Originally Posted by Andrew R Stewart

One can return the question as to what's faulty here. Why the surprise when a system isn't maintained properly? Sounds like faulty consumer expectations and/or a lack of knowing the full cost of their choices.

The bike industry has had very little reason to become more like the auto world, not sure I would want it even if it was pushed on us. Back when the CPSC introduced their standards and rules (late 1970s IIRC) you should have heard the complaints from both the industry as well as the customers. Why am I forced to only be able to buy a QR mechanism that requires secondary steps to release the wheel? I never ride at night so why do I have to also buy reflectors? Of course in hind sight we see that the rules were mostly about minimum safety and strength standards but they did raise the cost of the bike and increased the effort that the industry needed to do to make/sell your bike. Well it took only a short acclimation to having to unscrew a QR nut enough to have it clear the drop out lips. So too, brifters bring different service needs along with the convenience of shifter location.

BTW cables have suffered from fraying since they were first used on a bike, about a hundred years ago. The difference is that now we demand that the cable is hidden from view so the "out of sight is out of mind" takes over. A cable will do it's job even as it's fraying until some point of rapid increase of breaking cable strands and the cable "suddenly" breaks completely. Nothing sudden about this progression but the rider's awareness is what got the sudden bump.

Of course if this cable fraying preventative maintenance is unacceptable the industry has got your answer, e shifting Andy