is there a similar breakthrough in bike like tennis racket from wood to graphite? when?

Question

I am still not convinced that 2007 $5000 bike is much
better than 1980 $5 bike I bought from yard sale?
1000X expensive gives me more safe ride, or faster
speed or more conformtable or just looks better?

Is there a turning point such as in 1990s, bike technology
has a major breakthrough in design/material advancement?

Any high end old bikes still have high values, which brend
or makes you can recommend?

Answer 1

Yup, there are significant differences..

The Trek Madone that Lance Armstrong rode in the Tour de France for instance has a frame made of carbon fiber, and the entire bike weighs under 20 pounds. Compare that to a steel-frame bike typical of 30 years ago, which might weigh 30 pounds or more.

Whether or not it's worth the money is subjective. Recreational riders like myself don't care to spend that kind of money and most of us are perfectly fine with older steel-frame bikes. But if you are a competitive rider, I suspect a carbon-fiber bike will be worth every penny.

Answer 2

There has been a lot in advancement in different areas.

Frame material... before it was steel or aluminium, right now you have several alloys, titanium, carbon fiber, exogrid. Exogrid? well, take a titanium tube, thin it with a laser and put a carbon fiber inner skeleton to make it light and strong...

Geometry has changed.

On mountain bikes, suspension has come up a looong way. As well as brakes and other stuff.

In a part, you get what you pay for. Until you haven't ridden a $5,000 bike you will say that a $5 bike will ride just as well.

Drive an Audi A4 and a Volkswagen Bora, and you will likely feel the difference, even when the Bora has a lot of Audi technology (even if stripped down).

Now, there is a curve of diminishing returns. It means that you would notice a big difference between a $300 and a $600 bike, but between a $2,000 and a $4,000 bike you won't notice it as much. The changes starts to become more subtle. Better shifting, better wheel engagement.

Basic wheelsets can be found below 200 bucks, but some high end mtb wheels can be around 1,000. Whats the difference? how long they last, easy to maintain, quality, how strong the wheel is, more engagement poins (and, when you change for a 18 engagement point rear wheel to a 36 engagement points on a climb, you do feel that difference).

How a fork or shock perform also is important.

Answer 3

Nope

Answer 4

There are carbon bikes out there for $1500. the taiwanese have huge capacity and are popping out these bikes like popcorn

Answer 5

The frame, suspension, and brake (mtn discs) info was spot on.

I'd include puncture resistant tires. One flat in three years vs. one flat every hundred miles in my concrete jungle.

Answer 6

newer the bike, more safer. I'd say years of 2000+

Answer 7

all these guys are idiots what good is a peice of **** bike that you can **** up with a pair of plyers!