Old 11-01-11, 09:53 PM
  #18  
Debusama
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Bikes: Elephant custom road bike, 08 Redline D440, Motobecane Fantom cross Uno.

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Originally Posted by hokie cycler
Do you have a problem with consumer demand determining what products businesses develop? What practical innovations are you talking about? Lighter frames, better wheels and components seem like a good idea to me.

What I have a problem with is the way manufacturers have made so many of us into unknowing shills as we regurgitate information acquired from sources like cycling magazine (where even the articles are advertisements) as though they were facts. One example of a hypothetical practical innovation might be automated manufacturing processes that would allow for made-to-order custom frame sizing without the cost of having to pay for a week of labor time by a skilled fabricator. One example of a past innovation that I think truly was practical is the brifter; a move in the direction of simplification by consolidating the two functions into a single device. I also think being able to shift without taking the hands off of the brakes is quite an improvement and has probably prevented quite a good number of crashes. Lighter components are swell, but only where we aren’t making sacrifices in durability and added complication that are more detrimental than the weight savings are beneficial. The lost dependability is much more disruptive to a rider that doesn’t have a team car following with a mechanic to make on-the-fly adjustments and replacement bikes if need be.
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