Originally Posted by bbbean

No other reason than that and the fact that many of us like to go faster, further, and easier on bikes that are lighter and more reliable. I know what I was riding in the 70s and 80s, and I know what I'm riding now. Now is better.

FWIW, on the farm we had a crew boss who worked for my great grandfather, my grandfather, my father, and my brother and I. He grew up clearing stumps out of a field and plowing one row at a time with a mule. When he was 73 years old. we upgraded our equipment from 8 row to 12 row (major change - cutting edge technology at the time), we gave him the newest tractor and let him spend the first day in the field with the new equipment. I'll never forget the big smile on his face at the end of the day when he climbed down from the tractor - "Fellas, anyone who tells you about the good old days is full of it. THESE are the good old days (his version was more colorful than that, but you get the idea)!"

I get that reverse snobbery is strong in cycling, and I get that lots of people like their steel framed vintage bikes. My own around town bike is an early 1980s Univega MTB (cutting edge technology when I bought it). But don't think that those of us who push the limits of our own abilities and our equipment's performance are all a bunch of vain fools. Tech that doesn't work doesn't last, wnd what gets adopted is what works. We're riding newer bikes because the newer bikes are better suited to what we're doing.

Horses for courses.

BB