the deck and seat stay.
Hope that bike you're on is compliant - those look like gnarly roads. I needed that retro-grouch take on modern bicycles. As a long time cyclist, I have some nice old bikes in my "stable", but bought a few new bikes since the pandemic, as the parts on the old bicycles were getting hard to come by when repairs were needed. I resent needing to bleed the hydraulic disk brakes every 6 months, worrying about the squealing brakes, and having to deal with through-axels and disk alignment when I need to change a tire. I miss the simplicity of quick release wheels and rim brakes. I still only invest in mechanical shifting systems, and don't want to worry with batteries, "app's", etc., for changing gears. I also don't want to spend gobs of money for plastic - uh, carbon fiber - frames. Carry on.
We can debate about cycling technology, and which "improvements" are actually improvements. There are a few that I think should not be debated at all, and others which are definitely open to debate. Here we go. 1) I think the boost axle design is a definite improvement for gravel and mountain bikes, unless perhaps you're racing and need to be able to do super fast wheel changes. But otherwise it significantly improves handling and lateral stiffness, especially for the front end. It also increases strength of the axle overall. 2) I think the Aheadset design is brilliant. Saves weight, and makes it possible to adjust the headset with Allen keys while out on a ride. So these two I think are pretty solidly in the win category. 3) Indexed shifting-- I prefer it. Once you know how to set it up it's very easy to set up and to maintain, and is a nice convenience. JMHO. 4) STI/Ergo levers-- another nice convenience for regular riding. Absolutely essential in racing when you want to be able to change gears in the middle of a sprint. I remember back in the day with downtube shifters where you realized mid-sprint that you had chosen the wrong gear but there was no way you could change gears while going full on, out of the saddle. With STI/Ergo shifters you can change gears while in full sprint. YMMV. 5) Hydraulic disk brakes-- tons of room for debate. They definitely work better in the rain, and they allow you to run bigger tires. And they don't cake up with mud/dirt when going off road in the muck. But they sure do require a lot more TLC. Once I learned how to bleed them and maintain them I guess they're worth it for certain situations, but I do miss the easy maintenance of cable-actuated rim brakes. 6) Tubeless tires-- for gravel and mountain bikes I think this is a big win. Definitely worth it for the ability to run lower pressures and just about eliminate flat tires. 7) Carbon rims-- if you go with sensible ones, not stupid light, and not stupid expensive, they save a fair bit of spinning weight which helps with acceleration and results in a lighter overall bike weight as well. Debatable as well....
Thoughts: (1) Aero: Bicycle aero helps only in calm air or in a smooth headwind. Wind from behind, from the side, or non-laminar (turbulent) flow are situations it was not designed for, so it becomes dead weight.. On the other hand, light weight (as long as strength is adequate) is not a hindrance under ANY condition and is helpful going uphill and in accel-decel riding in flatter terrain. In any case, there's a lot more to be gained by putting the rider into an aero position (as long as the position doesn't hamper their power output too much!) rather than fussing with the bicycle frame. Aero is also air speed-dependent, so is less of a factor for slower people like me. (2) Electronic group sets: The multiple batteries on the SRAM setup used on the Propel are certainly a problem, caused by using Bluetooth communication to avoid wired connections. The wired Di2 I have uses a single battery in the seat tube and everything connects to it. It drains slowly, and it has bluetooth that communicates battery level to the Garmin so I can monitor it there. It also displays the current gear combination, no need to look down all the time. I got Di2 thinking it might solve my chain dropping problem by using Synchro to lock out certain gear combinations, but then shifting involved multiple steps and took forever. Di2 is not a big deal, but it does make derailleur adjustment extremely easy, and for my niece who has wrist problems it eliminated the long throw in manual shifting to move from the small to the big chainring. (3) Your concerns about locking devices if subscription is not paid: I'll just point out that our iPhones don't stop working when AppleCare expires. Or if we don't keep updating to the latest OS version. I'm still using an iPhone 13mini because it fits nicely in my jersey pocket.
I am using the 12 mini for similar reasons. However I think the situation with bikes is somewhat different. Also they do say that Apple was intentionally slowing down older phones so people upgrade. 😳
I'm riding a 2012 Fuji SST 2.0 that I bought new back in 2012. It wasn't ridden for about the past 8 years, so it is practically brand new still. I rode it about 30 miles yesterday, and it was a nice ride. Rim brakes, full 6700 Ultegra mechanical. It rode just as well as the day I bought it. That said, my main bike right now is a 2024 Trek Domane AL 5 with mechanical 105 and disc brakes.
I love my propel sl1 from 2016. Simple, honest to god mechanical DA9000, aero v-brakes. Will never fail as long as I change/maintain the cables once in a while. Worst thing to happen to the bike world is having things that fail because of batteries. I also run a fixie that is damn-near bomb proof because it's so simple.
I bought my first brand new road bike, a Giant Contend SL1 2021 (disc). Every is easy to service and repair so far! All my friends (some in the bike industry) said I needed to go clipless, carbon and Di2/Sram electronic gears. I have Shimano clipless with soft clip in/out and can wear any clipless compatible footwear. I am weary of electronic shifting because I have had friends who forgot to charge battery! I have mixed views about carbon frames, but would love titanium. I agree with some of the points made. I have cycled well over 20,000 miles on my bike since buying it 2 years ago. I think I have spent less than £2000, including spares and repairs.
That’s great! I’m glad you have found a bike and system that works for you. It’s also good that you made your own logical choices rather than being pressured to buy something. 🙂👍🏻
Just found this channel. I agree with all your bicycle related ideas. My main ride is a 2003 Lemond Tormelet with every component replaced at least once. You missed one huge reason the industry wants to move to all electronic, cost. Once set up it's trivial to mass produce the parts. The number of cogs will be a matter or reprogramming. No more nanometer tolerances for the small bits inside the shift controllers. They'll give the group sets fancy names and charge more than for current mechanical parts. Three of my biking buddies with electronic shifting have had the bikes in the shop more than they have had on the road. Any bike you are riding is better than any bike you are not.
you said all right my friend, but we don't run the show, we are the consumers. Sheep for shearing. :-) Honestly, it never occurred to me that one day someone would want to take a subscription to ride a bike. The world as we know it has come close to ending
Really interesting thank you, especially concerning the insanity of electronic brakes - I didn’t even realise they were a potential thing! Brunei looks like quite a lairy place to ride a bike although the motorists seem reasonably sane.
Lots of very valid points, Reg. (And we all saw you ride through that not yet green-light, too!) So given that the Sram/Shimano monopoly no longer make mechanical shifting 'high-end' groupsets, and barely any rim brake sets either, please tell use what you recommend for people moving forward? All the sheep have followed electronic shifting/hydro brakes down the rabbithole into Wonderland, where does that leave the rest of us? I'd have bought Dura-Ace 12 speed for my Cervelo RCA (scooped up for a song during the pandemic) if there was still mechanical shifting and any development in rim brakes inside R9200 available. At 17yo I started off with 1st gen Dura-Ace and it lasted 18yrs until it was stolen (from 13-28t 5spd thru 13-30t 7spd near the end, the 60/46T chainrings helped with that). At the '22 World Championships, I twice rode a Shimano demo bike with full R9200 Di2/disc brakes, on Baum Ti framesets. Nearly 3 hours of riding it. Very nice, I initially thought, but actually not practically any better than my 2010 Cervelo RS 11spd (yes, in wet weather disc brakes may be better). After 40+ yrs as an auto-mechanic, I don't want battery problems or brake bleeding issues just to ride my bike.
I self identify as a police motorcycle, so occasionally when required I may jump the odd not green. But I also deny any involvement because I make sure to keep my eyes closed when doing it.
3x7 gang its super cheap and you get more range than any 1x or 2x systems even if you put a huge cassette 10-52 on the back you still get more range on a 3x7 22 32 48 14x34 system
All the new tech leads to decision fatigue. I own a Giant Contend 3 from 2017 in size ML. I ride for fitness and because i actually enjoy riding and taking in the scenes. Great way to explore a town or city. It’s pretty much stock except for that I ordered a new saddle the other day (cant wait for that as I realized that might be the biggest reason why my ass hurts riding like 20 miles this seat is narrow and the seat coming in is the fabric scoop shallow), i changed the pedals to clipless, and the tires are relatively new. It uses rim brakes and the main reason I want to upgrade is to allow for wider tires. It doesn’t work with anything wider that 25mm. It looks like disc brake is more common and rim brakes are gone, but even here in the states with Memorial Day weekend, finding a bike is tough under 2500 usd or even far less than that is tough.
Yes the saddle is very important and personal. I’d recommend trying a few. Maybe at a bike fit? Or try before you buy or second hand? When you find “the one.” You will be friends for life. ❤️ Also: Make sure your fit is good. Get thick bar tape and gloves. Move position on the bike to relax. Make sure you relax and bend your elbows. Pick the right tyres, the more armour they have the less comfortable they will be. Try latex or TPU tubes. Get your tyres pressure right. Drop weight out your pockets if you can. Pick the right shorts/bibs. Go for mid range in price. Normally they are the best. Use a lightweight helmet. Hope this helps! 🙂👍🏻
@@reginaldscot165 what’s the midrange in bib price and as for lightweight helmets I have a big head so I’d probably go for the Rapha poc since that’s one of the lightest I’ve seen. Thoughts on the canyon endurance in aluminum?
Hey Reginald as a new cyclist what's your opinion on disc breaks vs rim (non-hydrophilic)? In theory wouldn't disc breaks be better since it's not putting wear on the rim? Given that I've seen at least one professional race over the last few years where the batteries weren't charged on the shifters I agree that mechanical works best.
Great question and let me apologise for not making a video on this subject yet. But I have one in the pipeline and it will be out in the next few weeks. However if you are in a rush to buy a bike I’d recommend rim 9/10 times. (Not knowing more about your personal situation. 👍🏻🙂
That's a crazy heavy Propel. I owned a Propel Advanced 1 which I made no attempt to make it light. It had Shimano RS10 wheels a Roadlink derailleur extender and a XT 11-40 cassette and it weighed 8.8 kilogrammes. I own a 2003 Specialized Rockhopper mountain bike that with pedals is 9.8 kilogrammes.
We were on the IOW this summer, a woman and her bike shop owner partner stopped at a cafe where we were, suddenly a very lound bang. I actually thought it was a marron going off, it was that loud. It was a tubless/hookless tyre blowing off. She'd just ridden down a 10% hill!!!
Steel/aluminium ftw!!! Just adjust cables, oil a few things, air to the tyres and enjoy the ride, everything else is just fluff at the end of the day; even if tricle down tech is a real thing most of us just want to get to point a to b, do some exercise and/or enjoy some time outside. I'm currently ryding a Trek (domane i think) road bike, all aluminium, 2 by 10 tiagra groupset (the front is Claris, tiagra grips)whit wide flat pedals, 28 mm tyres and rim brakes that i bought used last month and has been a Game changer after the steel pig i had before, lightweight and nimble. Also beign able to do a close to full service whit basic tools inside the house whitout a stand is such a blessing.
You ARE a Luddite; there, however, is nothing wrong with being a Luddite. Your comments about the reasons behind the move to e-bikes, especially electronic wireless groupsets, are spot on. It is all about controlling what we do and trying to squeeze every last penny from cyclists/consumers. I have four bikes, two CF and two vintage steel frames. They are all mechanical, rim brake bikes; the only electronic on my bikes is the Garmin headset and the Garmin-controlled taillight and headlight. I only disagree with you on one point. My Colnago C59 and C60 are the two most comfortable CF bikes. I can ride all day long and at the end of my ride I am not tired or beat up by the frame’s performance. Otherwise a great video. Thank you👍
tbh i'm ok with integrated handlebars, (the routing is hell but ok), with internally routed cables (maintenance is harder but ok) , but electronics in a bike is a HUUUGE HELL NO!, just look at what mercedes or tesla are doing; you pay for a car but they force the user to pay a subscription if the user wants all the entire car working, else they block functionalities. And BTW i am a believer of mechanical disc brakes (for gravel, all road/endurance bikes and bike packing bikes) and rim brakes (if you are competitive), and i do not care if GCN of everyone else says otherwise
Good for you my friend. And yes I had forgotten Tesla did that, the also sold cars with the promise to add the specs they should have had later… and then didn’t. 🫣 Great comment and safe riding! 👍🏻🙂
Around 2000, I bought a Trek 5500 frame (not Postal paint, but Postal inspired), Ultegra 9 speed, Chris King headset, Thompson seatpost, Hugi hubs, in short a very nice build. Weighs ~17 lbs. We were in Utah at the time and I never need anything lower than the 39/27 I had specifically for a couple of absolute killer hills. Now we live in a flatter area and I rarely touch the 39/23. These new 12 speeds with 36/30 seem silly to me. Maybe for a new rider, but then what new rider is going to pay $5K starting out? If you want to get down to the weight of my bike, you are going to have to spend over $6K. Disc brakes? I've never had an issue stopping my bike from over 50mph with rim brakes. I do like the disc on a MTB, but I'm on and off brakes much more then. It just seems that the bikes are being marketed to people base on what they "think" they need versus what actually works best. Tech for Tech's sake is not an improvement. Shimano and SRAM are equally at fault. I'd love a 10 or even 11 speed non-electronic groupo in Ultegra or Dura-Ace, but alas, we are in the minority. Fortunately, I can still get mechanical XT and XTR. On the last bike I built with mechanical XT, a complete group was under $700 (brakes, crank, shifter, derailluer, cassette, etc.). The equivalent SRAM setup was closer to $2000! Ridiculous!
Please do tell about the hambini connection to light carbon bicycles! I was thinking about buying one. I also ride a titanium Airborne but would like to build up a carbon bike and would like to know about your conspiracy around his connection with the company please!
You have some good points and I enjoyed the video, but bike choice is sometimes down to what the customer knows about themselves. My local bike shop told me I didn't want an aero bike, comfort/weight etc, I'm 52 so won't be able to cope with yhe aggressive position etc. I still insisted on an aero bike as I know myself better than he does. I'm still riding ghat aero bike, almost 7000 miles in, with its electronic shifting, deep carbon wheels, shorty racing saddle, and it's been back for a new headset where I had spacers taken out of the stem to make it more aggressive. I've broken multiple pb's from up to and over 10 years ago, and I still look at it in the garage and want to head out as soon as I lay hands on it. I do, however, agree with the electronic brakes opinion, absolute stupidity, and would never even consider them just from a safety and failure standpoint. And there's something in the electronics side, let's face it, there's already been issues with wireless systems being able to be hacked, and words like 'wireless doping' being pushed around, so who knows where that'll lead in the future?
In my opinion, if I'm going to ride an e bike, I'll ride an e bike. If I'm going to ride an analog bike, then I'll get on an analog bike. They each have benefits, and they both have their shortcomings. I just bought an Ariel Rider Kepler, but i still have my trusty, 25 year old Gary Fisher that I ride when i feel up to the challenge. However, I'm not going to pay a bunch of extra money for an analog bike with an electronic shifter. To me, that's like paying for a steak dinner without the steak. Lol
i narrowed down my bikes into two only after having more than two and carbon etc.. my two bikes now is a CX titanium gravel with mechanical grx & a steel roadbike with mechanical 105.. :)
