What advance in bicycle technology has impressed you the most?

[Fordulike]

For me it has been hydraulic brakes.

My first bike had a front rim brake and rear drum brake. The rear brake was horribly insensitive, and would lock up too readily on damp surfaces. Not a pleasant experience.

My second bike had front and rear rim brakes. They were adequate, but suffered badly from quick pad wear and lack of braking modulation. They were a bit of a mixed bag in bad conditions too. Wet and muddy rims/pads would increase stopping distances considerably.

Both bikes needed fairly regular brake tweaking and maintenance to keep them at their best.

My latest bike has got hydraulics all round, and they are pretty damn amazing. Consistent stopping power in all weathers and conditions, virtually non existent maintenance, pads last a long long time and the braking modulation is spot on. It's difficult to describe, but you can really feel how much bite the pads are giving when squeezing the levers.

So, who's next?

 

[mike killay]

Yes, disc brakes

 

[trex]

low noise motors.
The new motors from 8-fun are incredibly quiet.

 

[EddiePJ]

I don't think that I could pin point one single aspect.

Brakes, weight, frame, suspension, saddle, tyre technology and even lights. So I guess the whole package.

 

[cwah]

Sine wave controllers best invention so far

 

[gray198]

What does a sine wave controller do??? Or should I say how does if differ from a normal controller

Gray

 

[Hugh]

Alloy wheel rims - although bike technology has made huge strides in the last 20 years or so, alloy rims meant it was possible to stop in the rain on a normal bike back in the 60's/70's, where the old chrome steel rims were a quick way to an early grave!

 

[Fordulike]

What does a sine wave controller do??? Or should I say how does if differ from a normal controller

Gray

https://www.electricbike.com/sine-wave/

 

[EddiePJ]

Alloy wheel rims - although bike technology has made huge strides in the last 20 years or so, alloy rims meant it was possible to stop in the rain on a normal bike back in the 60's/70's, where the old chrome steel rims were a quick way to an early grave!

I'd forgotten about Sunday mornings spent cleaning wheel rims with Brasso.
I certainly don't miss those days.

 

[falmouthtony]

discs and super cheap super bright lights for me

 

[wolfmandave15]

cable brakes. my first few bikes as a kid in 50/60s were all lever brakes

 

[wolfmandave15]

And sturmey archer gears

 

[Fordulike]

cable brakes. my first few bikes as a kid in 50/60s were all lever brakes

Go on Dave, how did they work then?

 

[Nealh]

HDB's & lighting.
All my brakes are Shimano and all use the same B01S pads, the stopping power is mega and they are entry/medium level ones, twin pistons that both work equally rather then relying on one moving only.. Remember the old crappy ever ready front and rear lights they really were awful they never lasted me long or the internals rusted up.

 

[soundwave]

it can stop a tank

 

[wolfmandave15]

They are rod brakes really which used to get a bit stiff to operate in cold weather. l can't really explain how they work other than they are made up of a series of steel rods that fit along the frame in the same manner as the cables. and as I haven't worked out how to add images a Google at rod brakes will reveal all, anyway it's 50 years since I rode one lol
Dave

 

[flecc]

Getting rid of cotter pins.
.

 

[Nealh]

Yes agree Flecc, cranks and BB's have come on nicely.

 

[Fordulike]

They are rod brakes really which used to get a bit stiff to operate in cold weather. l can't really explain how they work other than they are made up of a series of steel rods that fit along the frame in the same manner as the cables. and as I haven't worked out how to add images a Google at rod brakes will reveal all, anyway it's 50 years since I rode one lol
Dave

Yeah, I know the type you mean. I urmmmm, borrowed an unlocked bike when I was rather drunk in Germany which had similar brakes.

Needless to say, me and my mate, having a backie, ended up in the bushes and abandoned said bike. That was many many decades ago and I'm not proud of what we did



BTW, that's not the actual picture of the bike. Camera phones hadn't been invented back then lol

 

[wolfmandave15]

When I worked in Holland in the 90s there was a cycle hire shop that still had dozens of those bikes for about 2 euros a day single speed fixed wheel, they must weigh a ton. Very flat of course like Norfolk Cambridge area, very tiring though having to pedal all the time, I'm not a natural cyclist though I've always enjoyed walking more
Dave