Innovations and upgrades....favorites & holdouts?

[k2rider1964]

My mind always runs rampant when I'm riding alone and today I started thinking about this question...what innovation and/or upgrade has been your favorite? Maybe the one that changed the way you ride or your enjoyment? Conversely, what have you yet to purchase or try out because you "just don't get it"?

For me, disc brakes (of which I finally went to last summer) have been a game changer in the way I ride from a perspective of confidence.

I still haven't switch to tubeless though I have the wheelset and proper tires to do so. I'll get there. The one innovation that I haven't bought into is the adjustable seatpost. I have friends and co-riders that swear by it but at $300 and everybody I know having one issue or another, i'll keep hanging my tail off the back end!

[monzie]

I went from rim brakes to hydro disc and holy crap. It's improved my ability to be confident going fast downhill by about a million percent.

I have tubeless but don't get it. I seems an awful lot of prep for a little advancement. I'm light( 145 lbs) so I already can run low pressure in tubes and do. Tubeless seems a lot of wasted time and effort. I guess the puncture resistance is cool but I hardly flatted with tubes. Meh.

[GotoDengo]

Clipless pedals. Horse has been beaten to death, but completely changed the way I rode. What other upgrade actually increases the rider's stamina so much (by adding amother powerful muscle into the mix)?

Future "technology"? Upgrading my fork to a Rebacon... putting floodgate moco damper and dual air spring for a Reba into my Recon.

[Berkeley Mike]

Custom hand-built wheels.

[mimi1885]

Platform pedals and 5.10 shoes. I don't know why I held out for so long to switch. I can't say that clipless offers noticeable improvement in efficiency over a good pair of flats and 5.10 on a normal trail ride. Racing is another story.

OP, the easiest way to find out about the adj seatpost is to try your friends out for one or two rides, I'm sold on the performance.

[fatcat]

I'm looking forward to (now nobody go and steal this idea'r without my permission) belt driven assisted by some sort of Hammerschmidt type gearing that enables you to granny gear it to 46 tooth it in a small lightweight and economical drive train. I currently like my Hammerschmidt front cranks but hate the chain and rear derailleur. Somebody introduce something that is belted with internal gears front and back.