Originally Posted by
Ghazmh
Disc brakes, fragile lightweight frames, internally routed brake hoses, no rack and fender mounts, ever changing tire clearances, cartridge bearings, integrated cockpits, proprietary seat posts, electronic shifting that’s not compatible with any other brands parts is better.
To be fair - this was a full race spec bike vs a full race spec bike - fenders and racks are not part of that. And you can find modern bikes without all of the proprietary parts/integrated everything.
Gearing and shifting were the main differences, followed by tires and wheels.
A fit ex pro 300w+ rider couldn't get the old bike up the hill, the new bike allowed him to spin right up. Meaning us less fit, non ex pro riders have more of a chance to ride more places on a race style bike.
Here is the kicker for me - all the marketing and hype about speed. X watts faster, aero this, speed that. 50 years of development = 6% speed gains. Much of that is from tires and wheels, and some weight. 6% for an ex pro going full gas. Less for us normal duffers.