Amesja

Seal drag and bearing friction under load are two entirely different things.

That old 1960's cruiser pedal that you can squirt a shot of WD-40 into and it will spin for 30 seconds straight without stopping doesn't have good bearings. Sure it'll spin forever when given a good fling but it'll drag like heck while you are pedaling it.

That modern external BB that will barely spin more than 360-degrees when flipped without the chain on will have a tiny fraction of the friction under load than that old cup & cone bearing does. It doesn't matter that the old cup & cone BB can spin 20 times before stopping when not under load.

The friction that a bearing has when loaded is many times that of the seal drag. Under load that seal drag becomes inconsequential compared to the friction in the bearings when they are loaded with a couple hundred pounds pressing at the pedals (which is magnified many times at the bearing due to leverage.)

jsharr

I thought the PG stood for Paraffin Gains, no?

Jed19

Benefit does not begin to describe the importance of being able to be in exactly the right gear all the time if you are gonna win/place in a very competitive race. And to be in that gear combo, ease/convenience of shifting has to be paramount. This is what STI has delivered!

cks

Fixed it for you, but you're still my hero.

loky1179

That's great - nice bikes are nice. It is need vs want. I want a nicer bike, but I don't actually NEED a nicer bike to go faster. To go faster I NEED to lose some weight. Once I'm down to 3% body fat, I'll take another look at the bank account and the carbon fiber bikes!

CenturionIM

get off my lawn!!

JohnDThompson 

Those of us who use our bikes for transportation don't care much about "sexy" (in fact, "sexy" can be a theft magnet), but rather go for comfort and reliability.

JohnDThompson 

Sturmey-Archer: reliable, affordable indexed shifting since 1903...

DaveWC

The imaginary logic of telling others what they need, what they will benefit from and what they should own. Why again?

NWS Alpine

At 3% body fat your vital organs would begin shutting down and you would be on your way to death. No need to worry about a nice new bike

loky1179

Yes, no end to the worries - how to handle the health problems associated with extremely low body fat, how I'm going to feed the unicorn, how I'll spend my lottery winnings.

RollCNY

Feeding the unicorn is easy. It's polishing its horn too often that can become a damaging compulsion.

Amesja

Why do birds suddenly appear, every time, you are near?

mprelaw

If the OP didn't type his rant on one of these, and have someone scan it to a computer, his premise started off on the wrong note.

pdxtex

as a luddite grumpy old man in training, i say bully to you and agree whole heartedly with the OP.

pdxtex

waiting for the tow truck because bmw's are hunks of junk!

DerHoggz

Is it bad that I am 19 and mostly agree with you? I started riding on an old 1980s Fuji, and moved onto a modern alloy Focus with Ultegra this summer. The only major improvement is the external bottom bracket and associated stiffness there. It feels a lot better when standing. STI is nice for when I am completely strung out, as reaching for DT shifters would probably be beyond me at that point. Shifting while out of the saddle is also quite nice. I am fairly mechanically minded, so I actually enjoyed cleaning and greasing cup and cone bearings, something I miss with the "black box" cartridge bearings, although they are probably "better". Ultegra has ceramic bearings in the jockey wheels, which is a total no go in my opinion. Riding in the wet and my bearings are instantly thrashed.

Frame geometry is really out there these days. Many companies assume that if you aren't dropping multiple thousands on a bike you want to sit up and beg. I am happy with a 56x56 frame and standard angles, although 73.5 on the seat tube lets me run a setback post, which is nice but not not necessary. I understand different body shapes and all, but can I just get a racing frame geometry and still be able to afford tuition? There is something supremely sexy about a classic frame with level top tube.

My real problem is the idea that all of the advancements actually matter to fat out of shape amateurs, there is a whole lot more you could do to go much faster. I read a few issues of Bicycling and it was just ridiculous to see how much emphasis is placed on things that are inconsequential for probably 98% of their reader base. Recreational and fitness riders shouldn't even care about having the lightest, stiffest, "fastest" bikes around. There is nothing wrong with having nice bikes, but thinking you need them or that it will make you a better cyclist is what pisses me off. As long as it fits and functions properly you are golden,

merlinextraligh

The irony here is that for the most part people that actually race realize that equipment differences are a very small part of the equation, and that it doesn't make much difference, except at the margin, and if you're already competitive.

The compulsing about equipment comes much more from the 41 than the 33.

JohnDThompson 

And even fewer use proper slotted cleats with their toeclips and straps.



When used with slotted cleats, toeclips and straps are every bit as secure as modern clipless systems.

pdxtex

and even fewer people know how to thread toeclip straps properly. they forget the twist in the strap when it threads between the pedal platform or they have the buckle threaded near the top of the clip.

JohnDThompson 

To be fair, under those conditions, even in 1982 nobody would have shown up at such a race with a Schwinn World Sport. either.

chasm54

^^This. for most people, buying the best and lightest with the fattest, stiffest bottom bracket shell is a fashion statement, not a commitment to the highest possible standards of performance.

NWS Alpine

The real benefit of modern equipment is really comfort and ease of use. In general it's more reliable and less hassle to tune/maintain. Wheels need to be trued less often. Derailleurs need to be adjusted less often (Di2 takes it to a whole new level). Cables stay slick longer. Etc.

StanSeven

Why again? It's to let the jealous people that can't afford/don't want to spend the money to tell everyone else what to buy and not buy.

Sidney Porter

Maybe...
Down tube and barcons are more durable, cheaper and easier to setup than brifters
8 speed drive trains are more durable and cheaper than 9,10 and 11
Steel frames are more durable, modifiable and repairable than carbon

That being said I completely agree that and would rather be on a modern drive train but there was less to go wrong with a 2x5 with friction down tube shifters.