3alarmer 

...why would you need to ? There's an entire bicycle manufacturing and sales industry that has already made this decision. OTOH, the jury is still out on why we needed another thread on an "argument" that was long ago decided by the people who make and sell bikes.

If you really believe what you just wrote, "just because they don't need/want/like them," you're not looking for "understanding". You really are the "change my mind" meme guy.

Camilo

Or..... is it contradiction??

PeteHski

Why would someone not interested in disc brakes read and post on a disc brake thread?

smd4

For the same reason you post on an American football thread?

genejockey 

Sheer cussedness?

Camilo

I guess you don't understand the actual point being made: "rim brakes work fine". It does not mean that the opinion is that they are the pinnacle of braking technology. IT simply means they work fine and therefore whatever advantage discs have is not needed by that person.

And I think that the vast, vast, vast majority of riders from casual neighborhood riders to high mileage enthusiasts are perfectly well served by rim brakes. Note that this is an opinion, not intended to be stated as a fact contrary to some in this thread. Just so this comment isn't also misunderstood: I am not saying that disc brakes are not better for some cyclists and some circumstances, I just think that it's not many in the overall scheme of things.
I have 6 bikes, two with discs four with rim (road and mountain). They all work as well as I ever need them to work. I have no performance or functional need for the advantages of discs, but they're pretty much all that is available nowadays. They are fine, no complaints.

Polaris OBark

Today I was going to bring a bicycle wheel to class to demonstrate angular momentum, but the University liability attorneys said I can't demonstrate angular momentum with a wheel that has a disc rotor affixed to the hub, because it could create a mass casualty event.

This is why the USA is slipping further in its world education ranking.

genejockey 

Need? What is this "Need" ****? We're talking about bikes, for cripes sake!


See above.

genejockey 

Why not discuss gravity? Then you could have a Mass Causality event.

You know, because gravity is a mass-related phenomenon?

I'll see myself out.

Trakhak

I get what cyccommute means. Or, at least, I'm guessing he has a pragmatic attitude toward such things, same as I do. For me, most things are either good enough or not.

Like electric guitar pickups: people on forums endlessly debate the merits of one boutique pickup versus another versus the original patent pending Gibson pickup they're both based on - for me, pickups either work or they don't.

3alarmer 

...because that was the original invitation, as stated in the OP ? I'm guessing wildly here.

3alarmer 

...in this sense, disc brakes are a lot like stinkin' badges.

genejockey 

Some fixie riders will say that about ANY brakes.

DangerousDanR

Scotland!

The Jacobite

smd4

Now Gene, I thought you were better than name calling!

smd4

It’s a gorgeous train and scenery, but beyond that the relevance is lost on me.

BTW, steam locomotives use tire brakes.

Trakhak

Would you mind elaborating? Just did a quick search but was quickly drowning in references to "4-8-4 lead truck brakes" and "wheel coolers." Way out of my depth.

smd4

Steam locomotive drive wheels have replaceable tires. Sure, they’re made of steel, but they’re separate from the wheel (or “wheel center”). Instead of using tire levers to install them, they use fire to make them expand, install them, and let them cool onto the wheel for a shrink fit. The cast iron brake shoes are forced against the tires to effect braking. And yes, the heat generated from braking down long grades has been known to heat the tires enough to loosen them from the wheels—probably where you saw the wheel cooler reference.

CAT7RDR

I just like using compressed air to blow off the disc brake dust.

DangerousDanR

If you don't ride in the rain then you don't ride in Scotland. And if you don't ride in Scotland you miss beautiful scenery and wonderful people...

On the subject of brakes:

I have never heard of a TGV becoming a runaway train (is it because they use disc brakes?)

genejockey 

You must not know me very well, then.

smd4

They may use disc brakes, but I don’t know what they use to apply them. If whatever system they use fails, the disc brakes—like any brakes—are useless.

DangerousDanR

Let me think... Back in my fire and rescue days most of our heavy vehicles (the 4,000 gallon tender comes to mind) had fail safe air brakes, which I believe became common on rail road cars as well. Yes, if the springs all fail then you have no brakes, but air pressure keeps the brakes off so if the compressor fails the vehicle stops unless all the braked wheels fail.

Note well: my experience with rim brakes on alloy wheels has been that they are adequate until the rims or the cables ice up. On carbon, just getting wet means a significant speed adjustment.

smd4

Note: It’s possible for “fail safe” railroad air brakes to fail. Maybe not often, but when it does, the outcomes aren’t desirable. Often happens on downgrades where the engineer applies the brakes too often without letting the auxiliary tanks recharge from the compressor. Then there isn’t enough air to apply the brakes after a reduction.

elcruxio

I don't really know anything about guitar pickups but I do know about bass guitar pickups. I wouldn't want to play a song with the wrong set of pickups for that song. It'd work sure, but the sound would be wrong. Series P for classic rock, J and MM for funk and a weird combination of all of the above for song that originally used double bass. Parallel humbuckers for more modern stuff.

Conveniently I have a bass that allows me to choose coils and wiring modes on the fly so I get 90% of my playing needs met with that. Still need that HH stingray though...

Anyhoo, pickups don't really compare that well because there aren't really truly bad pickups in my experience. But there are truly bad brakes. Cantilevers aren't great...