Road bikes always fascinate me with their mix of technology and tradition. Whenever a new idea comes along, it is often met with some suspicion. However the true performance enhancements usually stick around. Here are a few recent trends that may or may not make it.
1. Integrated tapered headsets/forks.
The sight of the standard 1 1/8" fork with a non-integrated headset seems to be rare these days. The 1 1/8th steerer is still around but almost all manufacturers are using an internal or integrated design. Some of today's high end machines are going one step further with the tapered 1 1/8th-1 1/2" steerer tubes. This is designed to stiffen up the front end and also add strength to the steerer tube. TIME has had this design for a couple years, as well as Ridley, Pinarello, Cannondale and others. Replacing one of these forks or headsets in the future may be a bit of a nightmare, but I can't help but see the performance benefits. The aftermarket headset folks will follow along on this one, even if fork manufacturers don't.
Verdict: Here to stay
2. Integrated Bottom Brackets.
The old square taper or octalink design are relegated to the closeout section of the bike catalogs these days and perhaps they had their day in the sun. The current "standard" is the outboard bearing design of FSA, Campy, SRAM/Truvativ and Shimano. BUT, is this here to stay?
Personally I don't care for the single bolt holding the cranks in place, nor the idea of having the bearings exposed. Also, they don't seem to spin as freely as the old design. More and more I am seeing the integrated or BB30 design taking hold. Cannondale was at the forefront of this with their System Integration or SI bb/crankset that has been an option on their road bikes for several years, but it has never been met with huge support. Enter the BB30. BB30 uses a 30mm spindle and bearings that are pressed into the frame. the bb shell of the frame is made larger and is obviously non threaded. Ok it is now pretty much impossible to change your bb, yourself. But how often do you really do this now? Let's face it even the more skilled wrenchers amongst us, cringe at the thought of those tiny delicate threads crossing. Thread prep, loctite, making sure the lock ring is secure, etc. it's not a fun job. Also, the bb 30 offers a huge spindle that can be crafted from lightweight aluminum making it uber-stiff. large diameter bearings should also provide years of service. Personally my next bike will have this design.
Verdict: Still taking hold, but I believe it is here to stay.
3. Integrated seatmasts.
A lot of high end carbon frames are offering this design. Essentially the standard seatpost and seat tube are replaced with a seat tube that extends all the way to the saddle, save for an adjustable cap-type mechanism. The idea behind it is, that it makes for a lighter stiffer frame. The drawbacks. Too many to count (IMHO), but lets start with a few. in some cases you have to take a hacksaw to your frame. The only way to pack your bike for a trip in your travel case (provided you are not on a 47cm frame), is to remove the crankset. Adjustibilty in saddle height goes out the window (in some models). if my slightly shorter brother from Seattle visits (and wants to ride), he will be relegated to b-bike status. I guess on the plus side, you never have to deal with a stuck seatpost again, but on the other hand, you basically do have a stuck seatpost..
Verdict: Here to visit, but not to stay.
Thoughts?