my brooks is getting a cutout!

[KnottedYet]

I think we're already seeing the change from the high-fashion weekend warrior wannabe look, to the more utility cyclist. Look at the popularity of mixtes and Electra Townies and Dutch bikes of all sorts.

As gas prices continue to climb, we'll likely see more comfortable "city" bikes and a concordant drift of accessories (wider saddles, functional panniers and baskets, lighting, bright colored clothing)

Just look at how the shape of helmets has changed over the last 30 years. First they were round, then faux-aero, now they are becoming round again. That is fashion more than function for the vast majority of riders. (how many of us REALLY needed teardrop shaped helmets 15-20 years ago? Honestly?) Or quill stems? They disappeared for a decade or so, cuz racers weren't using them and suddenly they were unfashionable. Now they are coming back, cuz they're so darn useful and dependable.

Bear in mind though, that the cutting edge is where the innovations are. We need racers and "X-treme" riders, to enrich the mundane biking worlds most of us ride in. Look at how many folks assume that indexed shifting is necessary! How many of today's kids even know how to shift friction, let alone ever owned a bike with friction shifting?

As far as saddles go: let's not forget that Brooks had a patent on "cut outs" long before Georgena started crankin' 'em out and started a new revolution. For the anatomy of some women (and I've seen more female anatomy in my job than I ever dreamed I would) a cut out is a real necessity, just like for some of us a ridiculously wide saddle is a necessity. I'm grateful for the variety of women's saddles, I just wish companies didn't assume "wide" always requires more padding or that "women's" always requires an extra wide nose and big cut out.

Bikes were transportation, then toys, now they are becoming transportation again. Things will change. In another generation they'll probably be toys again, and I will feel like a fool for hootin' and hollerin' about bikes as the best transportation option in my neck of the woods.

[Thorn]

This is an amazing forum....I've learned a lot, I've laughed, I've cried, but threads like this raise my blood pressure. I'm probably reading more into this that I should, but, after a few "TE flames" maybe I'm just senstive. So, take this with a large grain of salt and let me know if I should just delete it.

We all have different needs and wants from our bikes. We are all shaped differently. Sure, a B68 will work if I sit bolt upright, but that riding position won't last for the 6-8 hours I'd like to be on the bike every now and then. For the time I spend on the bike, the classic triangle riding position is better.

Bolt-upright also is not as efficient a riding position. Yes, there is the aerodynamics question, but more importantly is the ability to engage different muscle groups. If your bike is designed to be ridden upright, you're limited to riding positions and to which muscle groups you can use. My road bike gives me more positions (including one that is close to upright) and lets me switch positions frequently. Some of those positions mean I'm bent forward.

Since I will ride bent forward by choice because it fits my riding goals, I need a saddle that supports me. Because my pelvis is wide in the rear, I need a saddle that supports it. The Selle SMP model does actually support at the pubic bone as well as the ischial tuberosities. The cutout means the sensitive parts aren't squashed. For those that fit on one of the models, it is the ultimate saddle. For me it just isn't quite wide enough and a little squishy. In my quest for my perfect saddle, I've chosen to mutilate a B68. Will it work? I don't know. Is it right for Lisa and Mimi? Probably not. Is it right for DivingBiker and me? Time will tell.

The upright riding style is more accessible to people. It feels closer to riding in a car--checking for obstacles is a more natural motion. For many, it is a more stable riding platform. For those reasons I think it is popular. And, that is a great thing--it means that more people are outside and more people riding. But that riding style and purpose isn't for everyone. One size does not fit all.