Originally Posted by
Psimet2001
Horrible example. Roughly 2-3% of all cars sold int he US are manual transmissions. 2-3% does not a market make.
What this means for cycling is that you won't be able to buy any remotely "nice" modern frame designed by any of the large, medium , or even baby brands that will have rim brakes stock. You mentioned triple cranks, etc still being around.
Yeah, they're around. I work on them daily on some of the crappiest bikes known to man.
I didn't come up with the manual transmission example, but it makes my point very well. I don't care if most people can't get it on most cars. If I want a high performance car with a manual transmission, I can go to a dealer and drive one off the lot tomorrow.
Same thing with rim brakes and triples. I am confident that I will always be able to buy a rim brake frame that is at least as nice as I want or need. I don't care about the mass market. I'm not in that market. I'm in the retro-grouch connoisseur market. We already don't buy complete bikes, so it makes no difference to me what the big manufacturers do or don't churn out.
In the extremely unlikely event that every single manufacturer in the world stops making rim brake frames, I can go to a builder and have one custom made with light weight steel or titanium and posts for Paul cantilevers or Rene Herse centerpulls. Same with triples. I can still buy a Phil Wood square taper bottom bracket and a Rene Herse triple that is at least as nice and more functional than anything from the big three component manufacturers.
So anyone who complains that manufacturers are deciding what they ride either aren't paying for their own bike, aren't looking very hard or just don't care about it that much.
By the way, I rode by your shop last Saturday, but I was with a group on the GLR 200k so I couldn't stop. I may come by tomorrow for a cup of coffee since it will be cold. I'll say hi if you are around.