Can I use rim brakes on a disc brake wheel?
07-11-20, 03:52 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Can I use rim brakes on a disc brake wheel?
I would like to buy normal wheels for rim brakes since rim brakes are way cheaper than disc brakes. But on my journey looking for the right wheels, I keep finding more disc compatible wheels than normal wheels, and they are cheaper. So can I just buy these wheels and use rim brakes, or will it destroy the wheels or something? (https://northwestbicycle.com/product...hoCdUgQAvD_BwE)
07-11-20, 03:57 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Sherwood, OR
Posts: 1,279
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 336 Post(s)
Liked 309 Times
in
180 Posts
No. You have to use a rim-brake compatible rim.
You cannot put rim brakes on the Brand-x frame you are getting though. That requires discs.
You cannot put rim brakes on the Brand-x frame you are getting though. That requires discs.
Likes For aggiegrads:
07-11-20, 04:57 PM
#3
Member
Thread Starter
07-11-20, 05:34 PM
#4
Banned
Disc only rims often forego a brake track to be slightly lighter,
but there is no reason why a disc brake hub wheel cannot be built with a rim design capable of being squeezed between brake pads..
Suppliers to bike shops produce wheel of their warehoused parts priced reflecting wholesale costs.
so come ready built for less than the retail price of the parts separately..
...
but there is no reason why a disc brake hub wheel cannot be built with a rim design capable of being squeezed between brake pads..
Suppliers to bike shops produce wheel of their warehoused parts priced reflecting wholesale costs.
so come ready built for less than the retail price of the parts separately..
...
Last edited by fietsbob; 07-11-20 at 05:42 PM.
07-11-20, 06:31 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,064
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 350 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 122 Times
in
90 Posts
I wouldn't imagine that you'd get good grip with brake pads/blocks if the rim wall surface were curved. Most of the disc brake rims that I've seen are really curvy. Although some models that are made in both rim version and disc version have flat/angled walls, with the only difference being a CNC'd vs non-milled anodized surface.
Likes For tomtomtom123:
07-11-20, 07:53 PM
#6
Member
Thread Starter
Disc only rims often forego a brake track to be slightly lighter,
but there is no reason why a disc brake hub wheel cannot be built with a rim design capable of being squeezed between brake pads..
Suppliers to bike shops produce wheel of their warehoused parts priced reflecting wholesale costs.
so come ready built for less than the retail price of the parts separately..
...
but there is no reason why a disc brake hub wheel cannot be built with a rim design capable of being squeezed between brake pads..
Suppliers to bike shops produce wheel of their warehoused parts priced reflecting wholesale costs.
so come ready built for less than the retail price of the parts separately..
...
07-11-20, 10:22 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Chapel Hill NC
Posts: 1,683
Bikes: 2000 Litespeed Vortex Chorus 10, 1995 DeBernardi Cromor S/S
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 645 Post(s)
Liked 797 Times
in
446 Posts
quite likely - you’ll certainly abrade off any anodizing or paint, the rim section that you’re braking on may not have sufficient thickness to withstand long term use as a brake track. The wheels you linked to don’t look like they have an actual flat brake track, so you’ll get lousy braking, and to make use of any decent amount of rim with these, you have to have the brakes clamp dangerously close to the tires. All in all, this is a bad idea - for your rims, your brakes, your braking, your tires, and your face, if you either can’t brake efficiently or your brake pads wear through your tire.
Likes For Litespud:
07-11-20, 10:26 PM
#8
Banned
cross section of disc only wheel rims are more triangular than box shape
Sun CR 18 rims are fine.. and cheap .... the extrusion die was paid for long ago..
get a wheel built with those..
..
Sun CR 18 rims are fine.. and cheap .... the extrusion die was paid for long ago..
get a wheel built with those..
..
Last edited by fietsbob; 07-11-20 at 10:30 PM.
07-11-20, 10:29 PM
#9
Banned
07-11-20, 11:28 PM
#10
Member
Thread Starter
quite likely - you’ll certainly abrade off any anodizing or paint, the rim section that you’re braking on may not have sufficient thickness to withstand long term use as a brake track. The wheels you linked to don’t look like they have an actual flat brake track, so you’ll get lousy braking, and to make use of any decent amount of rim with these, you have to have the brakes clamp dangerously close to the tires. All in all, this is a bad idea - for your rims, your brakes, your braking, your tires, and your face, if you either can’t brake efficiently or your brake pads wear through your tire.
07-11-20, 11:29 PM
#11
Member
Thread Starter
07-12-20, 09:45 AM
#12
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,362
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 152 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6218 Post(s)
Liked 4,217 Times
in
2,364 Posts
Just because the wheel is less expensive than the alternative doesn’t mean that it will work. If you buy it and it doesn’t work, it’s more expensive because you have to buy the wheel set twice. Buy the right wheel for rim brakes.
As for price, look around some more. Jenson USA has a wheel set for about $100
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Last edited by cyccommute; 07-12-20 at 09:51 AM.
07-12-20, 03:19 PM
#13
rebmeM roineS
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Metro Indy, IN
Posts: 16,216
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 653 Post(s)
Liked 347 Times
in
226 Posts
I would like to buy normal wheels for rim brakes since rim brakes are way cheaper than disc brakes. But on my journey looking for the right wheels, I keep finding more disc compatible wheels than normal wheels, and they are cheaper. So can I just buy these wheels and use rim brakes, or will it destroy the wheels or something? (https://northwestbicycle.com/product...hoCdUgQAvD_BwE)
__________________
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
07-12-20, 04:22 PM
#14
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,362
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 152 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6218 Post(s)
Liked 4,217 Times
in
2,364 Posts
There is no indication that those wheels are disc-only. The wheels are disc-compatible - they can be used with disc brakes because rotors can be added to the hubs. But, unless the rims are described as disc-only, you should be able to use rim brakes. Two of my bikes have disc-compatible wheels and each bike uses one disc brake and one rim brake.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
07-12-20, 05:10 PM
#15
I'm good to go!
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,985
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
Mentioned: 51 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6193 Post(s)
Liked 4,808 Times
in
3,316 Posts
If your bike has rim brakes, you need to buy wheels with rims made for rim brakes.
07-12-20, 06:14 PM
#16
rebmeM roineS
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Metro Indy, IN
Posts: 16,216
Bikes: Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 653 Post(s)
Liked 347 Times
in
226 Posts
But, back to OP’s first post, disc compatible doesn’t mean disc only.
__________________
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Last edited by JanMM; 07-12-20 at 06:22 PM.
