Originally Posted by
63rickert
What "better " seems to mean to people who like their "modern" dual pivots is only that less force is needed at the lever. I don't subscribe to the idea that those with no hand strength at all should even be attempting to ride down the mountain. Strength is needed to control every other part of the bike. If you ain't got it you should not be there. Or at least you should ride slow.
Better materials than the forged arms of a Mafac brake? They last forever, do not wear out. Older Weinmanns the same, they just do not wear out. Yes, you can set them up so as to sabotage them and get very poor performance. Failure rate on these archaic dual pivot brakes is essentially zero. Anyone ever see one broken? Millions and millions of calipers made and they all work. Proven track record of these parts is stunning. No one, no one at all is going to be using any current production bike part 60 or 70 years from now. All of it landfill in progress.
None of these Mafac or Weinmann parts are in a landfill? How often do we see them on group rides? Never see them and I ride with different clubs. The second part of that paragraph is just ridiculous. You can't predict what parts are going to be around in the future. You just come off as a retrogrouch.
Some people like having new stuff, bikes, cars, whatever.
As to your argument about hand strength, I know people who have had injuries or surgeries and don't have lots of hand strength. I've also ridden with 2 amputees who ride with one arm. I have hands that are pretty big and strong and there are times when they get tired and ache from long braking efforts. I've done a century in the mountains during a rainstorm when my hands felt like they might give up. Discs would have been great that day.