"_Progress isn’t necessarily bad._"
It just depends on how you define progress. Do you want active suspension that turns a rock garden into a parking lot? You'll be faster but is that a better experience?
The current crop of electronic derailleurs, seat posts, and suspension offer marginal gains at best with a significant price increase. It just feels like a marketing tactic to offer yet another tier of a product. It's undoubtedly more expensive for SRAM or Shimano to set up production for 4+ different drivetrains tiers than to simply manufacture their top-tier drivetrain and sell the single-tier at a lower price but higher volume. The same can be said of Fox and RS's suspension offerings.
The bike industry is about making money and that's fine. Let's just call a spade a spade.
Nov. 17, 2021, 8:36 a.m. - roil
"_Progress isn’t necessarily bad._" It just depends on how you define progress. Do you want active suspension that turns a rock garden into a parking lot? You'll be faster but is that a better experience? The current crop of electronic derailleurs, seat posts, and suspension offer marginal gains at best with a significant price increase. It just feels like a marketing tactic to offer yet another tier of a product. It's undoubtedly more expensive for SRAM or Shimano to set up production for 4+ different drivetrains tiers than to simply manufacture their top-tier drivetrain and sell the single-tier at a lower price but higher volume. The same can be said of Fox and RS's suspension offerings. The bike industry is about making money and that's fine. Let's just call a spade a spade.