Disc brakes,, they dont look nice..
03-11-21, 02:38 PM
#51
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Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick
Disc brakes are great, rim brakes with the right pads are great if I were to have a new bike built it'd be disc because that's what the market is building for, you're not gonna die on rim brakes and it's not an LSD experience on Discs.
Disc brakes are great, rim brakes with the right pads are great if I were to have a new bike built it'd be disc because that's what the market is building for, you're not gonna die on rim brakes and it's not an LSD experience on Discs.
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03-11-21, 02:47 PM
#52
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Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick
Disc brakes are great, rim brakes with the right pads are great if I were to have a new bike built it'd be disc because that's what the market is building for, you're not gonna die on rim brakes and it's not an LSD experience on Discs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfrQ8ZutmLE
Disc brakes are great, rim brakes with the right pads are great if I were to have a new bike built it'd be disc because that's what the market is building for, you're not gonna die on rim brakes and it's not an LSD experience on Discs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfrQ8ZutmLE
i don't think anyone said you were going to die on rim brakes, though
03-11-21, 02:53 PM
#53
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Well, maybe if you're talking about the crappy caliper brakes on the cheapest Sears bikes from the 70s, with steel rims, down a steep technical descent with big dropoffs and no guardrail, in the rain, with dried out original pads and ungreased, rusty, original cables.....
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03-11-21, 02:57 PM
#55
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Well, maybe if you're talking about the crappy caliper brakes on the cheapest Sears bikes from the 70s, with steel rims, down a steep technical descent with big dropoffs and no guardrail, in the rain, with dried out original pads and ungreased, rusty, original cables.....
03-11-21, 02:59 PM
#56
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03-11-21, 04:36 PM
#58
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As a person who lives in British Columbia and rides the paved roads of the mountains just north of Vancouver, I can assure you that properly adjusted hydraulic disc brakes do not fade or make noises on steep descents. Squealing or fading disc brakes are result of a poor mechanic or end-of-life brake pads.
I ride up and then descend down North Vancouver's Mt. Seymour Road about half-a-dozen times each year. This is a 10-plus kilometre (6.7 miles) road with 950 metres (3,100 feet) of elevation which has an average gradient of 8.7%. Its average gradient is higher than that of the climb to L'Alpe D'Huez. There are no flat sections - you're either climbing up or going down. I've ridden it on bikes shod with caliper and disc brakes. There is no question that my disc brake bikes offer far better performance going downhill, especially if I'm using carbon rims and tubular tires. Rims and tires stay cooler with disc brakes compared with caliper brakes.
I never claimed caliper brakes are not up to the job. Most modern examples are very good and I normally prefer riding bikes with them but caliper brakes do not offer the same level of performance in the wet and under constant heavy use compared with disc brakes.
I ride up and then descend down North Vancouver's Mt. Seymour Road about half-a-dozen times each year. This is a 10-plus kilometre (6.7 miles) road with 950 metres (3,100 feet) of elevation which has an average gradient of 8.7%. Its average gradient is higher than that of the climb to L'Alpe D'Huez. There are no flat sections - you're either climbing up or going down. I've ridden it on bikes shod with caliper and disc brakes. There is no question that my disc brake bikes offer far better performance going downhill, especially if I'm using carbon rims and tubular tires. Rims and tires stay cooler with disc brakes compared with caliper brakes.
I never claimed caliper brakes are not up to the job. Most modern examples are very good and I normally prefer riding bikes with them but caliper brakes do not offer the same level of performance in the wet and under constant heavy use compared with disc brakes.
So I get tired of people gushing over disc brakes for road bikes when they are a solution without a problem.
03-11-21, 09:23 PM
#59
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Well, maybe if you're talking about the crappy caliper brakes on the cheapest Sears bikes from the 70s, with steel rims, down a steep technical descent with big dropoffs and no guardrail, in the rain, with dried out original pads and ungreased, rusty, original cables.....
My daughter's favorite bike is a pepto pink 83 Giant Cabriolet that came NOS with steel rims, cheap sidepulls and steel hubs that went out of adjustment seemingly every other ride. Built her aluminum rims with nos nashbar sealed cartridge bearing hubs and a flatbar with mtb levers that stop much easier then the safety levers ever did. For effect I built them with pink spokes. Now it stops decently though I still don't trust it much.
03-11-21, 10:20 PM
#60
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Since in '92 I was still in my moar hard means moar punk era I saw these guys in '92 in Ybor City along with Green Jelly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zUukDKOxt4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zUukDKOxt4
by '92 i was out of college and doing hippie/punk. we had the antenna club (memphis) where all the punk shows happened. i missed a lot of them, but got to see a few. more local bands than anything, but fun times. the stench of beer and cigarette smoke 
03-11-21, 11:29 PM
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I think you mean that you get the same amount of braking force with less finger force on the lever with discs compared to rim brakes, but that does not mean they are better performing. With a half way decent rim brake set up properly you can easily get the rear tire to lift off the asphalt under hard braking, so brakes more powerful than that are meaningless.
03-12-21, 03:43 AM
#62
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Monster cross / beach racer / whatever you want to call this is my heretical (to C&V) dream bike. This bike with the saddle up a few more inches and a 110mm stem or so is that dream realized. Hard tail, front shocks, killer wheels and tires for 100% "Ain't Care" riding on crummy city roads and pretty much everywhere else. It would be a riot!
[now to Craigslist......]
[now to Craigslist......]
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03-15-21, 12:34 PM
#63
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Next time you are in Denmark check out (https://raleigh.dk/) what you can buy brand new: no disk brakes, no caliper brakes, it uses drum brakes. Of course you can convert it to Shimano roller brakes that are like disk brakes.
Most notably have a look at the rake of the front fork. Designed to be ridden on cobblestones and unpaved roads because that is what was normal when the engineering was done over half a century ago.
If you buy one of these, it will left to your grandchildren after a lifetime of use. It is a tool, not a toy and with reasonable care it should last 100 years. The spring steel absorbs shocks, giving it a Jaguar-like ride, but there are no shock absorbers to replace. The leather saddle is Brooks. If we were Vikings, the saddle would be buried with us, next to our sword and helm. The hub is internal (choice of 3 or 7 speed Nexus) meaning the gears stay clean as do the hub brakes. Once you get on one of these bikes, the inferior engineering of most modern bicycles becomes apparent. These are not like Morgan cars, a throwback to the 1930s still in production. These bikes mark the pinnacle of bicycle engineering for real-world conditions. They were used by the British police and military and were licensed world-wide. They only went in decline when the working class was able to afford cars, and vulture capitalism broke up what was the largest bicycle factory in the world.
The brand is Raleigh, a classic that survived because the then English company licensed the design to be built in Denmark, and when Raleigh got sold a zillion times to become another diminished product, the Danes kept making the original. You can fly to Denmark and buy one off the salesroom floor. Ask the shop for the VAT invoice (see here) and get the 25% VAT refunded when you fly home.
$1,200 including 25% VAT / $960 ex VAT.
But if you want disk brakes... read below:
Raleigh Denmark also makes an ebike with disk brakes. Unfortunately, it not the classic frame, but it still is a city bike. US$3,360 including 25% VAT (sales tax) ($2,688 ex VAT)
Most notably have a look at the rake of the front fork. Designed to be ridden on cobblestones and unpaved roads because that is what was normal when the engineering was done over half a century ago.
If you buy one of these, it will left to your grandchildren after a lifetime of use. It is a tool, not a toy and with reasonable care it should last 100 years. The spring steel absorbs shocks, giving it a Jaguar-like ride, but there are no shock absorbers to replace. The leather saddle is Brooks. If we were Vikings, the saddle would be buried with us, next to our sword and helm. The hub is internal (choice of 3 or 7 speed Nexus) meaning the gears stay clean as do the hub brakes. Once you get on one of these bikes, the inferior engineering of most modern bicycles becomes apparent. These are not like Morgan cars, a throwback to the 1930s still in production. These bikes mark the pinnacle of bicycle engineering for real-world conditions. They were used by the British police and military and were licensed world-wide. They only went in decline when the working class was able to afford cars, and vulture capitalism broke up what was the largest bicycle factory in the world.
The brand is Raleigh, a classic that survived because the then English company licensed the design to be built in Denmark, and when Raleigh got sold a zillion times to become another diminished product, the Danes kept making the original. You can fly to Denmark and buy one off the salesroom floor. Ask the shop for the VAT invoice (see here) and get the 25% VAT refunded when you fly home.
$1,200 including 25% VAT / $960 ex VAT.
But if you want disk brakes... read below:
Raleigh Denmark also makes an ebike with disk brakes. Unfortunately, it not the classic frame, but it still is a city bike. US$3,360 including 25% VAT (sales tax) ($2,688 ex VAT)
03-15-21, 04:29 PM
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(i have walked to school at 50 below)
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(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
03-15-21, 04:41 PM
#66
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I have a tough time saying this road bike looks bad due to disc brakes. And I dont think I would find it better looking if it had rim brakes. Its just a good looking bike either way.
Quality steel main and rear triangles, carbon fork, disc brakes, 44mm head tube. Looks sharp to me.
Rim brake bikes can also look awesome. Its possible for both styles to look nice.
Quality steel main and rear triangles, carbon fork, disc brakes, 44mm head tube. Looks sharp to me.
Rim brake bikes can also look awesome. Its possible for both styles to look nice.
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Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
Life is too short not to ride the best bike you have, as much as you can
(looking for Torpado Super light frame/fork or for Raleigh International frame fork 58cm)
03-15-21, 05:03 PM
#67
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The Crust Romanceur is a nice steel lugged frame with disc brakes and thru axles. It looks darn good. 
Some day I may get one for my better half...
Some day I may get one for my better half...
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03-15-21, 05:13 PM
#68
Has a bike
Wow I didn't realize so many people are this passionate about bicycle brakes. I like the clean look of rim brakes but I also think discs look pretty cool too. The only time I've felt any significant emotion about brakes was on cheap bikes from Walmart or Sears from about 25 years ago. They had those side pull caliper brakes on chrome plated steel wheels. I don't see how they sold those things because they were pretty much suicide. When it was dry you would very gradually slow down and if it was wet you might as well put your feet down or jump off the bike because it's not stopping. I remember running into the side of a car because I squeezed the brakes and they did nothing. I'm so glad those type of brakes are a distant memory.
03-15-21, 05:59 PM
#69
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This is the frame that made me like discs. If I ever get the money together when they're in stock, I'd buy one of these bad boys so fast!
03-15-21, 06:14 PM
#70
Senior Member
What about direct mount rim brakes?
im not about to post this in a road bike forum ... but in the classics forum... perhaps you get me on this.... they look ugly... like they are trying to be mountain bikes. just like the sloping top tube and long seat post thing..... for mountain bikes YES you need them.. or at least V brakes... but on a road bike... over kill... and they look clunky... they just do.... even you mate them to the globby tube shapes of the carbon bikes that are in fashion.... its just not a good look... and my dura ace brakes sets have yet to let me down... its marketing trying to sell the public the next thing..... and all carbon bikes are so cookie cutter then the only way you can tell who is who is by reading the down tube....
yes im an idiot... but man... i hate where bikes are going in the modern age..
yes im an idiot... but man... i hate where bikes are going in the modern age..
Cicli Barco custom stainless steel Columbus XCr frame with direct mount brakes. 18.7 lbs in a size 58.5 with alloy wheels.
Campy direct mount brake and the Barco Columbus XCR stainless fork with carbon steering tube. Plenty of room for wider tires.
Front brake mounted.
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03-15-21, 06:24 PM
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LOL I remember posting a similar thread about a year ago when i was new to this forum and wow, didn't know this was such a big debate in the cycling community. Yeah, that was my take on it as well, Rim breaks compliment a road bike more than disc brakes do, but that's not what it's all about. Progress son, you can't stop change and Rim brakes will be a thing of the past at some point.
More reason to join the revolution and be part of this forum in support of C&V!!!
More reason to join the revolution and be part of this forum in support of C&V!!!
03-15-21, 06:48 PM
#72
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A huge advantage to disc brakes, perhaps not mentioned, is that you can often interchange 650B/27.5" wheels and 700c/29" wheels with no worries about brake caliper reach. My Black Mountain Road plus takes 650B x 50mm with fenders and 700c x 38mm without fenders for those skinny tire moods.
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03-16-21, 06:10 AM
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Not every disc bike is cookie cutter carbon and I love the way discs look on this, what I really like is the solid colored rims that aren't marred by brake pads. Although there are some really nice looking rim brakes there's also some really ugly ones too. When it comes to rim I really like Ultegra and have always thought they look nice but I like disc better. funny enough, I've got a couple aluminum disc and steel disc but my only carbon is rim brake.
03-16-21, 06:28 AM
#75
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I really don't have an opinion as it is an option. Disk are becoming C&V, as hard as it may be to accept a moving line.
I bought a Rock Hopper, before my exposure or knowledge of this forum, back in 1997. The reason was I wanted something to bang around on and I had visions of doing off road or trails. It was hard front and back, didn't want to ante up the cash for suspension. There was a suspension version so it had the 1 1/8 HS threadless.
About 10 years later, while cruising through CL, I found a Marzocchi 2003 SL fork that had just been rebuilt for $100. I had ridden a couple of trails and was vibrated to a crawl. This was my solution.
The fork has mounts for V brakes, which I mounted. Really lousy braking. Not happy, but they worked well enough. While cruising though CL, a NOS boxed Avid 7 brake showed up for $30, done. Then I bought the adjustable Avid levers. Now I had a disk brake up front. HUGE difference. Love it.
Do I want it on my road bike? Nah. Even my Superbe Pro hidden springs can throw me over the bar.
A picture with the knobs is needed but here it is with commuter tires.
RockHopper_ Sprung_2012_018 on Flickr
It is ,<2blb heavier than the rigid fork. No change in commuter average speed between the two forks. I can swap forks in less then 15 min.
I bought a Rock Hopper, before my exposure or knowledge of this forum, back in 1997. The reason was I wanted something to bang around on and I had visions of doing off road or trails. It was hard front and back, didn't want to ante up the cash for suspension. There was a suspension version so it had the 1 1/8 HS threadless.
About 10 years later, while cruising through CL, I found a Marzocchi 2003 SL fork that had just been rebuilt for $100. I had ridden a couple of trails and was vibrated to a crawl. This was my solution.
The fork has mounts for V brakes, which I mounted. Really lousy braking. Not happy, but they worked well enough. While cruising though CL, a NOS boxed Avid 7 brake showed up for $30, done. Then I bought the adjustable Avid levers. Now I had a disk brake up front. HUGE difference. Love it.
Do I want it on my road bike? Nah. Even my Superbe Pro hidden springs can throw me over the bar.
A picture with the knobs is needed but here it is with commuter tires.
RockHopper_ Sprung_2012_018 on FlickrIt is ,<2blb heavier than the rigid fork. No change in commuter average speed between the two forks. I can swap forks in less then 15 min.
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