On the whole technological innovations tend to make bikes better. No-one is ever going to argue that pneumatic tyres or derailleurs haven't improved riding a bike. But there are some things that we're less sure about. On the surface, the six road bike developments listed in this video should be improvements. Why then, do we find them so downright infuriating? Are we right or should we just get on our bikes and try and enjoy them? And what gets your goat about modern bikes?
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00:00 Trying to prevent technological advancement in any industry
00:03 is a bit like swimming against a tide of schooling salmon.
00:06 In the case of a cycling industry,
00:08 occasionally the UCI sticks its oar in,
00:10 but good engineering always finds a way around.
00:14 If we didn't allow technology to advance,
00:15 we'd probably all still be riding around
00:17 on the bone shakers of the 1860s,
00:20 and we'd probably still think that the rattling experience
00:22 was as good as it was ever gonna get.
00:24 En route to refinement,
00:25 some technologies pose more headaches than others
00:28 to mechanics, bike testers like myself, and also consumers.
00:33 So which current advancements in modern bike technology
00:36 do we wish would hurry up and reach refinement
00:39 or just get out of the industry altogether?
00:41 Number one, proprietary seat posts.
00:49 In the past, bicycle manufacturers would furnish a frame
00:52 with a 27.2 millimeter hole,
00:54 and then they'd seek a reliable component brand
00:57 to finish the picture.
00:58 That meant the consumer could swap the seat post easily
01:01 at any time they wanted to.
01:03 As technology has advanced, bike brands have sought
01:06 better compliance, better aerodynamics, and reduced weight.
01:10 And it's no secret that the seat post
01:11 is a massive part of the compliance story.
01:14 Also, having CFD and wind tunnel testing in-house
01:17 means that they can see quite how much difference
01:19 smoothing out the lines between the seat post
01:21 and the rest of the frame makes.
01:24 The result, proprietary seat posts.
01:26 Rather than seek an external manufacturer
01:28 to create their seat post, they make them themselves
01:31 or work with a manufacturer to make one
01:33 that only works with that frame.
01:35 So also when we look at proprietary seat post designs,
01:38 some of them are excellent and work really well,
01:40 but there are also some pretty high profile examples
01:43 where brands clearly haven't got it right the first time.
01:46 Now, the consumer might get a compliance boost,
01:49 they might get better aerodynamics,
01:51 and they might get a better overall weight.
01:53 However, they're also tied into using the seat post
01:57 for the life of the bike.
01:58 Not only that, but you are also reliant on the brand
02:00 to continue making seat posts in that shape and size.
02:03 You're a bit screwed if you've got a frame
02:05 and no seat post to actually go into it.
02:07 Now, brands do have to continue making the seat post
02:10 for a number of years after they've stopped
02:11 producing the bike.
02:13 When I asked Giant, they told me that they are still
02:15 holding stock of a seat post for a frame
02:17 that they haven't manufactured for about 10 years.
02:20 However, people do sometimes hold onto bikes
02:22 for a very long time, even for a lifetime.
02:25 So it is something worth considering.
02:27 Next up, internal cable routing.
02:34 The definition of internal cable routing
02:36 has changed quite dramatically in the last couple of years.
02:39 It used to mean cables that ran into the down tube
02:42 and top tube to reach their destination,
02:44 but they were external at the handlebars.
02:46 This keeps muck out of the cables,
02:48 and it does cut down on the maintenance
02:50 when you compare it to fully external cable routing.
02:53 However, it was still fairly easy
02:55 to actually replace the cables when you needed to.
02:58 Fully internal cable routing, as we mean in the year 2021,
03:02 means that the cables are completely hidden from view.
03:05 Brands have very many different methods of achieving this,
03:07 but as a general rule, they'll run into the handlebars
03:10 or underneath the handlebars, through the stem and headset,
03:12 and then alongside the steerer en route to their destination.
03:16 Routing cables in this way mimics the very worst
03:19 of the London Underground network,
03:21 and it can present some pretty substantial issues.
03:24 Firstly, a headset change requires complete recabling.
03:27 Speaking to local bike shops,
03:29 they're saying that a job that used to take five minutes
03:31 is now taking half a day.
03:33 When you add in the cost of the hydraulic cables,
03:35 you've got a pretty big maintenance bill on your hands.
03:38 Secondly, these methods of internal cable routing
03:41 involve new methods of engineering,
03:44 and new methods of engineering sometimes go wrong.
03:47 Case in point, the Specialized SL7.
03:50 Specialized recalled that bike
03:51 because the compression ring,
03:53 which was acting as a guide for said internal cable routing,
03:57 was potentially causing undue stress on the steerer.
04:00 The US Product Safety Consumer Commission website
04:03 says that there were only two instances,
04:05 and there were no major injuries.
04:08 However, a steerer failure is pretty significant
04:11 if it does happen to you,
04:12 and the brand was concerned enough
04:14 to issue a stop ride notice when it issued the recall.
04:17 Fork recalls are nothing new.
04:19 Recalls in any industry are certainly nothing new.
04:22 However, systems that allow for internal cable routing
04:25 do seem to be cropping up as a factor fairly often,
04:28 alongside the search for ever lower weights
04:31 and ever better aerodynamics.
04:33 (upbeat music)
04:35 The next irritant of modern day bicycle design
04:40 might separate opinion,
04:41 but I'm presenting the video and this is my opinion.
04:44 Next up is aero tubing on climbing and endurance bikes.
04:49 Ride quality of a bicycle is impacted by very many factors.
04:53 The components that you put on the bike,
04:55 tires, wheels, seat posts, handlebars, play a vital role,
04:59 as does the carbon layup, but also tube shapes.
05:03 Round tubes, as a general rule, are responsive,
05:06 quick to react, and generally more compliant.
05:09 On the flip side, aerodynamic tubing
05:10 is often quite boxy and it's not quite so responsive
05:14 and can become a bit too stiff.
05:16 The prevailing voice in bicycle design
05:18 says that aerodynamics is more important
05:20 than weight in the speed equation,
05:22 even if you're going at below 15 miles an hour or 25K an hour.
05:27 Therefore, the direction of travel
05:29 has been to improve aerodynamics,
05:31 sometimes at the sacrifice of weight
05:33 and sometimes at the sacrifice of ride quality
05:36 in terms of tube profiles.
05:38 If however, you're more interested
05:40 in how a bike feels,
05:41 then the rise of more aerodynamic tubing
05:44 on bikes that aren't really focused solely on speed
05:47 might seem like a little bit of a shame.
05:49 Sure, you can make the argument
05:51 that people buying endurance bikes
05:52 who sometimes just want that bit more comfort
05:55 still want to go fast,
05:56 but do they want to go fast
05:58 more than they want to enjoy the ride?
06:00 Well, it probably depends on their Strava settings.
06:03 Not only that, a lightweight, fun, fast climbing bike
06:06 can sometimes just make you feel faster
06:09 because you're really enjoying the ride.
06:11 I've certainly been out on both the Specialized Athos
06:14 and Specialized Tarmac,
06:15 and I've compared my watts with my overall speed,
06:18 and frankly, the difference wasn't huge.
06:20 Therefore, if your number one goal
06:22 is just to enjoy the ride,
06:24 then round tubes often make a lot more sense.
06:27 Next up, wheel and tire incompatibilities.
06:36 Direction of travel has certainly been
06:37 towards tubeless in the last couple of years.
06:40 We don't have a problem with tubeless tires.
06:42 Lower pressures, wider contact patches
06:44 certainly improve cornering no end,
06:46 and they also reduce fatigue.
06:48 Now, some data suggests that actually narrower tires
06:51 are still faster on glass-smooth roads,
06:55 but if you can go out and find me a local route
06:57 where over 50% of the terrain
06:59 is glass-smooth magical tarmac of dreams,
07:02 then I've got a prize for you somewhere.
07:05 Once compatibility issues are addressed
07:07 and sealant is a little bit better at road-type pressures,
07:10 then we will be away with tubeless technology,
07:13 but I kind of think there's still some work to do yet.
07:16 Roadie technology has changed a lot
07:18 in the last couple of years,
07:20 and the risk associated with getting it wrong
07:22 ranges from giving your clubmate a sealant facial
07:25 on the next chain gang
07:27 to spending your entire evening coating a rim
07:29 in fairy liquid and using 30 different tire levers,
07:32 and just to be clear, there's some artistic license there.
07:34 Please don't do that,
07:35 to finally finding yourself stuck in a ditch
07:38 by the side of the road because you used a hookless rim
07:41 and a non-hookless compatible tire
07:43 and pumped it to 200% of the maximum,
07:47 which also you shouldn't do,
07:48 and you shouldn't have a problem
07:49 as long as you do stick to the guidelines,
07:52 but there's always potential for people
07:53 not to read the small print,
07:55 and that's where the concerns lie.
07:57 The point here is that we're not against tubeless technology
08:00 and we're not against hookless technology.
08:02 What we are in favor of is better standardization
08:05 and both wheel and tire brands sitting down
08:07 and having just better communication.
08:10 (upbeat music)
08:12 Next up, and I think this is gonna be quite a popular one
08:17 because we get a lot of comments about this, is price.
08:20 It's fair to say that the price of top-end bikes
08:23 has definitely risen in excess of inflation
08:26 in the last couple of years.
08:27 If you want Dura-Ace, 50 mil carbon rims,
08:30 a power meter, and a top-end frame,
08:32 you're gonna be looking at shelling out
08:34 10 or 11,000 pounds, which is a pretty massive outlay.
08:39 The cost of production for the brand
08:41 is without shadow of a doubt less than the addition
08:44 to the RRP at the top end of the scale.
08:47 Now, I do completely disagree
08:49 with the you can buy a motorbike for that argument,
08:52 and the reason for that is quite simple.
08:53 These 10 and 11 grand bicycles are UCI pro level bikes.
08:58 They are the same bikes that the UCI pros are riding.
09:01 So yeah, you could buy a Honda CBR 650R
09:04 for just over seven grand,
09:06 and you still have change left over for leathers
09:09 and a decent helmet compared to if you'd gone out
09:11 and bought that 11 grand bicycle.
09:13 However, if you wanted to ride the same motorbike
09:16 as your MotoGP idols,
09:18 well, then you'd be looking at shelling out
09:20 the one to $2.5 million.
09:23 So an 11 grand bicycle that's ridden by the UCI pros
09:27 on the world tour stage at 11 grand
09:30 is absolutely not the same thing as a Honda CBR
09:33 at seven grand.
09:35 So let's just put that argument to bed.
09:37 And finally, no one is forcing people to ride those bikes.
09:40 However, it is completely understandable
09:43 that people are annoyed about this price hike
09:44 because it is substantial
09:46 and it also affects the rest of the line.
09:49 One of the reasons given for this increase in price
09:51 is that very many brands produce their frames in Asia.
09:54 And they moved over to Asia many years ago
09:57 because at the time production there was cheaper.
10:00 The thing is Asia's actually got really good
10:02 at producing frames now
10:03 and they're now charging a premium for that expertise,
10:06 which kind of feels fair enough.
10:08 Secondly, very few brands actually produce their own carbon.
10:12 Giant is a really good example of a brand
10:14 that does produce its own carbon.
10:16 And you will notice that their prices
10:18 are a bit cheaper than everyone else's.
10:20 Many brands use a manufacturer, Tore.
10:22 And Tore has recently introduced M40X carbon.
10:26 M40X carbon is significantly stiffer,
10:29 which means the brands need to use less carbon
10:32 in order to produce an equally stiff frame.
10:34 And that means that the frame is lower in weight.
10:37 Of course, M40X also costs more.
10:40 So there you have rising labor costs
10:42 as well as rising material costs.
10:45 Then factor in shipping costs,
10:47 which have ridden following COVID
10:48 and in the UK following Brexit.
10:50 And you do have a perfect storm
10:52 which will create higher RRPs.
10:55 However, I think it's fair to say
10:56 that those higher RRPs also include
10:59 a pretty substantial profit.
11:01 And where does that come from?
11:02 Well, the fact is that some people are happy
11:04 to shell out five figures for a bicycle.
11:07 And as long as people keep buying them,
11:08 then the prices will stay the same.
11:10 (upbeat music)
11:13 Finally, bottom bracket styles.
11:18 Who would have thought that the component
11:19 that houses the cranks and facilitates
11:21 the movement of those cranks,
11:23 thus allowing for the forward propulsion of a bicycle
11:26 would require so many different styles.
11:29 And why is it that there are so many
11:31 different bottom bracket styles?
11:32 Well, the bottom bracket shell is an area
11:34 that is very, very important in the stiffness equation.
11:37 And over the years, brands have sought
11:39 stiffer platforms for power transfer.
11:41 And of course, as is always the case
11:43 in the bicycle industry,
11:44 they've also sought lighter overall solutions.
11:47 Finally, in more recent years,
11:49 after the press fit craze,
11:51 they've also looked for solutions that eliminate creaks
11:54 because that's a pretty common complaint.
11:57 At our last count,
11:57 there were 21 different styles of bottom bracket.
12:01 And we probably missed one.
12:02 BB wrong, maybe?
12:04 T47 seems to be a very popular choice at the moment.
12:07 Trek has included it on very many of its road frames.
12:10 And it told us quite recently that it's going to include it
12:13 on all of its road frames going forward.
12:15 It's compatible with a great many different crank diameters.
12:18 It also shares the same dimensions as a PF30,
12:22 but it uses a threaded interface,
12:24 which in theory cuts down on creaks
12:26 and also makes home maintenance a lot easier.
12:28 However, the fact that T47 is a really great solution
12:32 doesn't really help for you
12:33 if you've got a Cervelo wearing a BB right
12:36 or a Cannondale with a BB30.
12:38 Perhaps what's needed is some overall governing body
12:41 that could enforce convergence on one specific standard.
12:46 But they'd probably end up just swimming against a salmon
12:48 and may get hit in the face with a wet fish.
12:50 (upbeat music)
12:53 And finally, disc br...
12:57 No, disc brakes are really good.
13:00 I'll give you cable actuator disc brakes.
13:03 They're really not ideal
13:04 and not much faster than rim brakes,
13:06 but hydraulic disc brakes,
13:07 I would not go back to the era of the rim brake.
13:10 So I hope that you enjoyed this video.
13:13 I'm sure there's going to be lots of opinions.
13:15 Please do air them in the comments.
13:17 Hit like if you enjoyed this video
13:19 and do subscribe if you want to see more.
13:21 But at this point, at our last count,
13:24 there were 21 different styles of bottom bracket.
13:28 - Really? - Yeah.
13:30 - (beep) hell.
13:31 - (laughs) Yeah.
13:32 (car engine roaring)