Am I just old, or what?
11-03-18, 01:12 AM
#76
☢
True, true... pads work pretty well although I wish my calipers were just a tad bigger so I could run a 28 on the back. Doubt If I'll buy a new machine because of it tho… the cheaper Domane models come with caliper brakes. Not sure how good IsoSpeed is and it just may be great but... I don't think I'd need it much either if I also had bigger tires. If Trek decides to brink back the ALR5 and it has an aluminum steerer, I'd probably go up to ~$2k for it but it looks like those prices for 105-equipped Treks are a thing of the past.
11-03-18, 11:20 PM
#77
Full Member
It’s sounds like you know what you want and need but chiming in on the disc brake thing. A few years back I had a Trek DS 8.4 with the hydro disk brakes and they were in my opinion the greatest thing since sliced bread.
Before the DS I had a regular road bike with rim brakes and a MTB with XT brakes. I’m a heavier rider, 225ish and the road bikes brakes on hills were less than inspiring. The MTB on the other hand could toss you over the bars if you have them a strong pull. But I have arthritis and my hands hurt and don’t have the grip I used to have and the hydro disks were so easy to modulate and took less effort.
My current bike bike has mechanical disks and while they work well I’ll get hydros again next time around.
Before the DS I had a regular road bike with rim brakes and a MTB with XT brakes. I’m a heavier rider, 225ish and the road bikes brakes on hills were less than inspiring. The MTB on the other hand could toss you over the bars if you have them a strong pull. But I have arthritis and my hands hurt and don’t have the grip I used to have and the hydro disks were so easy to modulate and took less effort.
My current bike bike has mechanical disks and while they work well I’ll get hydros again next time around.
11-04-18, 09:54 AM
#78
Senior Member
I feel the same about motor vehicles. Give me the absolute minimum of components and features that will let me drive from A to B. If I can pull into car wash bay and hose it down inside and out, even better.
11-04-18, 06:32 PM
#79
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11-04-18, 07:31 PM
#80
What happened?
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No doubt about that. There are a litany of topics that bring it on.
disc brakes
compact doubles/triples
e-Bikes
electronic shifting
carbon/aluminum/steel
campy/shimano/sram
helmets
bike lanes
rear view mirrors
...
This is where being old and crotchety becomes a way of life. Believe me ... I am a living example.
PS: Confession time ... riding to work yesterday in the fog and sand, I was just thinking that disc brakes might make sense on the commuting bike.
disc brakes
compact doubles/triples
e-Bikes
electronic shifting
carbon/aluminum/steel
campy/shimano/sram
helmets
bike lanes
rear view mirrors
...
This is where being old and crotchety becomes a way of life. Believe me ... I am a living example.
PS: Confession time ... riding to work yesterday in the fog and sand, I was just thinking that disc brakes might make sense on the commuting bike.
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I don't know nothing, and I memorized it in school and got this here paper I'm proud of to show it.
11-07-18, 10:56 AM
#81
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I was asked to help out a couple missionaries that only use their bikes and had brake problems. As a former mechanic in the 70's and 80's, I thought "no big deal", packed up a couple wrenches and arrived to find two bikes with disc brakes. This was my first time dealing with discs so it took some time to figure them out enough to adjust them, about 20 minutes. The first few minutes were hardest, as cussing seemed necessary and I had to bite my tongue for the sake of the missionaries hanging over my shoulder. I don't know enough to properly service them but they seemed like a good idea for guys who ride every day, rain or snow included and have never turned a spoke wrench. I enjoy truing wheels so I might be biased.
I don't choose to ride in bad weather and southeast Michigan is pretty flat, so no great benefit for me. I'm sure it's useful to emphasize disc brakes from a selling standpoint as it helps justify getting a new bike but the simplicity of maintaining rim brakes wins out for my purposes. Good cables, casings and pads are all I need.
Now about this campy/shimano/sram issue, I'm sure that most all of us agree it doesn't really exist, as a Sugino Mighty Competition+Suntour V or Cyclone setup is all one ever needs, right?
I don't choose to ride in bad weather and southeast Michigan is pretty flat, so no great benefit for me. I'm sure it's useful to emphasize disc brakes from a selling standpoint as it helps justify getting a new bike but the simplicity of maintaining rim brakes wins out for my purposes. Good cables, casings and pads are all I need.
Now about this campy/shimano/sram issue, I'm sure that most all of us agree it doesn't really exist, as a Sugino Mighty Competition+Suntour V or Cyclone setup is all one ever needs, right?
11-07-18, 11:30 AM
#82
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The bike industry needs to sell bikes and one way of doing that is convincing people that the latest thing is better. Now they're pushing disc brakes and various systems for a cushy ride. Fine.
Like most of the people on these forums, I ride enough to have a pretty clear idea of what I want, what I don't want, and what I don't care about. I don't care about disc brakes. I'm perfectly comfortable with rim brakes. That being said, my next bike (who knows when - I'm happy with what I've got now) may have disc brakes simply because that's where the industry is going. I can imagine a day when non-disc wheels will be expensive specialty items.
I can also see myself buying a disc-equipped touring bike when I retire and have the time to tour. Discs make sense to me for a heavy, loaded bike.
Unfortunately, the things I do care about are not what the bike industry is pushing: threaded bottom brackets, external cable routing.
Like most of the people on these forums, I ride enough to have a pretty clear idea of what I want, what I don't want, and what I don't care about. I don't care about disc brakes. I'm perfectly comfortable with rim brakes. That being said, my next bike (who knows when - I'm happy with what I've got now) may have disc brakes simply because that's where the industry is going. I can imagine a day when non-disc wheels will be expensive specialty items.
I can also see myself buying a disc-equipped touring bike when I retire and have the time to tour. Discs make sense to me for a heavy, loaded bike.
Unfortunately, the things I do care about are not what the bike industry is pushing: threaded bottom brackets, external cable routing.
11-08-18, 10:08 AM
#85
Senior Member
I find the whole disk brake debate to be fascinating. I know opinions are like A-holes (everyone has one), and it is fun seeing how everyone wants theirs to be "right". My opinion is that disk brakes are not necessary for a road bike with my personal riding parameters (mostly dry, aluminum brake track, and personal experience with maintenance). I read an interesting article that I will attempt to link to below about disk brakes being "better" than rim brakes being a myth. The interesting takeaway is that rim brakes are actually disk brakes, using a disk that is much larger in diameter (the entire wheel).
disk brakes better?
Entertaining thread. now back to work! Cheers!
disk brakes better?
Entertaining thread. now back to work! Cheers!
11-08-18, 12:29 PM
#86
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I recently purchased my first road bike, upgrading from a Hybrid. At first I was looking at a Trek Emonda SL 6 with Ultegra and Disc brakes (though I think they were cable). I was pretty excited about it when the sales person showed it to me and we talked about how great it was. But then I started to do a little research and decided on a Emonda ALR 6 with Ultegra and Rim brakes, with a great Aeolus wheel set. The difference in weight was minimal, about 1/4 a pound, I liked the idea of Aluminum over Carbon and frankly at 58 I'm not going to break any speed records out there except for my own. I decided that the ALR6 was the bike I wanted at the price (which was substantially less than the SL6) I wanted to pay. Would that be anyone else's decision? Maybe, maybe not. But this is what I wanted, and that's really all that matters. Get what you think is best for you.
11-08-18, 01:05 PM
#87
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I have no interest in disc brakes either but you'll be limited to find bikes without them.
11-08-18, 03:39 PM
#88
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Jf rim brakes aren't working right, it's because the levers aren't compatible. Mine are, but I tried some straight h'bar levers and they were hopeless.
Interesting to note many kids bikes have brakes which hardly work, especially for little hands. Seen it too often, shocking.
Interesting to note many kids bikes have brakes which hardly work, especially for little hands. Seen it too often, shocking.
11-09-18, 06:42 PM
#89
Senior Member
Since when do disc rotors have teeth?
11-09-18, 11:15 PM
#91
Senior Member
I find the whole disk brake debate to be fascinating. I know opinions are like A-holes (everyone has one), and it is fun seeing how everyone wants theirs to be "right". My opinion is that disk brakes are not necessary for a road bike with my personal riding parameters (mostly dry, aluminum brake track, and personal experience with maintenance). I read an interesting article that I will attempt to link to below about disk brakes being "better" than rim brakes being a myth. The interesting takeaway is that rim brakes are actually disk brakes, using a disk that is much larger in diameter (the entire wheel).
disk brakes better?
Entertaining thread. now back to work! Cheers!
disk brakes better?
Entertaining thread. now back to work! Cheers!
11-10-18, 09:37 PM
#92
Full Member
I recently bought a new bike and purposely got rim brakes. I do a lot of mountain riding on carbon wheels and have not had a braking problem, even at 60 mph plus. I didn't want the extra weight. My mountain bike has hydraulic disc brakes which are great for riding when it's muddy and wet.
