Brain Vomit #34 Keep it simple

STOP FALLING FOR STUPID GARBAGE! Bikes are supposed to be simple. The simpler the better. That’s why fixed gear bikes were such a big hit. You can personalize it, show your individuality and be a unique person. It served as an introduction to cycling. Pre Covid, fixed gear bikes were the biggest influence on people getting into cycling. Then you get into Road, Mountain, Gravel, Triathlons, touring, etc. Now we have bikes with shocks built into their steer tube, fully internal cables and electronics for everything. Some of these are good, I love hydraulic brakes, electronic shifting but we have to draw the line somewhere. A built in shock in steer tube is dumb as hell. Doesn't really work, only trained techs know how to properly work on it. This means that you have to take it to the dealer you bought the bike from and they will charge you a lot more for something overly complicated for a dumb reason. It drives me nuts.

You should be able to work on your own bike with simple tools. BMX figured it out, All you need to take apart a BMX bike is a 6mm Allen Wrench, a 17mm socket, a ratchet and an extension (if you have pegs. If you don't have pegs and bolts on axles all you need is a 6mm allen. Super convenient. The BMX industry also knows that their target market is a bunch of 16 year olds, on average a 16 year old doesn't have a lot of money and they have a lot of free time. A 35 year old on the other hand has money and less time. They are willing to have someone else fix their bike but I feel a lot of these “innovations” are so complex that they have to pay a premium for a simple adjustment. A new problem is created out of a fake need. Stop falling for these traps and ask yourself if that cool new feature is worth it. Think for yourself or the salesman will do the thinking for you. Bikes are simple machines, keep them simple.