Originally Posted by
seypat
Teams are going to ride what their sponsors tell them to ride.
While this is true, competition between rival brands will inevitably drive what technology is actually used on the bikes to make them competitive.
Or do you think none of the bike manufacturers try to make their halo race bikes as fast as they possibly can within the *regulations?
Would pros be faster racing on bikes from 10 years ago or today?
Disc brakes are obviously a marginal gain in the pro-peloton, but I suspect most riders do prefer them on the whole - especially in conditions where braking performance (rather than weight) is critical.
For example I believe Pogacar used disc brakes for 17 of the 21 stages in the TDF this year and it's very likely he did have a free choice given his status.
Back in the real world I prefer disc brakes too. Just for the one finger modulation I was used to with mtb brakes (where the very same rim v disc arguments were presented when disc brakes took over that world)
Also good that you don't have to worry about grinding through an expensive pair of carbon rims in the wet!
*Maybe if the UCI minimum weight was say 5.8 kg instead of 6.8 kg, rim brakes might have lived on much longer in the pro-peloton.