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by ogre_codes 1998 days ago
I don't think a lot of people in the cycling industry are surprised this failed. While design is important, people with money want bikes that have good performance and are light weight. Bling is great, I take pride in my bike... but none of the components I have on my bike are heavier than their more bland looking counterparts. I'll accept half a pound for better suspension, but for a nice looking chain guard? Not a chance.

On high end bikes, bling comes in the form of Anodized aluminum (or titanium), sexy colorful carbon fiber frames, colorful paint, or other parts that are colorful or polished without adding weight.

Performance->Weight->Bling in that order. Looks like Shimano's Coasting program skipped steps 1 and 2 and skipped to Bling.
1 comments
chromaton 1998 days ago
That's because they were trying to appeal to a completely different audience who doesn't see things that way. From the article, they were trying to focus on ease of use, which many current non-cyclists cited as an important factor.
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ogre_codes 1998 days ago
Shimano has some great technologies which make bikes easier to use. The Nexus drivetrain with belt drive is fantastic for casual cycling.

This? Let me quote the directions for the most common bike maintenance issue—A flat tire.

> "The rear wheel is removed from rear-facing dropouts. Remove both left and right side covers. Remove brake arm fixing bolts and washers. Loosen axle nut. Note orientation of the non-turn washer. This washer is used to prevent the axle from rotating in the dropout.

> "Disengage the cable from the bell crank unit. Depress the adjusting rod and pull cable end from lever. Pull lever away from axle and remove adjusting rod. Use a 15mm wrench to loosen and remove axle nut.

> "Remove bell crank unit and cover fixing stay bracket. Disengage chain from chainring and pull wheel back and out of dropouts."

Compared to on a bike with a Nexus drive train:

- Release the quick release.

- Pull the tire out and disengage the chain.

This is not simpler. Traditional bikes are already fairly simple.

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