KraneXL

You sir are an anachronism.

Seattle Forrest

Ironically this is part of the reason I use discs. I've worn enough brake tracks out. I have nicer wheels now than I was willing to spend on when they were a wear item.

WhyFi

Ditto.

Psimet2001 

I literally can have whatever wheels I want. I still only went disc because I was handed a frame that was disc.

On cross - I sought out the first disc frame I could get my hands on and went through the early iterations and growing pains of simply adapting a mtb product to a "road" standard.

As a rider of almost all disc brakes you can easily say that my level of resistance is nill. It doesn't mean I think it's the right product or of need or use. *shrug* It doesn't change the future though.

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 was still able to go to a local store and get ignition points for a 1962 Mercury Comet.... doesn't mean anyone other than a small number of outliers really ever wants anything to do with those ignition points.

EDIT: So to answer your question a little more fully - Why is it such a big deal? It's a big deal because it's a changeover that many really don't want or need but isn't backwards compatible. I can build a lighter, better functioning bike without discs and I won't be able to do that on any new model frame in a handful of years.

For those that say rim barkes aren't enough braking power like in the rain - go see if you can still skid in the rain on your rim brake bike. When you can.... easily - please realize that is a direct exhibit of your braking power being too high for the contact patch of your tires and that is not going to "get better" with more braking power. Still doubt me? Ask yourself why road disc rotor sizes are the smallest possible. If MOAR PWR is better then why not use the largest rotor available? Like say...the rim...

Tire widths and pressures change with tastes as well. Soon we will start swinging back to road tradition and you'll see narrower tires (or at least back to 25's...I know most of you never left 25's but the steady stream of riders going up to 28's, and 30's is real). It will be fun to see these receive little to no modulation from discs because of the power they have. We'll have to dumb them down even more until they are just like..... rim brake calipers.

bargeon

6 pages on a dead horse. Don't stop now.

Psimet2001 

Horse has legs man....the horse has legs...

Racing Dan

Yeah, I dunno. Nice carbon rims are nice, but braking in the wet is *****e and wearing out the brake track is annoying. And the noise? Even in the dry these modern rims with grooved brake tracks are really annoying - And they are not even mine... ;-)

kingston 

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.

Psimet2001 

yeah, stop in. unfortunately I'll be here all day. Still here now gluing tubulars. I could use a day off but it's a 6 day a week job at this time of year and on the 7th day we race.

Seattle Forrest

So in this future where no one can get anything but disc brake bikes, the playing field will be level, so it won't impact sportsmanship. And they'll be ubiquitous, so our tastes will adapt.

Rides4Beer

I dunno, I like the sound my carbon wheels with the grooved track make when braking, it's a very pleasant zzzzzzz sound. What bugs me are all the disc brakes constantly squeaking on group rides.

one4smoke

Will you ever go disc?

The answer to that is a resounding YES ...if you ever ride a bike with hydraulic discs and aren't closed minded.

noodle soup

My disc brakes are silent, unless it’s raining.

Riding in the rain, with a group, brake noise is actually a benefit. It lets everyone know what you are doing, without a word.

RedBullFiXX

What will be the next " I hate this new tech forced upon us by the evil mfg''s " mass of dead horse threads be

Psimet2001 

When they stop making mechanical versions of nice components and only offer electronic down to the 105/apex/rival level.

Bandera

Followed by the #1 thread topic in BF C&V 10 years later:

"The mfg stopped making batteries for my 'lectric drive-train, it's dead!"

-Bandera

bruce19

My cross bike has disc brakes. Both road bikes have rim brakes. If I were to buy or build a road bike it would have disc brakes.

Racing Dan

Some day soon we arrive at every component proprietary, just like on a car or MC. We are slowly inching closer and im betting some bombs will drop along with 12 speed gear systems. Currently SRAM is leading the charge with 100% proprietary AXS (except for the pedal thread :-) . Next up Shimano. How about non standard TL setups, locking you in with Giant or Specialized tyres or gruppos that will only fit frames built to match ... I will be reality unless we refuse to buy and encourage the big guys venturing down that road.

KraneXL

Exactly right. Your consumer dollar speaks volumes, and is the best way to send this message. Businesses and their shareholders hear that loud and clear.

Seattle Forrest

The Book of Revelation clearly says the four housemen of the apocalypse will be riding disc brake horses and using the rotors to mow down racers and Freds alike, without regard to their FTP.

Dean V

I think changing wheel sizes would be a good path to go down for road bikes.
Worked well in the MTB world!
In fact there are many things the road bikes could learn from them in creating obsolescence.

Ilfalco2

Will I ever go disk?
No
What is this fascination with stopping anyway?

noodle soup

The people have spoken, but you might not like their answer.

Everyday people come into my shop to buy road bikes, and nearly everyone says they want disc brakes. Some people buy bikes with rim brakes, but not many specify that they don't want discs.

Rollfast

And I'm avoiding the slipping kind as well.