I've hacked on bikes since the 80's, and I think things are better now(ish), at least if you're not going full squish or hydraulic brakes.
I've got 2 bikes with SRAM Rival and Apex that have had perfectly crisp shifting for 7k miles each. There might have been one adjustment barrel turn in there somewhere. They've got some sort of modern, trouble free bottom bracket with a hollow axle. I don't even know, because it's that maintenance free. And that shifting? Much easier than the post bike boom downtube friction shifters.
Whereas with my 80's tech bikes, I repacked hubs and bottom brackets every so often, at least until I went with the (more disposable) shimano cartridge BBs. Shifting always needed a little bit of adjustment. My wheels were better than, but I built those wheels (and I know my stuff), but I'm using commercial wheels now. Changing brake pads now is a 2 minute job, just slide them out and put new ones in. It used to be that you'd need to re-align the brake shoes too.
Maybe I wasn't all that good at it, but I think I was decent at wrenching. I can strip and reassemble a bike, with the possible exception of the headset races. The bikes now might be less maintainable, but critically, my bikes now just don't need as much maintenance.
The invention of the 4 bolt face for the stem is 1000% better than quill stems where you had to pull the brakes and tape off to get 10mm more or less reach. They're also significantly less likely for them to move around against the fork. Threadless headsets are also far easier to set properly and keep them there.
The style of larger tires on road bikes is awesome. Comfort and speed. It's nice to be able to get a sub 15 lb bike. 18 used to be stupid light, now it's just a bit pricey. They're not workhorses, but they're fun.
For utility, racks are better now. Low rider front racks and the standard mount rear racks were only really introduced in the 80s. There are good front and rear racks at multiple price points that work for light duty or full blown continent crossing epics. You can _get_ cargo bikes, in a variety of shapes, with e-boost and not.
Yes, there are bits that aren't compatible. Most shifters need to be paired with compatible derailleurs. Be careful on hydraulic brakes. You have to know if you have disks or rim brakes. You might need to use the proper chain, at least of the right # of speeds. It's difficult to find 27" rim/tires anymore. Shimano doesn't sell replacement bearing cups for their hubs, though you can get the cones. Campy does tho. Its really hard to find a good 8sp mountain freewheel these days.
If you want, you can still go full analog and get downtube 11sp friction shifters with non-aero center pull brakes, all with new parts, and it's not even that hard to find if you know where to look, though economy of scale means that it's not going to be cheap.
I've got 2 bikes with SRAM Rival and Apex that have had perfectly crisp shifting for 7k miles each. There might have been one adjustment barrel turn in there somewhere. They've got some sort of modern, trouble free bottom bracket with a hollow axle. I don't even know, because it's that maintenance free. And that shifting? Much easier than the post bike boom downtube friction shifters.
Whereas with my 80's tech bikes, I repacked hubs and bottom brackets every so often, at least until I went with the (more disposable) shimano cartridge BBs. Shifting always needed a little bit of adjustment. My wheels were better than, but I built those wheels (and I know my stuff), but I'm using commercial wheels now. Changing brake pads now is a 2 minute job, just slide them out and put new ones in. It used to be that you'd need to re-align the brake shoes too.
Maybe I wasn't all that good at it, but I think I was decent at wrenching. I can strip and reassemble a bike, with the possible exception of the headset races. The bikes now might be less maintainable, but critically, my bikes now just don't need as much maintenance.
The invention of the 4 bolt face for the stem is 1000% better than quill stems where you had to pull the brakes and tape off to get 10mm more or less reach. They're also significantly less likely for them to move around against the fork. Threadless headsets are also far easier to set properly and keep them there.
The style of larger tires on road bikes is awesome. Comfort and speed. It's nice to be able to get a sub 15 lb bike. 18 used to be stupid light, now it's just a bit pricey. They're not workhorses, but they're fun.
For utility, racks are better now. Low rider front racks and the standard mount rear racks were only really introduced in the 80s. There are good front and rear racks at multiple price points that work for light duty or full blown continent crossing epics. You can _get_ cargo bikes, in a variety of shapes, with e-boost and not.
Yes, there are bits that aren't compatible. Most shifters need to be paired with compatible derailleurs. Be careful on hydraulic brakes. You have to know if you have disks or rim brakes. You might need to use the proper chain, at least of the right # of speeds. It's difficult to find 27" rim/tires anymore. Shimano doesn't sell replacement bearing cups for their hubs, though you can get the cones. Campy does tho. Its really hard to find a good 8sp mountain freewheel these days.
If you want, you can still go full analog and get downtube 11sp friction shifters with non-aero center pull brakes, all with new parts, and it's not even that hard to find if you know where to look, though economy of scale means that it's not going to be cheap.
So, The glass is far more than half full.