Most of the technological and mechanical developments in bicycle design have generally been improvements. That said, had they not been developed I'd still be enjoying bicycling. I prefer index shifting to friction, hydraulic brakes to rim brakes, lighter weight frames, and the list can go on. But none of them really matter to me. I was happy with my old Sekai touring bike with a quill stem, rim brakes, downtube friction shifters, and narrow tires. When I buy my next bike, if I ever do (I'm 78) I suppose it will have whatever the current innovations are.