Troul 

The most memorable bicycling moments [to which I wouldn't mind losing to an aging memory] that I recall was not with a bicycle I had, yet one that a friend rode. Decided that we could enjoy a nice ride out, but that outing seemed to become a game of, "Lets see how far this goes before something goes wrong with there bicycle" . Made it a few dozen miles out & something weird started going on with the axle, causing it to webble wobble. Go to remove the wheel assembly, the rim brakes caught the tire. Deflate the tire, checked the axle out, it was loose. Tighten it, install the wheel, & pump it up. Shortly after, same thing happens. Repeat process. Then again... rinse & repeat. so on & so on.
Stripped threads was my guess, but never dug into there bicycle any further.

GamblerGORD53

.... Why I LOVE SA drum brakes. ZERO chance of failure.

Koyote

That does sound like a drag...But fortunately, a rather rare (probably a one-off) experience.

wolfchild

My rim brakes have a little lever on the caliper to open them up when removing a wheel,....With my disk brake wheel removal isn't an issue.

dedhed

You can add a quick release to any cable operated brake.


https://www.cyclebasket.com/m9b0s313...able_Adjusters

seypat

OP could have just listed his helpful video "How to clean winter grime off your bike."

No need for the controversial/opinionated segway.

Also, I'm not seeing how this is happening: The pads are stationary. The spinning wheel/rim/tire is what's throwing crud and grime all over the place. That's why you have fenders mounted. If anything, the rim brake/pad is acting like a squeegee/brush/tire saver and reducing the amount of crud and grime flying all over the place. The rim brake happens to be positioned at the top of the wheel. If the rim brake/pad were positioned on the bottom of the wheel close to ground, the pads would be skimming off the crud and grime back onto the ground surface. You'd still get some buildup on the rim, but most of it would be skimmed off. Last time I checked, a disc brake rotor is a spinning object just like the rim. The disc pads are going to do the same type of skimming that a rim pad would do.

chaadster

Quaint theory, but not how it actually works. Probably better you defer to the more experienced cyclists on this one.

seypat

I agree. Maybe one will show up and give his/her opinion to the thread. Again, why do you have fenders on that bike in the first place?

rydabent

I remember about 3 plus or minus years ago, I predicted that disc brakes would pretty much take over industry in 5 years. I was roundly denounced. But here we are.

Again the biggest advantage of disc brakes is the fact they do not ruin the rims, many of which these days are very expensive.

Koyote

This.

I don’t bill myself as an “all conditions cyclist” — but even I have a bike equipped with permanently mounted full-coverage fenders.

Hiro11

My opinions for road bikes.

Rim brakes:
- work fine in 95% of situations
- are somewhat easier to initially set up and somewhat easier to maintain
- are very tolerant of slight misalignment
- are very light, simple and aero
-but-
- initial bite is terrible in wet conditions
- don't offer wide tire allowance
- don't really work well with carbon rims: they require special materials and brake surfacing to work at all and they don't work great even then

Disc brake advantages:
- have better modulation and brake feel all the time and work better in wet conditions
- allow infinite tire clearance
- are a much better setup for carbon rims
-but-
- are maddeningly intolerant of fraction of a MM misalignment
- are (marginally) more difficult to set up, especially hydraulic setups (although you don't really need to mess with modern hydraulic setups once they're setup)
- squeal like pigs if you slightly foul the brake pads, which is really easy to do. This can permanently ruin an expensive rotor through slip-stick patterning if you don't fix it. This is a problem that really needs to be solved.
- undeniably weigh more and are less aero

Overall, I prefer discs but they're far from perfect.

chaadster

Well, BF is not stocked with the sharpest bunch of industry pundits. Although I didn’t get my first disc bike until 2005, I figured discs were gonna be the bee’s knees from back in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s; sick anodized Formula units, Hayes Mag, and man, I remember my mind being blown when I first saw a MountainCycle San Andreas with ProStop disc brakes…

cyclezen

nope, it's about you complaining about a situation which you've dealt with for 16+ yrs? And even though there's a solution, you haven't taken it.
'Converting' a bike to Disc is not gonna be one - tried and not really workable for much riding...
so get ONE bike (w/disc), which you would really, really like and ride often, and make it THE bike for those conditions, and expect to be on IT for 90% of that time of year...
right?
you love bikes anyway... right ? LOL!
BITD - when riders wore wool and you had silks and bulletptoof cottons and there were only rim brakes, I had ONE bike I rode from Dec thru mid Mar (sometimes Apr). And it got the Jennifer Beals treatment after every ride. I still have V2 of that designated machine... lottsa crazy memories of getting doused by passing cars,trucks, buses... this back when 'riders' weren't considered 'strange/gay/weak/sissy/whatever'... everyone knew for certain we were ALIENS, in league with Klaatu... LOL!
Ride On

Troul 

If the lever was cammed & the caliper gave assistance for the pads to retract with the piston, it might allow for a larger tolerance for the rotor & pads. The operator would have to get used to the feel initially, but that should be adaptive for the individual. Similar thinking to the der cable pull ratio differences between road & mtb components.

chaadster

Good time last night? You sound like you’re still high AF!

tomato coupe

People might notice when you make a reasonable comment if you didn't constantly proselytize about recumbents.

cyclezen

just havin some fun. and it's been 33 years since I've had to really deal with WEATHER... Our WEATHER is Wild Fire...
so wandering mind goes back to the days when I rode, and prolly coulda spent the time more sensibly... LOL! 'sensible' was never a high priority - and happier for it.
seriously though, with all the bikes you have, and the usual conditions in Mi from Dec thru April, you'd think it would be imperative to have ONE bike that can plow thru anything...
and not be a worry...
not everything needs to be a Garage Queen. A WheelHorse with a plow was a necessity I couldn't do without. The uglier it became, the more 'charming' it was...
save the Rim Brake Queens for those finest days. Get a Wheelhorse w/plow to make those other days, 'special'. LOL!
Plow ON
Yuri

livedarklions

Please post examples of yourself being denounced for this about 3 years ago.

My memory of that time is that a lot of people were making that prediction, and others were basically saying we hope that isn't true.

Ideally, people should be able to choose between the two, but it doesn't take any special kind of knowledge to know that having separate production lines that make frames for both types of brakes is really expensive.

3alarmer 

.
...I don't like any kind of brakes on my bicycle. They just slow me down.

rsbob 

God forbid if you ever have any real problems in your life.

chaadster

Haha! Your lord already begged off that one…

I’m planning to replace this winter/spring roadie with not only disc brakes, but belt drive and IGH. Goddess willing.

Frkl

All my bikes have disc brakes and they are the bees knees.

The really critical factor to maximize the bee-ie kneesiness, however, is disc size. I cannot understand all those people who go with the tiny rotors. My bikes all have either 559 or 622 rotors.

Troul 

just another thing to break

Frkl

I'm actually surprised, given that the OP is riding that bike in those conditions, that it is possible to actually attain a speed that requires braking at all...

I mean, the crud that is sandwiched between the "fender" and tire, and the tire and stays should keep speed completely under control.

mcours2006

My commuter with disc brakes gets just has mucky and messy as my rim-brake bikes. Bike is going to get dirty if you ride in with snow around. But the muck and dirty isn't the real issue with rim brakes; it's the actual braking in the wet and mucky conditions that's more an issue.

RE: fenders
I had my doubts about the MK3's when I first bought them. The previous generation MK2's were great and lasted me for five seasons. But MK3s seem more durable and tough, and are starting to grow on me.