Stuff that wasn't around or that wasn't readily affordable when I bought the old road bike:

- integrated brake/shift levers (a.k.a. "brifters")
- indexed shifting
- carbon fiber frames that are insanely stiff yet still all-day comfortable
- relaxed/endurance geometry frames
- affordable aerodynamic frames and wheels

I've test-ridden Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 electronic shifting it's pretty impressive, too! Ultra-smooth shifts while hammering at full-power, no need to "trim" the front derailleur, etc. A bit too pricey today, but in a few more years...


You must own relatively recent frames then. Support for 27" wheels/tires, 126mm rear hub spacing, and 1" steerers is dwindling rapidly. Obviously you can still find these things, but your selection is much more limited than if you were using "modern" sizes.

The talk about electronic shifting and carbon fiber initially didn't concern me. If I became that concerned about outright perfromance it would make sense to have a dedicated fast road bike. But it would be weird to have built up a nice 27 in bike and watch the support for it slowly fade away. Who's to say that some key component spec won't be fazed out in the name of real or just purported benefit. Who's to say that my preferences for frame geometry can't change just enough that what was once perfect is no longer quite right. More and more it is making sense for me to buy something of reasonable quality that is spec'ed the way I want it but not to go all out, cost be damned, assuming that it will be a forever bike. In order words just make a reasonable, well thought out, balanced decision.

The bike frame building industry needs your support and $. Go with a Ti custom frame. What's a few thousand dollars spread out over 30 years?

Personally, I loved the one Salsa Vaya Ti that I saw. But for loaded touring, steel makes more sense. The couple of pounds you might save on the frame is negated by the load of equipment carried on a tour. But one dealer tried to sell me on a custom TI because "a steel one might get a scratch, you wouldn't want that!"
I love my Hunqapillar,


all 30+ pounds of it!

Marc

I know I'm chiming in late, but there was an on going blog last summer in the NY Times from a reporter who successfully biked across the country. He had a custom Independent Fabrications Ti frame, it was a credit card tour - I.E. motels and restaurants, but the bike carried a tent and sleeping bag, but no cooking gear. I recall about the only thing the author wished for differently was a drop handlebar instead of flat bar, for different hand positions.

Still, expensive bike and not really needed. My Miyata steel tourer is 14 years old this year, lot's and lot's of commuting and touring, where as my Lemond titanium racign bike had a crack develop that Trek would not warranty (I had had the bike painted). I'm all for steel in this application especially as there are so many, many great choices and options not found in titanium, unless custom.

What I have is a 1988 Miyata Nine-twelve. Aero wheels and frames, a compact double drivetrains or electronic shifting could all be addaed to that or most other older bikes. Just for the record - its current weight is just over 21 lbs, which is still less than some 'entry level' road bikes on the market today.

Just my oinion - I happen to LIKE down tube shifters. I did 'upgrade' to 10 speed DuraAce DT shifters, but that only cost $100. Really don't know what all the fuss is about STI shifters/brake combinations. I have those on a Specialized Roubaix Compact Ultegra. The Miyata is currently running a Shimano Ultegra 6600 wheelset, but only because the 20 year old Mavic Cosmic Elites (which weighed less than the Ultegras) looked better on the Specialized so I swapped them. Compact drive trains and/or electronic shifting are things that ca be added to almost any older bike. I don't want them. This bike may be 'old' but it can still overtake 99 % of the riders on the street in Montreal today.
The major 'improvements' are limited to 700x25c high performance tires and modern bar tape. The titanium railed kevlar reinforced saddle is over 20 years old. Technology hasn't changed that much.

You could upgrade components, but at a significant cost. You also can't convert a round-tube frame to aero; endurance bikes didn't really exist; CF frames were rare in 2001.

Modern frames also have more torsional stiffness at a lower weight than older frames. This likely makes no difference for performance, but improves handling and for some people is a preferred ride feel.

I will say I'm skeptical of many advances, they certainly aren't as significant in terms of performance as manufacturers insist. It's all about ride feel, handling and convenience. (Thus, I for one can't wait until electronic shifting and pedal-based power meters become affordable....)

I'd also point out that few of these changes make a difference in a touring context.


Congratulations on being a retro grouch.

I dislike downtube shifters, and I'm fairly confident I'm in the majority. DT would be a huge PITA with 9- or 10-speed drivetrains. Barcons were a big step up, and STI is easier to use than DT or barcons.

Compact doubles are also more convenient than triples, though I'd still go with a triple for touring.

I use Dura-Ace 9 speed with indexed downtube shifters and don't see it as a PITA at all. I actually wonder why anyone would think it is.

I also use compact (super compact, I guess) doubles - that have been around since the 1940s, at least.

But I don't bother with carbon fiber, compact frames, curved tubing, "aero", or electronic shifting because, for my purposes at least, they offer dubious advantages, or are actually worse than what we had before. YMMV...

Just as it is in automobiles, the greatest improvement in bike performance is in the tires. That's a fact.

I prefer brifters, as I can shift while standing and they are quicker. The first time (many years ago) I rode behind a bike which had the new brifters, the performance and convenience advantages were obvious. I still run barcons on one of my bikes because they do have a slight advantage in weight and reliability. I don't bother with "modern" compacts, since riding behind them convinced me that triples are much better unless one has the youth and strength to turn a conventional 53-39 double. See, it's all personal. Do what you want.

It was either 1989 or 1990 when several teams used brifters in the TdF for the first time - and LeMond still won, using friction downtube shifters. I won't claim that brifters are worse than other choices, but I don't see them as a serious advantage, either.

So we're down to 'significant cost' of upgrading an older bike basically. So let me put this on the table for thought. Tires, tubes, cables, bar-tape and brake pads are expendables. Eventually they have to be replaced. Same for cassettes, drive chains, bottom brackets and chainrings. The component cost and installation costs are identical regardless of the age of the frame they're going on. 'Aero' components are only an advantage over 40km/h and usually weigh more. Their main application (outside styling) is in TT events and solo riders on closed tracks. Todays high end bicycle frames are slightly lighter than high end frames 20 years back, but not necessarily stiffer or stronger. Cheap frames on the other hand still are and always have been a compromise.

So that 1988 Miyata with an Ultegra 10 speed cassette, Ultegra 6600 wheel-set, 10 speed DuraAce DT shifters, DuraAce chain, Continental GP 4000 700x 25c tires, Original Shimano 600 single pole brakes with updated Ultegra pads, Shimano bar tape and Avocet O2 kevlar saddle with titanium rails is more retro in style than in reality. Equipment and performance is very similar to that Specialized Roubaix Ultegra it hangs beside. Stick a couple water bottles on the Roubaix and the weight difference dissappears anyway.

I tend to agree. I really don't get how DT shifters are a pita compared to bar ends. To me bar ends are not especially convenient, constantly get bumped out of gear when parked, and are easy to bang a knee on. I do see how folks think they are a pita compared to brifters.

I like brifters, but have been enjoying the dt shifters on my ultralight touring bike. Bar ends I never liked. I had a pair of dura ace ones way back in the day and only used them for a fairly brief period before going back to dt ones.

Until the point at which the components themselves disappear, or your frame doesn't support the latest replacement. This won't happen in 5 years, but it might happen in 10 or 15 years. Rear drop-out spacing may change (again), brake technology might change (think: disc brakes on mountain bikes), chain width may change (think: 11 speeds), steerer diameter might change (think: 1.5"), wheel sizes may become obsolete (think: 27"), etc. If you plan to own a frame for more than 10-15 years, you should also plan to stock-pile enough consumables and spare parts to keep you supplied for the last 5-15 years of riding...

If you had any experience riding a modern aero road bike (ex: Cervelo S-series) into a head wind, I don't think you'd be saying this... FYI, the commonly accepted belief is that aerodynamic components provide benefit at any speed and that they provide significant benefits starting around 18mph (29kph).

You're seriously out of touch: my current road bike is 6lbs lighter than the bike it replaced (16lbs vs 22lbs). The new frame is significantly stiffer than the old one. As an example, the new bike doesn't feel like a wet noodle when sprinting uphill. And that's after only 15 years of change (1994 vs 2009).

Probably one of the worst arguments ever against brifters.
Pros sometimes are suspicious of new technology and prefer something they have grown up using. I worked with 2 top pro riders in San Francisco (Paul Watson - a TdF rider, and Doug Shapiro, who was a team mate as a Junior with Lemond). They had some great stories and insights into the life of the top guys in cycling. The fact that Lemond won the Tour on friction shifters over lesser riders only means he was that much superior. Gearing isn't so important when you have that much torque and power on tap. I was racing in the Bay Area and northern California when STI first came out, and would laugh at the weight weenies with their DT shifters (STI had a 12 ounce penalty when first introduced) as I shifted while standing and climbing.
Pros would, 20 years ago, sometimes climb in a bigger gear than necessary to establish dominance and psyche out the competition.
It doesn't matter who you are, you will climb faster up anything significant with brifters.
Let's talk about TITANIUM: Worth every penny for almost any application in my book, including loaded touring, but that's just me.

Actually your whole post is so presumptious that it obviously says more about you than me. My sympathy that your first road bike sucked so much -but hey - I didn't pick it - you did.

Personally I happen to work in the industry and can test ride just about anything on the market. The latest demo thats still in the store is a completely carbon-Campy equipped Formigli road bike. And personally I think Argon 18 make better bikes than Cervelo - but hey - maybe thats why we sell them.