Originally Posted by
Rolla
Disc brakes continue to evolve, but component manufacturers are investing zero into rim brake R & D.
Like 26" wheels, coaster brakes, and quill stems, rim brakes will be around forever. But their current iteration is about as advanced as they'll get, and that will seal their fate.
Direct mount, or even hydraulic rim brakes got pretty freakin sweet (where are the hydraulic direct mount rim brakes?) - lots of folks seem to be unaware that rim braking on carbon is pretty much a solved problem.
The fundamental advantage of rim brakes that tempts a designer away from disc, is that the difference the brake makes from a track frame is stuff-all: the fork legs in particular can be stiff or compliant in all the places and directions desired to fulfil the gamut of criteria for a top-notch fork. This is why I pine for my unicorn, rim brake / through-axle - it's about flex where you want it and none where you don't.
Traditional QR axles made sense BITD, but now that we only use steel for stuff like bearings and fasteners, cables and drivetrain, the dimensions are wrong, like HG splines in aluminium.
Anyway, rim brakes are highly evolved; it's a bit unfair to mention them in the same breath as '26" wheels, coaster brakes, and quill stems'...
Originally Posted by
terrymorse
Cable disc brakes have pistons?
I thought pistons and cylinders were a hydraulic-only thing.
There's a component that is to the cable caliper what the piston is to the hydraulic. Whatever that's called.
So there's
one vote for increased verbosity in my posts