Dropper posts for every bike?

wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 4:17:23 PM UTC+1, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/30/2019 11:24 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 10:04:33 AM UTC-6, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Should pro road racers use dropper posts?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/worldto...111819293.html

If they do, it won't be long before anyone who uses an ordinary seatpost
will be scorned as a luddite.

--
- Frank Krygowski

I believe a dropper seatpost in professional road bicycle racing might
be a safety benefit. Currently, racers descending a mountain will
frequently put their groin and belly and chest onto the top of the
toptube to become as aerodynamic as possible. This is a
somewhat/definitely unsafe position to control a bicycle when
descending. But with a dropper seatpost, the racer could get himself
into the low aerodynamic position, AND remain seated on the saddle.
Overall a much safer position to descend a mountain. So a dropper
seatpost would be an easy safety enhancement for professional
bicyclists. Who would be against increasing the safety aspect of
professional bicycle racing?

IMO, racers can do whatever is within the rules to win a race. But as I
said, it won't be long before anyone who makes a different choice than a
racer will be scorned, at least by some.

Scorned? Really? Maybe by some idiots, but in general?


Over the years, it's happened with lycra clothes, helmets, clipless
pedals, 6 then 7 then 8 then 9 then 10 then 11 cogs, index shifting,
STI, aero wheels, carbon fiber, aero frames...

Not over here. I heard that the US is a ****ed up country but this I can't believe.

Lou



Seems to me that the scorning comes from the other way around. Just check
the recent posts here about Di2.

On Sun, 01 Dec 2019 18:12:17 -0600, AMuzi wrote:

On 12/1/2019 4:33 PM, John B. wrote:
On Sun, 01 Dec 2019 14:44:53 -0600, AMuzi wrote:

On 12/1/2019 2:34 PM, wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 9:17:23 AM UTC-6, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/30/2019 11:24 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 10:04:33 AM UTC-6, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Should pro road racers use dropper posts?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/worldto...111819293.html

If they do, it won't be long before anyone who uses an ordinary seatpost
will be scorned as a luddite.

--
- Frank Krygowski

I believe a dropper seatpost in professional road bicycle racing might be a safety benefit. Currently, racers descending a mountain will frequently put their groin and belly and chest onto the top of the toptube to become as aerodynamic as possible. This is a somewhat/definitely unsafe position to control a bicycle when descending. But with a dropper seatpost, the racer could get himself into the low aerodynamic position, AND remain seated on the saddle. Overall a much safer position to descend a mountain. So a dropper seatpost would be an easy safety enhancement for professional bicyclists. Who would be against increasing the safety aspect of professional bicycle racing?

IMO, racers can do whatever is within the rules to win a race. But as I
said, it won't be long before anyone who makes a different choice than a
racer will be scorned, at least by some.



If dropper seatposts become the norm in racing, for the reason I mentioned to become more aero while descending, then anyone who does not have a dropper post and gets into the now common belly on top of the toptube for descending, should be banned from bicycle racing. Because the belly on the toptube is unsafe compared to using a dropper post to get into the same aerodynamic position. Unsafe activities need to be banned from bicycle racing. If you want to be as low and aerodynamic as possible while descending a mountain on a road bicycle, then get a dropper seatpost. Otherwise, if you continue to use a normal rigid seatpost, stay seated on top of the saddle while descending. Basically ban putting your belly on top of the toptube while descending.

Outside of official racing, how people ride is controlled by normal traffic laws. People ride fixed gear TRACK bicycles on the streets, yet fixed gear bikes are only appropriate for velodrome TRACKS. Some people even still ride those 1800s high wheel bikes. I assume they are still legal to ride on the road.






Over the years, it's happened with lycra clothes, helmets, clipless
pedals, 6 then 7 then 8 then 9 then 10 then 11 cogs, index shifting,
STI, aero wheels, carbon fiber, aero frames...


--
- Frank Krygowski


Well considered except where you may have confused some
readers regarding 'fixed gear no brake' which I agree are
unsuitable for public roads and 'fixed gear w/front brake'.

I ride the latter myself often and stop in as short a
distance or less than any rim brake machine.


But, but, but, I'm reading that one must have disk brakes or one
simply can't stop in time...

Disk brakes on a fixi?
--
cheers,

John B.


Nothing wrong with disc brakes but the essential part is
that front wheels brake, rear wheels skid.

But I read that seizing the front brake aggressively will put one
right over the handle bars. and now you imply that rear brakes don't
brake very effectively....

It seem obvious that them 2 wheel things are just naturally dangerous
so I guess that a safety helmet must be mandatory :-)
--
cheers,

John B.

On Sun, 1 Dec 2019 16:21:25 -0800 (PST), Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 12:17:04 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 7:17:23 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/30/2019 11:24 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 10:04:33 AM UTC-6, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Should pro road racers use dropper posts?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/worldto...111819293.html

If they do, it won't be long before anyone who uses an ordinary seatpost
will be scorned as a luddite.

--
- Frank Krygowski

I believe a dropper seatpost in professional road bicycle racing might be a safety benefit. Currently, racers descending a mountain will frequently put their groin and belly and chest onto the top of the toptube to become as aerodynamic as possible. This is a somewhat/definitely unsafe position to control a bicycle when descending. But with a dropper seatpost, the racer could get himself into the low aerodynamic position, AND remain seated on the saddle. Overall a much safer position to descend a mountain. So a dropper seatpost would be an easy safety enhancement for professional bicyclists. Who would be against increasing the safety aspect of professional bicycle racing?

IMO, racers can do whatever is within the rules to win a race. But as I
said, it won't be long before anyone who makes a different choice than a
racer will be scorned, at least by some.

Over the years, it's happened with lycra clothes, helmets, clipless
pedals, 6 then 7 then 8 then 9 then 10 then 11 cogs, index shifting,
STI, aero wheels, carbon fiber, aero frames...

Scorned by whom? Who cares if you do or don't wear lycra? Who would care if you do or don't have a dropper post? Do people really make you feel bad because you have DT shifting? Man, I'm avoiding Ohio.

Almost all the scorn I've received has been on this newsgroup. Most recently
it's been about non-electronic shifting. Before that, disc brakes. Before that,
STI. Before that, toe clips instead of clipless, etc.

There have been a very few times I've gotten person to person scorn. Most common
has been helmet related (or rather, related to my not wearing a helmet). I
recall one young dude (years ago) mocking my 32 tooth rear cog. (That guy's
probably using a bigger one now.) I recall a different dude sort of mocking "all
the stuff" I have on my bike: lights, fenders, handlebar bag.

(Actually, I haven't had downtube shifters since about 1982. I mostly use bar-
end shifters.)

- Frank Krygowski

You gotta understand that "my" bike is better than "your" bike thus
anyone riding "your" bike is to be scorned.... how else can one
justify "my" bike? After all, Trek is selling the Domane SLR for
$11,599.99... it has got to be better than "your" bike. Goodness, it
even has disk brakes :-)

You see Frank, you are an old Geezer and just "aren't with it", why,
you probably don't even owe any money. See, the "average" American
family owes $15,675 on their credit cards alone....
https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-car...can-debt.html/
--
cheers,

John B.

On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 4:21:28 PM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 12:17:04 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 7:17:23 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/30/2019 11:24 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 10:04:33 AM UTC-6, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Should pro road racers use dropper posts?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/worldto...111819293.html

If they do, it won't be long before anyone who uses an ordinary seatpost
will be scorned as a luddite.

--
- Frank Krygowski

I believe a dropper seatpost in professional road bicycle racing might be a safety benefit. Currently, racers descending a mountain will frequently put their groin and belly and chest onto the top of the toptube to become as aerodynamic as possible. This is a somewhat/definitely unsafe position to control a bicycle when descending. But with a dropper seatpost, the racer could get himself into the low aerodynamic position, AND remain seated on the saddle. Overall a much safer position to descend a mountain. So a dropper seatpost would be an easy safety enhancement for professional bicyclists. Who would be against increasing the safety aspect of professional bicycle racing?

IMO, racers can do whatever is within the rules to win a race. But as I
said, it won't be long before anyone who makes a different choice than a
racer will be scorned, at least by some.

Over the years, it's happened with lycra clothes, helmets, clipless
pedals, 6 then 7 then 8 then 9 then 10 then 11 cogs, index shifting,
STI, aero wheels, carbon fiber, aero frames...

Scorned by whom? Who cares if you do or don't wear lycra? Who would care if you do or don't have a dropper post? Do people really make you feel bad because you have DT shifting? Man, I'm avoiding Ohio.

Almost all the scorn I've received has been on this newsgroup. Most recently
it's been about non-electronic shifting. Before that, disc brakes. Before that,
STI. Before that, toe clips instead of clipless, etc.

As I recall, you were being scorned for dismissing anyone with equipment newer than 1987 as being a faddist. You should be scorned for that -- and made to sit in the corner. Nobody cares if you buy new equipment, but just dismissing discs or Di2 as "style" or "fad" is stupid without at least trying it first. I dismissed SIS as a Fisher Price toy for people who couldn't friction shift. I loved it when I got it, and then STI -- which was hugely beneficial in races and still my preferred shifting method (although electricity is not a requirement). I would hate to go back to DT shifting, and I hated bar ends even when they were current. I would whack my knees on them climbing out of the saddle.


There have been a very few times I've gotten person to person scorn. Most common
has been helmet related (or rather, related to my not wearing a helmet). I
recall one young dude (years ago) mocking my 32 tooth rear cog. (That guy's
probably using a bigger one now.) I recall a different dude sort of mocking "all
the stuff" I have on my bike: lights, fenders, handlebar bag.

(Actually, I haven't had downtube shifters since about 1982. I mostly use bar-
end shifters.)

Gear mocking is a thing of the past, except if you get one of those 50t Eagle rear cogs. I would mock you. I got mocked by some stranger racer who I was dogging up Mt. Hamilton in the 70s. I had a 42X28, which was a huge cog. I think the guy was just ****ed off because I was hanging with him on a touring bike. That was the moment I decided to race, and the rest is history. Even after six Tour victories, three Giros and two Vueltas, I look back on that ride up Mt. Hamilton as one of the most important days of my life. Oh wait, I only won those races while day dreaming on my rollers. Never mind.. Anyway, mocking can be a good thing. It makes us hard men.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Sunday, 1 December 2019 19:44:11 UTC-5, Duane wrote:
wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 4:17:23 PM UTC+1, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/30/2019 11:24 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 10:04:33 AM UTC-6, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Should pro road racers use dropper posts?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/worldto...111819293.html

If they do, it won't be long before anyone who uses an ordinary seatpost
will be scorned as a luddite.

--
- Frank Krygowski

I believe a dropper seatpost in professional road bicycle racing might
be a safety benefit. Currently, racers descending a mountain will
frequently put their groin and belly and chest onto the top of the
toptube to become as aerodynamic as possible. This is a
somewhat/definitely unsafe position to control a bicycle when
descending. But with a dropper seatpost, the racer could get himself
into the low aerodynamic position, AND remain seated on the saddle.
Overall a much safer position to descend a mountain. So a dropper
seatpost would be an easy safety enhancement for professional
bicyclists. Who would be against increasing the safety aspect of
professional bicycle racing?

IMO, racers can do whatever is within the rules to win a race. But as I
said, it won't be long before anyone who makes a different choice than a
racer will be scorned, at least by some.

Scorned? Really? Maybe by some idiots, but in general?


Over the years, it's happened with lycra clothes, helmets, clipless
pedals, 6 then 7 then 8 then 9 then 10 then 11 cogs, index shifting,
STI, aero wheels, carbon fiber, aero frames...

Not over here. I heard that the US is a ****ed up country but this I can't believe.

Lou



Seems to me that the scorning comes from the other way around. Just check
the recent posts here about Di2.

Or the comments made about those who choose to wear lycra or other dedicated bicycling clothing or, horrors, wear a helmet.

Cheers

On Sunday, 1 December 2019 20:11:37 UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 4:21:28 PM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 12:17:04 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 7:17:23 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/30/2019 11:24 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 10:04:33 AM UTC-6, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Should pro road racers use dropper posts?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/worldto...111819293.html

If they do, it won't be long before anyone who uses an ordinary seatpost
will be scorned as a luddite.

--
- Frank Krygowski

I believe a dropper seatpost in professional road bicycle racing might be a safety benefit. Currently, racers descending a mountain will frequently put their groin and belly and chest onto the top of the toptube to become as aerodynamic as possible. This is a somewhat/definitely unsafe position to control a bicycle when descending. But with a dropper seatpost, the racer could get himself into the low aerodynamic position, AND remain seated on the saddle. Overall a much safer position to descend a mountain. So a dropper seatpost would be an easy safety enhancement for professional bicyclists. Who would be against increasing the safety aspect of professional bicycle racing?

IMO, racers can do whatever is within the rules to win a race. But as I
said, it won't be long before anyone who makes a different choice than a
racer will be scorned, at least by some.

Over the years, it's happened with lycra clothes, helmets, clipless
pedals, 6 then 7 then 8 then 9 then 10 then 11 cogs, index shifting,
STI, aero wheels, carbon fiber, aero frames...

Scorned by whom? Who cares if you do or don't wear lycra? Who would care if you do or don't have a dropper post? Do people really make you feel bad because you have DT shifting? Man, I'm avoiding Ohio.

Almost all the scorn I've received has been on this newsgroup. Most recently
it's been about non-electronic shifting. Before that, disc brakes. Before that,
STI. Before that, toe clips instead of clipless, etc.

As I recall, you were being scorned for dismissing anyone with equipment newer than 1987 as being a faddist. You should be scorned for that -- and made to sit in the corner. Nobody cares if you buy new equipment, but just dismissing discs or Di2 as "style" or "fad" is stupid without at least trying it first. I dismissed SIS as a Fisher Price toy for people who couldn't friction shift. I loved it when I got it, and then STI -- which was hugely beneficial in races and still my preferred shifting method (although electricity is not a requirement). I would hate to go back to DT shifting, and I hated bar ends even when they were current. I would whack my knees on them climbing out of the saddle.


There have been a very few times I've gotten person to person scorn. Most common
has been helmet related (or rather, related to my not wearing a helmet).. I
recall one young dude (years ago) mocking my 32 tooth rear cog. (That guy's
probably using a bigger one now.) I recall a different dude sort of mocking "all
the stuff" I have on my bike: lights, fenders, handlebar bag.

(Actually, I haven't had downtube shifters since about 1982. I mostly use bar-
end shifters.)

Gear mocking is a thing of the past, except if you get one of those 50t Eagle rear cogs. I would mock you. I got mocked by some stranger racer who I was dogging up Mt. Hamilton in the 70s. I had a 42X28, which was a huge cog. I think the guy was just ****ed off because I was hanging with him on a touring bike. That was the moment I decided to race, and the rest is history. Even after six Tour victories, three Giros and two Vueltas, I look back on that ride up Mt. Hamilton as one of the most important days of my life. Oh wait, I only won those races while day dreaming on my rollers. Never mind. Anyway, mocking can be a good thing. It makes us hard men.

-- Jay Beattie.

Shimano SIS is in my opinion one of the greatest advances in bicycling that made bicycling so much easier for many people. It ranks right up there with the safety bicycle and pneumatic tires. With a properly adjusted SIS (or Brifters) almost anyone can make perfect shifts and do so without the long learning curve that used to be required by so many.

Cheers

On Sun, 1 Dec 2019 18:54:20 -0800 (PST), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Sunday, 1 December 2019 20:11:37 UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 4:21:28 PM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 12:17:04 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 7:17:23 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/30/2019 11:24 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 10:04:33 AM UTC-6, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Should pro road racers use dropper posts?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/worldto...111819293.html

If they do, it won't be long before anyone who uses an ordinary seatpost
will be scorned as a luddite.

--
- Frank Krygowski

I believe a dropper seatpost in professional road bicycle racing might be a safety benefit. Currently, racers descending a mountain will frequently put their groin and belly and chest onto the top of the toptube to become as aerodynamic as possible. This is a somewhat/definitely unsafe position to control a bicycle when descending. But with a dropper seatpost, the racer could get himself into the low aerodynamic position, AND remain seated on the saddle. Overall a much safer position to descend a mountain. So a dropper seatpost would be an easy safety enhancement for professional bicyclists. Who would be against increasing the safety aspect of professional bicycle racing?

IMO, racers can do whatever is within the rules to win a race. But as I
said, it won't be long before anyone who makes a different choice than a
racer will be scorned, at least by some.

Over the years, it's happened with lycra clothes, helmets, clipless
pedals, 6 then 7 then 8 then 9 then 10 then 11 cogs, index shifting,
STI, aero wheels, carbon fiber, aero frames...

Scorned by whom? Who cares if you do or don't wear lycra? Who would care if you do or don't have a dropper post? Do people really make you feel bad because you have DT shifting? Man, I'm avoiding Ohio.

Almost all the scorn I've received has been on this newsgroup. Most recently
it's been about non-electronic shifting. Before that, disc brakes. Before that,
STI. Before that, toe clips instead of clipless, etc.

As I recall, you were being scorned for dismissing anyone with equipment newer than 1987 as being a faddist. You should be scorned for that -- and made to sit in the corner. Nobody cares if you buy new equipment, but just dismissing discs or Di2 as "style" or "fad" is stupid without at least trying it first. I dismissed SIS as a Fisher Price toy for people who couldn't friction shift. I loved it when I got it, and then STI -- which was hugely beneficial in races and still my preferred shifting method (although electricity is not a requirement). I would hate to go back to DT shifting, and I hated bar ends even when they were current. I would whack my knees on them climbing out of the saddle.


There have been a very few times I've gotten person to person scorn. Most common
has been helmet related (or rather, related to my not wearing a helmet). I
recall one young dude (years ago) mocking my 32 tooth rear cog. (That guy's
probably using a bigger one now.) I recall a different dude sort of mocking "all
the stuff" I have on my bike: lights, fenders, handlebar bag.

(Actually, I haven't had downtube shifters since about 1982. I mostly use bar-
end shifters.)

Gear mocking is a thing of the past, except if you get one of those 50t Eagle rear cogs. I would mock you. I got mocked by some stranger racer who I was dogging up Mt. Hamilton in the 70s. I had a 42X28, which was a huge cog. I think the guy was just ****ed off because I was hanging with him on a touring bike. That was the moment I decided to race, and the rest is history. Even after six Tour victories, three Giros and two Vueltas, I look back on that ride up Mt. Hamilton as one of the most important days of my life. Oh wait, I only won those races while day dreaming on my rollers. Never mind. Anyway, mocking can be a good thing. It makes us hard men.

-- Jay Beattie.

Shimano SIS is in my opinion one of the greatest advances in bicycling that made bicycling so much easier for many people. It ranks right up there with the safety bicycle and pneumatic tires. With a properly adjusted SIS (or Brifters) almost anyone can make perfect shifts and do so without the long learning curve that used to be required by so many.

Cheers

Come on with the long learning curve. A one hour, or maybe shorter
ride?

But, in fact, I am reading that there are fewer cyclists today than
there were 10, or more years ago, and far fewer then there were 40
years ago. In fact it is probable that the 1970's was the high point
in cycling in the U.S. There were 15.2 million bikes sold in 1973
which is the all time high.

Calculating sales versus population we find that 7.19 bikes were sold
per each 100 people in the U.S. in 1973 and in 2015 there were 3.9
bikes sold per 100 people.

And, lets see, a 1973 bike had down tube shifters, 10 speeds, tubular
tires and rim brakes.

So all the magic automatic, electric, razzmatazz, doesn't seem to have
increased the numbers of bike riders, does it?

--
cheers,

John B.

John B. wrote:

Well, I live in Thailand and if you go to the bike shop you will find
that all the bikes in the "front row" have 11 speeds and even buying 9
speed parts is pretty much buying "old stock". I asked about a 9
speed STI set the other day and was told that "we don't stock that",
and that was in what is probably the largest bike shop in Bangkok.

Haha. I work in a bike shop in a hip neighborhood, in a hip city, in the First World (Austin Texas USA). We do more commerce in either 7 speed, or 8 speed, or 9 speed parts than we do in 10, 11, and 12 combined. We probably sell more 6 speed freewheels than 11 and 12 speed cassettes. I'm certain we sell more 5 speed freewheels than 12 speed cassettes.

It sounds to me like you're going to the wrong kind of shop. Maybe one that doesn't have your interests at heart.

On Sun, 1 Dec 2019 19:57:49 -0800 (PST), Chalo
wrote:

John B. wrote:

Well, I live in Thailand and if you go to the bike shop you will find
that all the bikes in the "front row" have 11 speeds and even buying 9
speed parts is pretty much buying "old stock". I asked about a 9
speed STI set the other day and was told that "we don't stock that",
and that was in what is probably the largest bike shop in Bangkok.

Haha. I work in a bike shop in a hip neighborhood, in a hip city, in the First World (Austin Texas USA). We do more commerce in either 7 speed, or 8 speed, or 9 speed parts than we do in 10, 11, and 12 combined. We probably sell more 6 speed freewheels than 11 and 12 speed cassettes. I'm certain we sell more 5 speed freewheels than 12 speed cassettes.

It sounds to me like you're going to the wrong kind of shop. Maybe one that doesn't have your interests at heart.

Well, it is the largest bike shop in Bangkok with two outlets and I've
been trading there for ten years or more and when I go in they know my
name and I get a 15% discount which isn't all that big a deal with the
way that they price stuff. And, I might add, they are not a bit shy to
let me look at their inventory computer to help me pick my selection
of whatever they have in stock, so when they say "we don't stock it
any more" I believe them.

As for five speed stuff, yes, I agree that there are probably more
bikes sold with 5 speed cassettes than 9,10,11 or 12, as the case may
be, as every department store is flogging cheap bikes with 5 speed
systems and when you add up all the shops selling the cheap stuff and
compare it with the shops selling the "good" stuff there just isn't
any comparison. Good Lord, we were in "Macro" which is a wholesale
grocery store, the other day, and they had a row of 5 speed, with
disk brakes, for sale. $166, in your money.
--
cheers,

John B.

On Sunday, 1 December 2019 22:44:13 UTC-5, John B. wrote:
On Sun, 1 Dec 2019 18:54:20 -0800 (PST), Sir Ridesalot
wrote:

On Sunday, 1 December 2019 20:11:37 UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 4:21:28 PM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 12:17:04 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 7:17:23 AM UTC-8, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 11/30/2019 11:24 PM, wrote:
On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 10:04:33 AM UTC-6, Frank Krygowski wrote:
Should pro road racers use dropper posts?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/worldto...111819293.html

If they do, it won't be long before anyone who uses an ordinary seatpost
will be scorned as a luddite.

--
- Frank Krygowski

I believe a dropper seatpost in professional road bicycle racing might be a safety benefit. Currently, racers descending a mountain will frequently put their groin and belly and chest onto the top of the toptube to become as aerodynamic as possible. This is a somewhat/definitely unsafe position to control a bicycle when descending. But with a dropper seatpost, the racer could get himself into the low aerodynamic position, AND remain seated on the saddle. Overall a much safer position to descend a mountain. So a dropper seatpost would be an easy safety enhancement for professional bicyclists. Who would be against increasing the safety aspect of professional bicycle racing?

IMO, racers can do whatever is within the rules to win a race. But as I
said, it won't be long before anyone who makes a different choice than a
racer will be scorned, at least by some.

Over the years, it's happened with lycra clothes, helmets, clipless
pedals, 6 then 7 then 8 then 9 then 10 then 11 cogs, index shifting,
STI, aero wheels, carbon fiber, aero frames...

Scorned by whom? Who cares if you do or don't wear lycra? Who would care if you do or don't have a dropper post? Do people really make you feel bad because you have DT shifting? Man, I'm avoiding Ohio.

Almost all the scorn I've received has been on this newsgroup. Most recently
it's been about non-electronic shifting. Before that, disc brakes. Before that,
STI. Before that, toe clips instead of clipless, etc.

As I recall, you were being scorned for dismissing anyone with equipment newer than 1987 as being a faddist. You should be scorned for that -- and made to sit in the corner. Nobody cares if you buy new equipment, but just dismissing discs or Di2 as "style" or "fad" is stupid without at least trying it first. I dismissed SIS as a Fisher Price toy for people who couldn't friction shift. I loved it when I got it, and then STI -- which was hugely beneficial in races and still my preferred shifting method (although electricity is not a requirement). I would hate to go back to DT shifting, and I hated bar ends even when they were current. I would whack my knees on them climbing out of the saddle.


There have been a very few times I've gotten person to person scorn. Most common
has been helmet related (or rather, related to my not wearing a helmet). I
recall one young dude (years ago) mocking my 32 tooth rear cog. (That guy's
probably using a bigger one now.) I recall a different dude sort of mocking "all
the stuff" I have on my bike: lights, fenders, handlebar bag.

(Actually, I haven't had downtube shifters since about 1982. I mostly use bar-
end shifters.)

Gear mocking is a thing of the past, except if you get one of those 50t Eagle rear cogs. I would mock you. I got mocked by some stranger racer who I was dogging up Mt. Hamilton in the 70s. I had a 42X28, which was a huge cog. I think the guy was just ****ed off because I was hanging with him on a touring bike. That was the moment I decided to race, and the rest is history. Even after six Tour victories, three Giros and two Vueltas, I look back on that ride up Mt. Hamilton as one of the most important days of my life. Oh wait, I only won those races while day dreaming on my rollers. Never mind. Anyway, mocking can be a good thing. It makes us hard men.

-- Jay Beattie.

Shimano SIS is in my opinion one of the greatest advances in bicycling that made bicycling so much easier for many people. It ranks right up there with the safety bicycle and pneumatic tires. With a properly adjusted SIS (or Brifters) almost anyone can make perfect shifts and do so without the long learning curve that used to be required by so many.

Cheers

Come on with the long learning curve. A one hour, or maybe shorter
ride?

But, in fact, I am reading that there are fewer cyclists today than
there were 10, or more years ago, and far fewer then there were 40
years ago. In fact it is probable that the 1970's was the high point
in cycling in the U.S. There were 15.2 million bikes sold in 1973
which is the all time high.

Calculating sales versus population we find that 7.19 bikes were sold
per each 100 people in the U.S. in 1973 and in 2015 there were 3.9
bikes sold per 100 people.

And, lets see, a 1973 bike had down tube shifters, 10 speeds, tubular
tires and rim brakes.

So all the magic automatic, electric, razzmatazz, doesn't seem to have
increased the numbers of bike riders, does it?

--
cheers,

John B.

I knew a lot of people back in the days of friction shifting who had a very hard time learning to shift so that there was no noise from a chain that wasn't properly engaged on a cog or chainring. So, yes for them it was a long learning curve. In fact some of them never got the hang of clean shifts. For those people SIS was a real blessing.

Cheers