most wanted cycling innovation?

smoggysteve

A tubular tyre which can be unzipped or velcroed to remove the innertube.

oblongomaculatus

Can't believe I haven't thought of this one before and that no-one else has either: A comfortable saddle. There are hundreds if not thousands of them out there, with a huge variety of design features - cutaways, channels, gel here, gel there, thin ones, thick ones, long thin and narrow, curved down, curved up... they all have one thing in common: after 40 miles or so, they start to hurt. Anyone who comes up with one that doesn't and is still comfy after 100 plus miles deserves a Nobel prize.

smoggysteve

cyd190468 wrote:

I would have thought if you're the sort of guy who enjoys stripping and cleaning his bike you would love unpicking and re-stitching tubs

Trust me when I say if I had the time and knew what I was doing I would give it a go. I did dissect a vittoria one that was pretty much bald and had no idea what I was doing so I think I will leave them to those that do for now.

smoggysteve

On comfy saddles - how about an electric one which massages your @ss to stop it going numb?

ugo.santalucia

oblongomaculatus wrote:

Can't believe I haven't thought of this one before and that no-one else has either: A comfortable saddle. There are hundreds if not thousands of them out there, with a huge variety of design features - cutaways, channels, gel here, gel there, thin ones, thick ones, long thin and narrow, curved down, curved up... they all have one thing in common: after 40 miles or so, they start to hurt. Anyone who comes up with one that doesn't and is still comfy after 100 plus miles deserves a Nobel prize.

They have tried to make comfortable saddles for decades. The best possible saddle is one that shapes around your area to avoid any friction... the best material for that is still leather, if you also want longevity or latex rubber if you are not interested in longevity.
Ultimately, the problem has been solved the other way round, by using high tech pad inserts in your shorts.

If you still have that problem, you hav e to look at your position on the bike... if you sit on your ass, you can't go a long way avoiding friction and pain... if you spread the weight on your all body, then you will need to strengthen your back and core, but ultimately you won't have bum issues.

The problem is that most modern road bikes look like this one, which forces you to put a lot of weight on the saddle

oblongomaculatus

ugo.santalucia wrote:

oblongomaculatus wrote:

Can't believe I haven't thought of this one before and that no-one else has either: A comfortable saddle. There are hundreds if not thousands of them out there, with a huge variety of design features - cutaways, channels, gel here, gel there, thin ones, thick ones, long thin and narrow, curved down, curved up... they all have one thing in common: after 40 miles or so, they start to hurt. Anyone who comes up with one that doesn't and is still comfy after 100 plus miles deserves a Nobel prize.

They have tried to make comfortable saddles for decades. The best possible saddle is one that shapes around your area to avoid any friction... the best material for that is still leather, if you also want longevity or latex rubber if you are not interested in longevity.
Ultimately, the problem has been solved the other way round, by using high tech pad inserts in your shorts.

If you still have that problem, you hav e to look at your position on the bike... if you sit on your ass, you can't go a long way avoiding friction and pain... if you spread the weight on your all body, then you will need to strengthen your back and core, but ultimately you won't have bum issues.

The problem is that most modern road bikes look like this one, which forces you to put a lot of weight on the saddle

I know, I never said it would be an easy problem to solve! In fact I think a pain free saddle is probably impossible. The trick is to minimise discomfort, which I guess you do by a combination of the right saddle for you, plus the right padding in your shorts, and careful adjustment of height, forward/back positioning, tilt. A lot of trial and error... Personally I think I've got mine as good as it's ever going to get; I have no discomfort for the first 30 to forty miles, then I gradually start to "notice" my saddle more and more the further I go, though not to the point it gets too much to bear. I don't get any significant chafing, and fortunately I've never developed saddle sores, which I hear can be very bad news indeed. I did a 215 mile ride one day earlier this summer, and while I was pleased to climb off at the end, I wouldn't say the saddle had become intolerable even then.

By the way, I have one of those, though a different year. How did you know?!

negativelycra

Innovations I'd love to see:

A waterproof breathable jacket that is actually both waterproof and breathable.
Light carbon aero deep sections that are neither dubiously built nor more than my bike is worth.
Frames / wheels with TRON style lighting for use at night.
Haribo that costs less.

ddraver

Have to say that I think Tubeless solves a good deal of the puncture concerns (or will do when it's popular enough to allow a bit more innovation to solve the last few details)

I don't really see the point of auto shifting in so far as cadence goes but I can see the benefit of just having an up/down option with the front/rear shifting dealt with by the system

I think the best one so far is the saddle problem

(nice thread though, enjoyed reading this)

ugo.santalucia

ddraver wrote:

Have to say that I think Tubeless solves a good deal of the puncture concerns (or will do when it's popular enough to allow a bit more innovation to solve the last few details)

Although I am a bit disappointed the sealant didn't work when a 2 cm shard of glass entered the tyre... had to get it out from the inside... :shock:

oblongomaculatus

Negativelycra wrote:

Innovations I'd love to see:

A waterproof breathable jacket that is actually both waterproof and breathable.

Yes! I'm assuming that top of the range, £300 plus jackets aren't really any better in that respect than any of the much less costly alternatives I've tried (and got saturated from the inside out wearing) so far?

bobbydazzla

SmoggySteve wrote:

On comfy saddles - how about an electric one which massages your @ss to stop it going numb?

The deluxe model could have an integrated perineum stimulator that connects via Bluetooth to Strava and is activated when a PB is set on any segment.

dennisn

Negativelycra wrote:

Innovations I'd love to see:

A waterproof breathable jacket that is actually both waterproof and breathable.

but but but but aren't they ALL like that? Everyone has been claiming that for years now.

ddraver

oblongomaculatus wrote:

Negativelycra wrote:

Innovations I'd love to see:

A waterproof breathable jacket that is actually both waterproof and breathable.

Yes! I'm assuming that top of the range, £300 plus jackets aren't really any better in that respect than any of the much less costly alternatives I've tried (and got saturated from the inside out wearing) so far?

They re better yes, but in reality your totally non waterproof jersey will also get wet with sweat on a dry day won't it so what we re asking for (and I'm fully with you btw) is not really possible...

roux_guy

Something that could keep your toes toasty warm and dry on those freezing cold, soaking wet winter training rides.

oblongomaculatus

ddraver wrote:

oblongomaculatus wrote:

Negativelycra wrote:

Innovations I'd love to see:

A waterproof breathable jacket that is actually both waterproof and breathable.

Yes! I'm assuming that top of the range, £300 plus jackets aren't really any better in that respect than any of the much less costly alternatives I've tried (and got saturated from the inside out wearing) so far?

They re better yes, but in reality your totally non waterproof jersey will also get wet with sweat on a dry day won't it so what we re asking for (and I'm fully with you btw) is not really possible...

To make a jacket that kept the rain out completely and didn't retain perspiration you'd presumably have to install some sort of battery powered dehumidifier that pumped out the moist air and replaced it with dry air. This would probably be too cumbersome/heavy/expensive to be practical, I would guess.

I"m with the last poster who wants something to keep his feet warm, btw. I feel the cold too and it's always the toes that get chilly first.

smoggysteve

bobbydazzla wrote:

SmoggySteve wrote:

On comfy saddles - how about an electric one which massages your @ss to stop it going numb?

The deluxe model could have an integrated perineum stimulator that connects via Bluetooth to Strava and is activated when a PB is set on any segment.

What does it do if you set a KOM?

Bar Shaker

Roux_guy wrote:

Something that could keep your toes toasty warm and dry on those freezing cold, soaking wet winter training rides.

Like overshoes?

oblongomaculatus

Like overshoes, only better. :!:

Overshoes help, but I find there are plenty of winter days when your feet still get cold.

dodgy

oblongomaculatus wrote:

Like overshoes, only better. :!:

Overshoes help, but I find there are plenty of winter days when your feet still get cold.

Already invented. Buy some decent quality winter cycling boots. Once you do, you'll laugh at yourself for putting up with bits of material velcroed over your shoes.

MichaelW

Roux_guy wrote:

Something that could keep your toes toasty warm and dry on those freezing cold, soaking wet winter training rides.

waterproof boots?

ddraver

Still have nt found a pair of waterproof boots that actually help on a long ride. Big MTB shoes and sealskin socks are the best things I ve found...

keef66

Navrig2 wrote:

Self trimming gear change so that you never have to re-index again and the chain never slips when changing under pressure.

You've heard about this new-fangled Di2 malarkey?

Initialised

For me it's the separation of brake and gearing that's currently holding things back. Once cheap shifting goes electronic (or automatic) and stops being integrated into the shifters the road bike hydraulic brake market will open up to the same level of diversity as there is for MTB brakes. All the major players will design a bunch of road levers.

The next step I'd like to see is a dynamo built into the bottom bracket that would power all onboard electronics by charging a battery as your rode, it could also be used to power lights, phones, onboard computers etc... And since it is developing power at the crank in direct proportion to the power being exerted at the pedals it could remove the need for £500+ (over priced strain gauges) dedicated power meters

Mix this with brakes, bars and stems designed to route brake hoses through them and the ideal of a clutter free front end could go much further than it does now.

term1te

Initialised wrote:

For me it's the separation of brake and gearing that's currently holding things back. Once cheap shifting goes electronic (or automatic) and stops being integrated into the shifters the road bike hydraulic brake market will open up to the same level of diversity as there is for MTB brakes. All the major players will design a bunch of road levers.

The next step I'd like to see is a dynamo built into the bottom bracket that would power all onboard electronics by charging a battery as your rode, it could also be used to power lights, phones, onboard computers etc... And since it is developing power at the crank in direct proportion to the power being exerted at the pedals it could remove the need for £500+ (over priced strain gauges) dedicated power meters

Mix this with brakes, bars and stems designed to route brake hoses through them and the ideal of a clutter free front end could go much further than it does now.

I like the idea of a bottom bracket dynamo, but I'm not sure it would be useful for calculating/estimating power output. I'm no engineer, and its a very long time since I did A level physics, but the power generated by the dynamo will only be related to your cadence, not power output?

CiB

If a dynamo output gave the same information that strain gauges do, wouldn't that be the way power is measured on bikes already?

chris_bass

would a bottom bracket dynamo not just make it harder to pedal all the time?

Moonbiker

Smooth tarmac & less cars, public water tap in all towns, nicer cheaper cakes.

ugo.santalucia

CiB wrote:

If a dynamo output gave the same information that strain gauges do, wouldn't that be the way power is measured on bikes already?

It is debatable whether Joe average needs to know the power output... it's one of these pointless pieces of information that seems trendy at the moment... probably since a bike ride was renamed a "training session"...

marcusjb

MichaelW wrote:

lawrences wrote:

MichaelW wrote:

but even within the hub gear market, they are very rare.
they are not for racers, but how many cyclists race?
Every folder, shopper and urban commuter bike should come with one. Chains should be for racing only.

What a load of bollox. Do you have one on your bike? Have you kitted out your families bike with them?

What you're saying is everyone who doesn't race should use an inferior and more expensive mechanism because it's easier to maintain?

I use hub gears for everyday riding inc 2x8mile commutes. For everyday utility riding they are the best. For play bikes and racing bikes , derailleur systems may be OK.
hub gears are not inferior, just different: cleaner, less maintenance, easier to operate. belt drive makes them even better.

Did you not hear? Commuting is racing.

I would love to see more people commuting on 'sensible' bikes. Now, I know our commutes are generally longer in the uk, but this belief that in order to commute, you need a carbon road bike is a barrier to growth of acceptance of cycling as a normal mode of transport.

I would love to see more people on sit up and beg city bikes doing the commute and a trip to the shops - with hub gears, dynamo lighting, belt drives etc.

Wearing normal clothes naturally.

Making cycling normal for short journeys is essential for the future of society in my view.

oblongomaculatus

Some excellent points there - you don't need a road bike for short distance commuting, and the idea that you have to wear specialist clothing is also off putting to those who might consider a bike for the journey to work. The idea that you need a helmet sends the wrong message too, encouraging people to think riding a bike is a hazardous activity. But sadly little will change until government starts taking cycling seriously (rather than pretending to as they do at present). As Chris Boardman pointed out recently, the priorities are entirely the wrong way round, with the hierarchy being private car - taxi - bus - cyclist - pedestrian. (I'm inclined to think pedestrians and cycilsts are equal last, but perhaps that's splitting hairs). You only have to look at the way new road layouts are designed, or existing ones redesigned. The thinking seems to be, how many lanes of traffic can we squeeze into the space available? Oh look, there's eighteen inches left over, we'll paint it red or green and call it a cycle lane. Starting the other way round, proper segregated cycling lanes and pedestrian space should be designed in first, and the traffic requirements made to fit round those. Of course, serious government attention to cycling might be a mixed blessing. The natural instinct of any politician is to control and regulate, so we might end up with licences, registration plates, vehicle tax, mandatory insurance...
OK, rant over (for now).