Originally Posted by
jimc101
......we still have 135mm OLD rear wheels, 9mm QR's on the front, 1 1/8 inch headsets, 27.2mm seatposts etc, none of which are really suitable for modern riding.
Huh! I can't see that any of these is unsuitable in any way, but there's alays room for different opinions.
The sad thing is that we are locked into a game of "can you top this" adding another gear every few years. Discounting the issue of obsolescence, and high cost of retrofitting the "upgrades" there's the question of whether more is better. Extra gears are a nice thing, but we may have reached, and passed, the point at which the drawbacks exceed the benefits (except for those needing buzzwords to sell new bikes).
The newer hardware is more expensive to maintain and has a shorter service life than what it replaces. This may be worth it to someone who wants the "best?" but for the bulk of people who ride only makes bicycles more expensive to own and ride.