Early adopter or retro-pervert?

Very much depends on the tech

I rode a rigid steel single speed exclusively for years, but have just bought a Kindernay internally geared hub -- new, unproven tech at high cost

I've never owned a smartphone, but I use ChatGPT often

neither really.  I chose for long lasting, good spares supply and  Uk / european made.  Certainly not an early adopter - wait a year or two till the bugs are out and / or it appears on the second hand market

My road bike is a 60s french race / training frame with a 60s SA 3sp hub, 30s brass lever gear lever and modern rims and tyres.  Thats probably just perverse 🙂

Bit of a luddite here. I'm still on 26" with inner tubes, 1x10, 31.8mm bars etc. I do have a dropper though. When I end up having to switch to 27.5 I may try tubeless but it seems like such an unnecessary faff.

I tend to buy good stuff that lasts, however this hasn't worked in my favour with my hubs which are Pro 2s which I've had for at least 10 years - unfortunately they don't make boost end caps for these so I'll have to bodge it with spacers etc, eventually admitting defeat when I buy new wheels when I can't get decent 26" tyres any more!

I’ve got a steel, 26” wheeled single speed. And I’ve got a 29er full sus electric thing. So neither really.

Certainly wasnt one of the early adopters of electricity power… fought against it for ages!Same with 29ers really, but once I’d tried one…

I’ve never owned a smartphone

Thats quite weird isn’t it? Even my 82 y.o. mother uses a smartphone!

I've got to say, even being a fan of gadgetry, I can see the attraction of a small wheeled singlespeed. Sort of like a BMX for mountain biking.

I’m a practicalite, had e-bikes for over 6 years but they’ve all had onza ho pedals as I bulk bought in a close out sale, they are also fitted to both my 26, 1+1/8, disc braked, oil forked, air shocked, rapid rise, tubelessed other bikes

The only cable operated thing I own is a pinion gearbox.

What catches my eye at the moment is retro aesthetics with modern geo/tech eg Tora bikes that look like BMWs, Paul Astons Sunn radical tribute, that Scott endorphin show bike, EEWings, that Giant glory painted like an ATX1.

Basically are you financially comfortable with disposable income wealthy or poor or struggling with the bills?

I've been the latter (relatively speaking, enough for this context) for long enough that I've written it all off. I ride my bikes until they break and replace with 2nd hand bits*. Chose mortgage and kids.
* only in the past 1-2 years I've been considering 2nd hand parts more.

If my finances sudddenly changed for the better, who knows, I might even get an (spit) e-bike, or (spit) a carbon bike!

Somewhere in between.

AXS or Transmission etc, zero interest for my own bikes. More XT + Deore mix kind of tastes. I just don't have a lot of interest in many bike things after a certain cost:performance level. eg electronic gears, I've ridden them and they perform beautifully yet for me it's just pointless, I actually don't gain anything from it. It's probably just that I prefer a simpler way of doing things.

I do like the lines of a classic lugged steel road bike and I think, sadly, Campagnolo haven't made anything elegant in 10 years. So maybe toward the retro fan side. I have a rigid SS MTB just because I like the way it rides and is zero faff but it doers have a dropper. And I'm looking forward to getting on full suspension again soon. I'm not anti-tech, I just think simpler is easier, I don't ride bikes to add complexity to life, I want easy functionality and durability. You can have a simple yet modern tech featured MTB.

I guess my dream bike would make me a retro fan - it'd be a custom steel drop bar with cable brakes and gears. MTBs are really a tool for the job, but a road/touring bike can be a thing of beauty like a classic car.

Inbetween.

I'd never go back from 29ers and tubeless now or MTB droppers, own a gravel bike, also has a dropper but is 2x which I like. Use a low rent Garmin, (no maps) and Strava which makes me fairly current. Not fussed about electronic gears, too expensive for the benefit I'd get, (very little in my perception) and I don't see an e-bike in my future until I'm old and decrepit, I'd definitely not buy one for the further/faster excuse.

A bit of both. I've been happy over the years to try out "interesting" new ideas, often before they've hit mainstream use. Fatbikes, B+, "gravel", alt bar shapes, dropper posts etc. I think it's important not to write off new concepts without at least giving them some decent consideration or, ideally, a personal test.

On the other hand I've often refused to compromise on my personal choices as fashion has moved on. As an example, I've retained 2x gears on most of my bikes.

I've used both electric gears and electric bikes but own neither as the former doesn't yet equate to value for money for my use and the latter just doesn't yet offer what I want from cycling.

What's all this 2x nonsense?

3x9 FTW 🙂

APF

The latter I guess. I buy bikes and other gear so infrequently, but when I do I tend to splurge in order to get the most up to date stuff, and then keep it for ages, and repeat. There's a 15 year age gap between my two mountain bikes, and a 20 year age gap between my 2 road bikes, all owned from new (ish).

Basically are you financially comfortable with disposable income wealthy or poor or struggling with the bills?

I’ve been the latter (relatively speaking, enough for this context) for long enough that I’ve written it all off. I ride my bikes until they break and replace with 2nd hand bits*. Chose mortgage and kids.

Same for me, up until the frame I just bought in the CRC sale (because it was the same price or cheaper than many used frames I was looking at) pretty much everything other than consumables on my bike has been bought 2nd hand. If you get proven good stuff it tends to last. Kids and houses are bloody expensive!

I'm interested in new tech but that doesn't mean I want it on my bike. I find that often I'm suspicious of stuff until I get to try it when I find out that it's fine or it's easy to service, like droppers or SRAM's 1x 12 speed stuff. I like that stuff pretty much works now (in the way that looking back, it didn't really in the early days of MTB)

AXS (or Transmission on the bike with a UDH) seems like the next step for me, it's proven reliable, and the idea of not having to **** about with cable changing and twiddling with b-screws ever again is pretty appealing.

Definite luddite/late adopter here, nothing wrong with qr & 2x systems as far as I'm concerned

Both!

My favourite bike is a first gen Scandal 29 singlespeed - pretty old school but oh so light, responsive and fun.

My favourite bike is a gen6 Trek Fuel ex - all carbon framed and wheeled loveliness.

Did I say my favourite twice? Sorry not sorry.

I don’t like gadgets but I like good solutions to problems. So tubeless, dropper posts, 1x, decent suspension, modern geometry and e-bikes, yes - but carbon parts, electric gears and internal routing, no.
My favourite bikes are a singlespeed 29” big-forked, long slack steel hardtail and an alloy 29” electric full-sus.

Sorry for the potential cross-threading here. Due to company car tax etc I’ve ended up with a full electric car, which is in every most objective ways better than an ICE car. It has however made me start looking for an ICE “fun” car, which has a lot of the flaws characeteistics I’m missing. I suspect similar logic applies to bikes, but in a a more measured manner since we’ve got to power the things with actual effort from our legs.

Just natural progression, can't see the point in still riding an old bike that just holds you back.

New style geometry allows you to ride so much better and faster.

Each to their own though 👍

Not an early adopter, don’t have the pockets for that. As soon as it’s on sale or second hand though, I’m lapping up what I drooled over 2 years prior.
Parts selected for longevity and ease of/lack of maintenance as well as performance.

Not fussed about electronic gears, too expensive for the benefit I’d get, (very little in my perception)

I find them a bit of a funny, Have used di2 xt on my commuter and it was good but couldn't be arsed to remove the Force 1x on my gravel as its actually been very reliable in the dry climate i'm mincing about on.

I suppose if it fully fulfils you needs why upgrade.

I did grab an 3T Exploro so early gravel adopter and It has proven to be absolutely perfect for me.

I'm looking at the latest incarnation but tbh my now old one still puts a smile on my face so I'll not be rushing to get it.

Half and half

I had 29ers before there was suspension, and a 'gravel' bike when they were still cross bikes with optimistic tyre clearance. Disk brakes when they were 2nd hand but still not mainstream (MTB and road).

But realistic about how good stuff is even once I've spent hundreds of pounds on it, I had a reverb when they were new, it was shit.

And lots of stuff I've taken one look at and decided it was either marketing, way too expensive, or a gimmick.

27.5, why do I want to go slower than 29ers, but slightly faster than 26. If 27 is more fun than 29, then isn't 26 even more fun, if wheelsizes were fences this is a wierd one to sit on.

Built in tool storage, why would I pay £60 for a multitool that can be hidden in my pedal axle? And the same again for a co2 canister that integrates as a stem, and the same again for some tyre levers that double as saddle rails. £5 tool, saddle bag, done, go ride. And never felt I needed to store sausage rolls in my downtube. We're not women in dresses complaining about a lack of pockets, we have pockets (apologies to anyone riding in a dress).

Neither. I buy whatever is best value which usually means mainstream big brand stuff that's on sale cos it's been around a few years. And I usually keep it until it becomes retro anyway.

I just use whatever is best value and simplest for the job, the job being allowing me to cycle around at a fairly decent speed on a light bike (because I like light bikes)

I like carbon frames so I have one but it is very old because I want a threaded BSA BB and the less old ones tend to be press fit with companies now seeing the light and going back to threaded.

I use rim brakes because they work well enough for me and are light

I use tubes (TPU) because I don't get enough punctures on road for anything more complicated.  Off road I was using tubeless from the start as got a lot of punctures with tubes

I use wheels that I could build (normal hubs, spokes, QR because of frame age etc,.)

So when you see me riding on my old bike you could think retro but in reality it is just what works for me.

Why does it have to be either one or the other?

I like some older stuff and some newer stuff.

Why does it have to be either one or the other?

This is the internet, pick your side.  And then I can hate you for picking a different side than me.

With bikes?
Later adopter, usually of a sensible change.

26 years old from new

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52054112438_42cd8a14c0_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52054112438_42cd8a14c0_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/A979XA3s4c ]DSC00402[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr

Haven't got a clue how old, but 26" and running tubes

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52942636366_4ce4091787_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52942636366_4ce4091787_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/s65Z6QY25a ]20230601_121309[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr

But then I was the first in our group to get an e-bike. It is 5 years old and running tubes though

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52979709223_abf6d5a286_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52979709223_abf6d5a286_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/339m9eroar ]20230616_160612[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr

As above, I swing both ways. All my bikes have tubes. Some have droppers. I have 26", 27.5" and 29" (and 700c). There are bikes with 3*8, 3*9, 3*10, 2*11 and 1*11 in my garage. THer are hydraulic disk bakes, cable disk brakes and v-brakes. I use things that work and which have a price tha is justified by the value offered

Middle of the road I guess. My main bike is a '22 full bounce with lots of nice bits but that doesn't really bother me - bought it because it was a good deal rather than me looking specifically for the stuff thats on it. Like the idea of retro bikes but having built up a few in the past and ridden them a handful of times, I came to realise they really are (generally) crap vs more modern stuff. Can't quite believe the stuff I used to ride with 120mm stems, 1.9" tyres, mega steep head angles and short wheelbases... No fun in that anymore...