Wish List

First, let me start by saying I think the bike industry is, on the whole, doing a better job of serving a greater variety of cycling interests than at any time I can recall (and I've been at this since the early 80's)

That said, there are some things I'd love to see brought to market or resurrected. Here's a short list, in no particular order:

1) Hite-Rite.
Anyone remember these? A simple spring designed to help off-road riders quickly raise/lower their seats. Useless for fire road riding in Marin but mighty handy on twisty, up and down singletrack. I did see someone is offering a seatpost that can be adjusted with a remote switch. Same concept but way more expensive, complicated and heavier. I can't figure out why more trail riders haven't resurrected this one.

2) 110/74 bcd aluminum crankset for modern bottom brackets.
Interloc is working on this but no promises of when it will arrive. Rivendell is also trying to import the Sugino Alpino. Sugino already makes a great 110/74 crank - the XD - but it's square taper. Shimano is coming out with a 110 crank but it's a double only and uses their outboard bearings. Plus the current generation Shimano cranks look too much like spaceships and not enough like crankst, IMHO.

3) Cinelli Unicanitor.
A plastic shell attached to the rails. Like a Brooks, the comfort comes from the shell flexing rather than from padding. Simple and cheap. Also impervious to wet weather making it a winner for rainy day commuters and cyclocrossers alike. With titanium rails it would be very light.

4) A Brooks saddle that works.
Every Brooks saddle I've ever seen on a reasonably modern bike is shoved as far back as possible. Even then they're often still too far forward. Why Brooks has their saddle rails in a totally different configuration to the rest of the industry is a mystery. John at Rivendell says a solution is in the works but can't give a date. Keep your fingers crossed on this one.

5) Good looking yet affordable bags.
Cycling bags fall into two categories: handsome hand-made models that cost more than a set of wheels or affordable models that look like cheap plastic. Why can't someone take nice materials (canvas and leather) and have them made in Taiwan? How hard can this be? OK, it probably is hard.

6) Lightweight bags.
Why are all good quality panniers so overbuilt? Most cyclotourists are not traveling for months on end through third world countries but you'd never know it from their over built gear. People have hiked the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails using ultralight sil-nylon backpacks. Why can't someone make sil-nylon panniers for people to use for light and fast trips? While purists may sneer down on the credit card touring crowd there is no denying they exist.

7) Loops on saddles and saddle bags.
Every non-racing saddle should have saddle loops and every bike bag maker should make a saddlebag. Period. A large saddlebag easily beats a set of panniers for commuting, centuries and credit card touring while also allowing you to quickly strip the bike down for speedy, short weekend rides. With panniers you still have a big ugly rack on the bike when you remove them. Not a look.

8) Affordable aluminum fenders.
Honjo fenders are striking in both appearance and price. Much of this is probably due to the high labor costs in Japan. Why not make them in Taiwan? While we're at it, make them as easy to install as SKS and Zefal fenders.

9) A brake/shift lever in which the brake lever and shifter are separate parts.
True, Campy Ergo be rebuilt but realistically the number of man hours it takes makes it impractical. Instead I'm thinking of a shift pod that attaches to the brake lever. This would make upgrading from 9 to 10 to 11 speeds more affordable. Would also be great for cross racers. Modolo attempted this a few years back but didn't quite pull it off.

10) Wool jerseys that fit Americans.
Is it just me or does it seem like most wool jerseys are made for tall skinny guys with no shoulders?? I've got woolies from several makers and most of them are too long in back and have sleeves that are too short. Really odd thing is some of them come from companies that also make plastic jerseys that don't have these fit issues. What's up with that??