By John Marsh, Editor & Publisher
It’s that time again. Time to take a look at how readers responded to some of our recent Questions of the Week.
Over the past several weeks, we posed a series of questions about various aspects of bike tech: Both what you currently use, and what you might or might not switch to along the way (in terms of more recent innovations like road disc brakes and electronic shifting).
These are surely topics of interest to roadies, as indicated by the vote counts of more than 1,000 for some of these questions. We do love to think and talk about our tech, don’t we, whetherit’s tech we dream about having or think is unnecessary!
Let’s start, then, with the questions about disc brakes and electronic shifting.
What are your plans for switching to disc brakes on your road bike?
It’s clear to me from conversations with other roadies – and your votes on this one bear this out – that of all the emerging tech “advances” in recent years, disc brakes for many of us is a solution to a problem that just doesn’t exist. It was also the leading vote-getter, with more than 1,000 votes; so you hold your opinions strongly.
More than any of the other emerging technologies (electronic shifting, 11-speed drivetrains) we asked about, riders seem much less enthusiastic about moving to disc brakes. Here’s how the answers broke out:
270 votes, or 25%, said: I will change only when that’s all that’s available.
233 votes, or 21.4%, said: They will have to pry my cold, dead hands off my rim brakes.
218 votes, or 20.0%, said: Will change when I get my next bike.
146 votes, or 13.4%, said: Undecided.
104 votes, or 9.6%, said: Already have.
What are your plans for switching to electronic shifting on your road bike?
Interestingly, the votes broke similarly for this question, with a notable exception: A far higher percentage of readers (24%) already have switched to electronic shifting. Here’s how this one played out:
162, or 24%, said: Already have.
153 votes, or 22.6%, said: I will change only when that’s all that’s available.
117 votes, or 17.3%, said: They will have to pry my cold, dead hands off my mechanical shifters.
92 votes, or 13.6%, said: Will change when I get my next bike.
90 votes, or 13.3%, said: Undecided.
48 votes, or 7.0%, said: I will switch when there’s more choice in wireless systems.
How many gears are on the cassette of your everyday road bike?
This one is a bit different from disc brakes and electronic shifting, in that it’s not an option when buying a new bike.
It’s probably fair to say, then, that the way the vote totals for this question played out is more an indication of how many of us are still holding onto our older bikes vs. purchasing a new bike.
425 votes, or 42.8%, said: 10
370 votes, or 37.2%, said: 11
154 votes, or 15.5%, said: 9
19 votes, or 1.9%, said: 7
Do you use a computer and/or power meter?
Finally, we’ll end with a couple of bits of tech that are surely the most widespread (computer) and esoteric (power meter) of all the items we’ve touched on.
1,255 votes, or 74.5%, said: Computer only.
245 votes, or 14.6%, said: Both. My power meter displays on my computer.
133 votes, or 7.9%, said: Neither.
34 votes, or 2.0%, said: Something else.
17 votes, or 1.0%, said: Power meter, but not linked to a computer. I check the data later.
Further confirmation that the drive toward disc brakes is not, as the industry claims, driven by consumers. It is being driven by the industry itself. After all the shift usually means you need a new frame, new wheels etc. and that store of extra wheels is obsolete.
Chris,
I couldn’t agree more. Recently, in fact, the founder of Specialized stated that within 2 years all road bikes would have disc brakes. It seemed a clear statement of hopefulness on the part of a company very much invested in selling bikes with disc brakes!
I use 7 speed cassette out of preference, not because I’m holding on to old bike. I ride my Rivendells and have the freedom of friction shifters which allows use of just about any drivetrain/derailers combo (i think) of 10cogs/triple cranks or less cogs/chainrings. Easy to afjust/fix/use/replace/use. Love them.