Major Innovations Over the Last 10 Years

Without a doubt, integrated brake/shift levers (1991 by Shimano)

Modern style race-ready clipless pedals and carbon frames are products of the 80s (both introduced by LOOK)

Herat rate monitors and cycling computers

In addition to integrated brake/shift levers, I'd say the widespread use of carbon fiber forks and now seatstays coming into the "mid-range" bikes.

Dan

STI shifters. I had never even seen a bike with anything but downtube friction shifters before I got my new road bike. (and I must say I'm not quite decided yet on whether STI is an improvement) I know that indexed shifters have been around for a while but I have no idea how long. I would guess more than 10 years though.

Helmets that fit!!! My new Trek helmet with the ratchet wheel adjustable harness in the rear is amazing. It fits securely and comfortable and stays level, it's great! None of that nonsense of changing out different foam pads.

foldable kevlar bead tires. Did they exist 10 years ago? Not sure, but I don't think so. Very convenient, very light, very cool.

Clipless pedals. Again, may have existed 10 years again, but I sure didn't know about them. I just got back into riding and figured out real fast that toe clips are a real pain in the city. My "new" (Ok used off eBay) SPD pedals are great!

Roadbike shopping as a quest. The mountain bike may have existed 15 years ago, but most bikes were still normal road bikes. Now you can't find road bikes anywhere because all that bikes shops carry are mountain bikes. I finally gave up and found my bike online.

Gimiky silly saddles. Jell this and carbon fiber that... and not a damn one worth messing with.. But don't worry, you can still get a real saddle from Brooks!

Cheap lightweight super rigid aluminum frames and Carbon Fiber frames that real people can afford. I'll reserve my judgement on CF for now though. If I'm going to spend that much on a bike, I want to know that I could still be riding it in 20 years. Carbon... who knows yet...?

Aero wheels seem to be the biggest performance difference from when I was riding 15 years ago. Carbon frames, maybe, but I don't see that they're that much better than some of the high end Reynolds frames of the 80's, and I ride a fairly serious carbon frame.

Clinchers have finally become a viable option. Sad to see that few cyclists know how to patch a tubular these days, that used to be a rite of passage.

HRM's and computers - like carbon frames, they were around 10-15 years ago, they just weren't cheap.

I really like indexed shifters on the brake levers - not a performance advantage, more a worry reducer.

Higher number of gears - jury is still out on that one, at least with me. It certainly isn't worse than the old 5/6 speed, but is it that much better?

Are we just limiting our scope to roadbikes? If not then in addition to what others have mentioned so far, I'd also cast my vote for suspension (both front and rear), offroad clipless pedals and viable disc brakes.

As for the issue of finding roadbikes in bikeshops, I think it really depends on where you live. There are a few shops around where I live that only limit themselves to the MTB crowd but most of the other shops including my FBS (Favourite Bike Shop) seem to carry a mix of 30% roadbikes, 40% mountainbikes, 25% hybrid and comfort bikes and 5% other (recumbent, BMX, etc).

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by khuon
As for the issue of finding roadbikes in bikeshops, I think it really depends on where you live. There are a few shops around where I live that only limit themselves to the MTB crowd but most of the other shops including my FBS (Favourite Bike Shop) seem to carry a mix of 30% roadbikes, 40% mountainbikes, 25% hybrid and comfort bikes and 5% other (recumbent, BMX, etc).

Wow, that must be nice. Around here it's almost impossible to find anything but MB/BMX's. I know its probably a chicken and the egg problem, but no one rides on the road either... they ride on the sidewalks, scare pedestrians, and get hit by cars in intersections.
Of course you can't ride road bikes on thhe sidewalks around here (very bad repair..).

Road Bikes: Without a doubt STI shifters, how did we ever ride without them? Secondarily, quality aluminum frames that utilize carbon elements.

Mountain Bikes: Oil bath shocks. The Z2 Bomber is awesome.

I've been told that forks and bottom brackets from my 15 year old road bike can not be moved to a new high end frame. True? If so, what changed and how are these changes an improvement?

I also just found that a "10 speed" these days is actually a 20 speed. Are all those extra gear really an improvement? And how is it done considering all the extra friction which must be introduced?

Also , is more carbon in derailleurs, i.e. Campy Record, really an improvement or is just shaving grams of weight?

Trying to get back up to speed again, as I order a new custom frame. Thanks