Originally Posted by ridelugs
i guess my point, briefly, is this:
if we apply the sealed bearing philosophy to everything, we would ride bikes with internally geared hubs, which clearly outlast cassettes and derailluers, i myself riding a sturmey from 50 years ago, we would have internal jackdrives instead of chains, we would have electronic shifting so shift cogs couldnt wear down, and cables couldnt stretch. to an extreme my point is: where do we stop, when do we say too much convenience is too much? i dont ever want to see a day when dual suspension roadbikes are more prevalent than traditional bikes, but already we see that day approaching, as 10 years ago dual suspension was in the minority on mtn bikes and now its standard. i say, stop now, stop ten years ago, stop 25 years, everything works fine.
Internally geared drivetrains have significantly reduced efficiency, increased weight, and increased cost. Derailer gearing is cheap, light, and works very well when well-maintained. So that's a trade-off.
With cup-and-cone BBs vs cartridge BBs, there's no tradeoff. Cartridge BBs are cheap to make, long-lasting, and can be made insanely lightweight if you're into that sort of thing. They're simply a superior technology
Also, I highly doubt we'll be seeing dual-suspension road bikes any time, not even for city or touring use. The cost and weight increase is fairly severe. On the other hand, I expect we'll see more suspension seatposts on road bikes.
Lastly, how would electronic shifting prevent cogs from wearing down?