Originally Posted by FXjohn
Why can't they just make a hardtail, rigid fork bike, no more than two gears in front, maybe even just one. An indestructible 5 speed, it would stay in adjustment longer that way too. A decent range of gears and people wouldn't even know what they were missing.
They made good quality practical bikes like this for years - Raleighs, Schwinns, etc. Then the 10-speed craze - the 70s 'bike boom' - came along and, IMO, bikes became more fashionable and less practical. The 70s bike boom resulted in people wanting a cheap imitation racing bike instead of a high quality practical urban bicycle. Now, 'most everything's about style and fashion - to hell with practicality. Bike manufacturers even release new models every year in the fall
just like the car companies. What's really changed from last year? Maybe the paint scheme. Sure there have been some technological advances in the higher-end bikes, but for plain ol' utilitarian cycling, a 60s Raleigh or Schwinn is still as good (and probably better) than anything on the market today, IMO.