gimmicks

magicbastarder

this will probably help reveal people's ages, but what gimmicks have you seen/succumbed to that no longer have any real presence in cycling?
(kinda inspired by a recent conversation about dishwasher cleaner, and the drive to invent something new even if it has no benefit; also cf. the 1x13 thread i just posted).

i'm of an age where i can remember the excitement over biopace. and the GT triple triangle (if two triangles are good, three must be better).

what's on the market today that in five years time people will be talking about in a 'remember that' sense?
and what's next? tyre moisturiser! help keep your tyres young and supple by rubbing this concoction into them...

well imo the spokey dokey should still be a thing on everyones bike !!!!!

Zen0

I still have a Biopace chain set on my frankenbike. Sheldon Brown kinda liked em.

A mate of mine had a flexstem, a kind of a pivoting stem with a rubber bung thing to absorb road chatter. Then there was the bike with the saddle on a sort of horizontal spring attached to the top tube. Early attempts at suspension that luckily have been long abandoned.

magicbastarder

Ah, the gIrvin flexstem. Had forgotten about them.

07Lapierre

Disc brakes hopefully!

magicbastarder

oh, i forgot to put a mod warning in about disc brakes. (joke, just in case...)

Disc breaks have been on bikes for 2 decades now, know someone with a late 90's Trek MTB with them, surprised it took so long for them to push them in a big way on road bikes. Ok they add weight but surely shimano could have been dura acing them before now

Finnrocco

The bouncy yoke, the saddle on the big carbon fibre spar instead of seatpost, can't remember the name of it.

CramCycle

I loved Biopace rings

Lumen

My first road bike had a USE suspension seatpost and an Ergostem.

iwillhtfu

It wasn't a gimmick it was life - (at the time)

Quigs Snr

Allsop softride ?

Thargor

Can you actually feel the difference with a Biopace chain ring or is it mostly in peoples heads?

CramCycle

Thargor wrote: »

Can you actually feel the difference with a Biopace chain ring or is it mostly in peoples heads?

I thought I could on the fixed gear but more that it was more comfy for long distance stuff, rather than there was any great difference in power output.

It could have been all in my head.

endacl

CyaL8r

Quigs Snr wrote:

Allsop softride ?

Yep. That is it. Had one back in the day. Looked great with my cinelli spinaci bars

mloc123

Zen0 wrote: »

A mate of mine had a flexstem, a kind of a pivoting stem with a rubber bung thing to absorb road chatter.

I am almost certain I saw something similar on TV the other day from Specialized...

ednwireland

Power grips
https://www.evanscycles.com/en-ie/powergrips-pedal-straps-00120405?esvt=60896-GOIEE5249516&esvq=&esvadt=999999-0-1360208-1&esvcrea=250296595132&esvplace=&esvd=t&esvtg=pla-342178720058&esvo=00120405-NA-BLK&esvaid=50080&gclid=CjwKCAjwj4zaBRABEiwA0xwsP8QQ1bGBPv8MnUMQ574AzEyWRmjz0ucmXyK4ShaeLEtA8ec8ePBTexoCQjoQAvD_BwE


onza ho pedals with elastomers instead of springs

Onza porcupines

Borderfox

Finnrocco wrote: »

The bouncy yoke, the saddle on the big carbon fibre spar instead of seatpost, can't remember the name of it.

A softride!! I had one and used it for one season. Great time trial bike, did a 40km tt around the back of the airport many moons ago and even with the ****ty roads I did a 59:28. Had a set of Scott Extremes on it too

Thud

an new one:
https://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/ceramicspeed-driven-drive-shaft-52587/

Hurrache

ednwireland wrote: »

Power grips

They're pretty useful in certain circumstances, wouldn't have categorised them as gimmicks.

learn

Thud wrote: »

an new one:
https://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/ceramicspeed-driven-drive-shaft-52587/

First used in the 1890's.

endacl

Actually doesn’t look a million miles from some modern designs...

gmacww

Shimano Flight Deck

Finnrocco

I still have a front Spinergy wheel.

Its ok for tts, but banned for bunch races.

check_six

Finnrocco wrote: »

I still have a front Spinergy wheel.

Its ok for tts, but banned for bunch races.

Why are they banned? Are they a bit explodey?

magicbastarder

i think the concern is limbs getting trapped in them.

Finnrocco

Apparently some lad got fingers chopped off in a crash, they wheel kept spinning and chopped them off - well so they said, dont think there ever was pictures off the incident.