Am I the dinosaur?
05-14-20, 05:12 AM
#1
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Am I the dinosaur?
Okay.....call me old and out of touch. I would probably agree to a point. But when I look at new bikes online the push seems to be either pure road bikes migrating to disc brakes (hydraulic or mechanical) as the almost only option. I still love my caliper brakes due to simple simplicity.
So the dinosaur I seem to be, do you feel the eventual path is to certainly extinct the caliper concept?
So the dinosaur I seem to be, do you feel the eventual path is to certainly extinct the caliper concept?
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05-14-20, 05:53 AM
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It's all about what sells and disc brakes are what the average rider wants. Manufacturing a rim and disc brake version might not be economically viable.
But there will always be small bespoke builders that will offer rim brakes, but your choices will be limited.
BTW.. .do you have really short arms?
But there will always be small bespoke builders that will offer rim brakes, but your choices will be limited.
BTW.. .do you have really short arms?
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05-14-20, 06:10 AM
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I will take safety over the simplicity of caliper brakes anytime. I switched to disc brakes a couple of years ago and the improvement in braking especially in wet hilly conditions has just reinforced that decision. To me besides cost its a no brainer.
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05-14-20, 06:47 AM
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Rim brakes are sort of like manual transmissions in cars. It will get harder to find them. They will exist but discs will account for 90-95% of bikes. I have 3 road bikes and 1 CX bike. The CX has discs and IMO they are just better. But, rim brakes are no big issue for me. As for cars....you couldn't sell me an auto tranny. Go figure. But, that's a different story.
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05-14-20, 06:58 AM
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No doubt discs have their place, but living in South Carolina where the year-round weather is favorable to cyclists, the technical argument for discs is weak. Bicycles are inherently simple machines and what drives new waves of "cycling improvements" is the consumptive, herding nature of humans.
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05-14-20, 07:11 AM
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I don't feel 'underserved' by the calipers on my bikes. they're all very good groupset components and give me plenty of 'negative horsepower' ... but if I were a bike maker, I'd simply ask "what sells at best intersection of quallity/value/margin" ?
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05-14-20, 07:13 AM
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BTW, i have 2 bikes, one has rim and the other disc. One is a road bike and the other is a CX.
Bikes are like tools, there is no single bike that does it all.
Bikes are like tools, there is no single bike that does it all.
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05-14-20, 07:39 AM
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Okay.....call me old and out of touch. I would probably agree to a point. But when I look at new bikes online the push seems to be either pure road bikes migrating to disc brakes (hydraulic or mechanical) as the almost only option. I still love my caliper brakes due to simple simplicity.
So the dinosaur I seem to be, do you feel the eventual path is to certainly extinct the caliper concept?
So the dinosaur I seem to be, do you feel the eventual path is to certainly extinct the caliper concept?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/crystal-r...ctedsellerid=0
05-14-20, 07:40 AM
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It's all about what sells and disc brakes are what the average rider wants. Manufacturing a rim and disc brake version might not be economically viable.
But there will always be small bespoke builders that will offer rim brakes, but your choices will be limited.
BTW.. .do you have really short arms?
But there will always be small bespoke builders that will offer rim brakes, but your choices will be limited.
BTW.. .do you have really short arms?
Regardless, this subject has been discussed over and over on the Internets and especially on this forum. I don't believe rim brakes will disappear from the shelves anytime soon.
05-14-20, 07:45 AM
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It's either what the customer wants or what the industry is pushing towards customer. The average John Smith was just fine with rim brakes a few years ago.
Regardless, this subject has been discussed over and over on the Internets and especially on this forum. I don't believe rim brakes will disappear from the shelves anytime soon.
Regardless, this subject has been discussed over and over on the Internets and especially on this forum. I don't believe rim brakes will disappear from the shelves anytime soon.
Remember when front disc brakes were an option on cars? Then only sports cars had 4 wheel disc.Now every car has front disc and most have real also.
BTW.. nothing wrong with rim brakes, but they are not best suited for every situation. My "winter - foul weather" bike has hydro disc for better braking in the wet.
05-14-20, 07:47 AM
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05-14-20, 08:28 AM
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I'm with you and have 0 interest in dealing with hydraulics for a bicycle when proper rim brakes work just fine on the kind of riding I do. No racing for sure and no frequent steep descents in the rain. Thankfully Giant still makes a road bike with powerful rim brakes and an outstanding value balancing performance and comfort.
Check out this Giant Contend 1.
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/ca/contend-1
I have their entry level 2018 Sedona comfort bike with Tektro linear pull brakes. Not only do they work in the rain, but have more stopping power then I'll ever use, and are very easy to modulate with little effort. The much better rim brakes on the Contend, even with the higher speeds of a road bike should be even more effective.
Check out this Giant Contend 1.
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/ca/contend-1
I have their entry level 2018 Sedona comfort bike with Tektro linear pull brakes. Not only do they work in the rain, but have more stopping power then I'll ever use, and are very easy to modulate with little effort. The much better rim brakes on the Contend, even with the higher speeds of a road bike should be even more effective.
Last edited by xroadcharlie; 05-14-20 at 09:30 AM.
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05-14-20, 08:29 AM
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Parts will be available for many years, but I don't see many complete bikes sold with rim brakes. The only bikes my shop sells with rim brakes, are low end road and comfort bikes.
05-14-20, 08:40 AM
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OP, I guess I am a dinosaur too. I'm not a luddite, but I'm not an early adopter either. Like you, I like the simplicity of rim brakes and they are perfectly adequate for my needs. And I do ride a lot in the mountains. Then again, since I'm not racing these days, I ride very high-quality alloy rims, not carbon wheels that seem to be currently mandatory to be a "real" cyclist.
So, ride what you prefer. It's not like rim brake pads and brake cables will not be available anytime soon.
So, ride what you prefer. It's not like rim brake pads and brake cables will not be available anytime soon.
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05-14-20, 09:24 AM
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I wish we had rim brakes on our tandem. We go through a rim every year - they last 2 years and I stagger the wheel rebuilds. We ride outside all winter and the roads are gritty. It's actually worse when the roads are wet and it's not raining. That wouldn't be so bad except that good rims come and go as the market changes, which then changes spoke length, which gets expensive with 36 CX-Rays. So yeah, I'm glad rims brakes are disappearing on tandems.
I'd feel the same about singles except that I have a rain bike with 20 y.o. Open Pro Ceramic rims which simply don't wear, period. If not for that, I'd have to look for a disc rain bike. I don't mind the stopping issue particularly; one get's used to that, it's the rim wear.
I'd feel the same about singles except that I have a rain bike with 20 y.o. Open Pro Ceramic rims which simply don't wear, period. If not for that, I'd have to look for a disc rain bike. I don't mind the stopping issue particularly; one get's used to that, it's the rim wear.
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05-14-20, 09:35 AM
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Think about it this way: What do rim brakes do better than disc brakes to justify making both?
I have had several bikes with both and much prefer discs. In terms of safety, discs win w/o question. There is apparently a small aero and potential weight advantage to rim brakes, but it's apparently not a big enough advantage to impact racers who are winning on disc brakes. Over time as manufacturers refine disc brakes, I suspect any advantages that rim brakes currently possess will be erased.
Those of you who prefer to work on rim brakes will learn to work on disc brakes and learn to love them
... unless of course you're super stubborn and refuse to learn new things, then there's no hope for you 
I have had several bikes with both and much prefer discs. In terms of safety, discs win w/o question. There is apparently a small aero and potential weight advantage to rim brakes, but it's apparently not a big enough advantage to impact racers who are winning on disc brakes. Over time as manufacturers refine disc brakes, I suspect any advantages that rim brakes currently possess will be erased.
Those of you who prefer to work on rim brakes will learn to work on disc brakes and learn to love them
... unless of course you're super stubborn and refuse to learn new things, then there's no hope for you
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05-14-20, 10:09 AM
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In the future there will be a rim brake fad for their beauty and simplicity
05-14-20, 10:10 AM
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Agree on "high end" road bikes will be harder to find unless you go fully custom.
It's like someone posting and saying they want a bike with down-tube shifters. You can still do this with modern components, but it's no longer the default.
You can always find a home in C&V.
It's like someone posting and saying they want a bike with down-tube shifters. You can still do this with modern components, but it's no longer the default.
You can always find a home in C&V.
05-14-20, 10:21 AM
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You may choose to evolve, or be a rara avis
05-14-20, 10:23 AM
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I adore the hydraulic disc brakes on my Specialized Roubaix, and think they're without any doubt better than the very best rim brakes, but rim brakes still have a place out there. In fact, I just picked up an old used Litespeed that I'm looking to update with new components, including new rim brakes, because it'll still make for a great ride.
05-14-20, 10:37 AM
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That looks like a flying dinosaur. Birds - the dinosaurs that made it. And bats. They go back as far.
Not all dinosaurs had short arms. Everybody thinks Tranny Rex but the flyers had wingspan. I know, I am one. 6'0" with a wingspan of 6'2" (on narrow shoulders). And I ride rim brakes on all my bikes. 60% of my bikes are fix gears, I approach big hills like the early Tour de France dinos - stop and flip the rear wheel around.
We dinos have lived through eras of far more water. We know those ancient brakes, set up with the wisdom of the elders, worked just fine.
Ben
Not all dinosaurs had short arms. Everybody thinks Tranny Rex but the flyers had wingspan. I know, I am one. 6'0" with a wingspan of 6'2" (on narrow shoulders). And I ride rim brakes on all my bikes. 60% of my bikes are fix gears, I approach big hills like the early Tour de France dinos - stop and flip the rear wheel around.
We dinos have lived through eras of far more water. We know those ancient brakes, set up with the wisdom of the elders, worked just fine.
Ben
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05-14-20, 10:41 AM
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That looks like a flying dinosaur. Birds - the dinosaurs that made it. And bats. They go back as far.
Not all dinosaurs had short arms. Everybody thinks Tranny Rex but the flyers had wingspan. I know, I am one. 6'0" with a wingspan of 6'2" (on narrow shoulders). And I ride rim brakes on all my bikes. 60% of my bikes are fix gears, I approach big hills like the early Tour de France dinos - stop and flip the rear wheel around.
We dinos have lived through eras of far more water. We know those ancient brakes, set up with the wisdom of the elders, worked just fine.
Ben
Not all dinosaurs had short arms. Everybody thinks Tranny Rex but the flyers had wingspan. I know, I am one. 6'0" with a wingspan of 6'2" (on narrow shoulders). And I ride rim brakes on all my bikes. 60% of my bikes are fix gears, I approach big hills like the early Tour de France dinos - stop and flip the rear wheel around.
We dinos have lived through eras of far more water. We know those ancient brakes, set up with the wisdom of the elders, worked just fine.
Ben