Originally Posted by
challaday
Wireless brakes built into hubs, so we can eliminate the extra drag of the brake caliper. We bike nerds will demand no less.
I actually doubt that we'll see a return of hub brakes, which after all suffer from a host of problems. First, the location really limits the effectiveness of the brake, due to some physics concept, the name of which I can't remember. The only reason discs are so effective is because they are REALLY powerful, with huge mechanical advantage. The other problem with hub brakes is heat dissipation - they suck at this, and as a result they fade a lot faster than rim brakes on long descents. And of course, they're really heavy. I don't think rim brakes are going anywhere. I guess someone could come up with a road disc system light enough to be acceptable to roadies, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.