Rim brake road bikes becoming rare

byrnem31 · 19-05-2022 8:57am #1

Two things i dont like on road bikes which ive had on my defy, tubeless set up and disc brakes. Tubeless punctured up in the hell fire which didn't seal. Lidl hand pump fell apart when putting air in. Had to walk back with bike. The disc brakes gave me a bit of ongoing bother screeching etc.

Sold defy and have gone back to shimano 105 rim. I love the simplicity of older bikes, much lighter too. The canyon i bought for a 1/3 of the price of a defy advanced is 1.5kg lighter. (I know its 2nd hand).

I think discs, unless you are gravel riding are overkill on a road bike. Its sad to see so very few road bikes with rim. Bikes now are weighing in at nearly 10kg and cost 3k. They are like fashion items where every year you need the latest technology. 11 to 12 speed, wirelees, disc etc. Thats why i love my new bike, its simple and fun. You just jump on it and go like the clappers.

Will rim completely die out or will we see a resurgence of rim in the future?

IMG_20220514_155928.jpg

magicbastarder · 19-05-2022 9:04am

Lidl hand pump fell apart when putting air in.

not something you want to skimp on, to be fair.

Weepsie · 19-05-2022 9:19am

We've done this thread already.

Large bottle small glass · 19-05-2022 9:28am

Different technologies require different tools and skillsets, you seem to be lacking in both.

Chips Lovell · 19-05-2022 9:51am

I'm pretty much resigned now to having to move to disc at some point. Additional expense and complexity for additional braking power I've never needed. I thought that a few comical wheel changes involving drills would create a backlash among the professionals but they've just addressed that problem by throwing out a spare bike anytime someone punctures, a luxury most of us don't enjoy.

When you think about it, the switch to discs is the paydirt for the bike industry. You need a new frame, new wheels, new groupset (or at least half of one). Everyone makes money, so there's no way they're going back.

Macy0161 · 19-05-2022 9:59am

Only thing is wheels should last longer, with no rim wear?

tbh the only additional time with wheel changes, at least with their team, is the fact they can't have the punctured wheel out while waiting on the mechanic.

I'm only tubeless on my gravel bike, and they're "tubeless ready" wheels, so I could set them up tubed if wanted. Biggest pain has been getting them to seat, but again, that's down to my lack of equipment.

ednwireland · 19-05-2022 10:02am

only reason I have carbon rims on the road bike is because of disks, and I don't miss cleaning aluminium slurry of my rims, pads and frame.

byrnem31 · 19-05-2022 10:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119083972#Comment_119083972

Good to see you have the intellectual maturity of a two year old. Thanks for the reply. Ive obviously hurt somones feelings because ive insulted their 10kg, €4000 ride.

Flinty997 · 19-05-2022 10:11am

I don't have a road bike. But I've cantilever on my MTB I use for commuting. I've had the odd occasion fully loaded where grit and water have got between pad and rim and I've had trouble stopping. like sandpaper on the rim. I dunno if you'd ever have the same issue on a fast descent on a road bike.

Mostly I set up rims or my cantilevers so I can usually lock the wheel if I want.

xxyyzz · 19-05-2022 10:16am

MTBer here, disc brakes require very little maintenance. I bleed them maybe once a year at the most and changing the pads which is far easier than lining up the pads on a rim brake. They work as well in the wet as they do in the dry. I can't understand the reluctance to them. I've been using them for 10 plus years. It's comical hearing some of the arguments against them.

Large bottle small glass · 19-05-2022 10:18am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084176#Comment_119084176

My road bike is a 2013 rim braked bike, still about 10kgs though.

I've used discs, both hydraulic and cable in at least four bikes and tubeless in 3 bikes. They require different tools and skillsets, agreed?

I wouldn't be playing the smart card when you can't do a basic repair on a 2k plus bike because you couldn't foresee the downside of buying a cheap pump..

byrnem31 · 19-05-2022 10:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084200#Comment_119084200

The last three bikes ive had before were disc and they worked fine for the most part. Ive gone back to rim and they work very well, even in the wet going down hill. I just think they are overkill on a road bike and have added 1kg or more to road bikes plus cost more. The giant defy advanced 2 2020 i had was a lovely comfortable bike but it was 9.5kg roughly i think. Road bikes few years back for €1500 in rim were well under 8kg and great for the hills.

monkeyslayer · 19-05-2022 10:23am

On expensive carbon rims that you want to use often discs are the only way to go really, even the pads for carbon rim brakes cost too much and wear too fast.

Personally don't see the point in tubeless, for slightly less performance I'd put up with the inconvenience of carrying a tube or two and knowing I'll be up and running again in 5 minutes and that I'll be getting home.

xxyyzz · 19-05-2022 10:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084232#Comment_119084232

I ride up mountains on a 15kg mtb so my heart doesn't bleed for you 😁. Seriously though, I've been riding nothing but disc brakes for 12 years and recently picked up a second-hand roadbike with 105 rim brakes. It was like stepping back to the dark ages, the initial bite in the wet is non-existent.

GandhiwasfromBallyfermot · 19-05-2022 10:34am

Just wait until Specialized release the new 'S-Works Tarmac Aero Featherweight Edition' with revolutionary rim braking technology that shaves 1.5kg off the previous years model. Then we'll all be back to rim brakes and the cosmic ballet will go on.

GandhiwasfromBallyfermot · 19-05-2022 10:40am

But seriously if the UCI ever do away with the 6.8kg weight limit for road bikes then rim brakes are back in business baby.

Macy0161 · 19-05-2022 11:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084233#Comment_119084233

You still need to carry a tube with tubeless, well I carry one anyway, for tears that won't seal even with bacon strips. I don't have the wheelsets to go tubeless on the road - but when I did have to patch a tear on my gravel (it still got me home on bacon strips), I was surprised how many "punctures" I'd had that had sealed.

Peterx · 19-05-2022 11:06am

The other of looking at new tech/marketing is that is makes formerly expensive high end bikes relatively cheap second hand.

A second hand ultegra 10 speed rim braked road bike is good value. And light.

The marketing pressure is real though. I used to fool myself that it didn't affect me but there I was on Sunday, riding my 10 speed rim braked road brake with 2 lads on newer sexier models and finding myself wondering when will I buy a new one..

It's worse again on MTB. I'm not that good technically and always find myself thinking I need different tyres, a bouncier bike....

ednwireland · 19-05-2022 11:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084410#Comment_119084410

I picked up a cheap 26 inch full suspension mtb that's 10 years old. running formula r1 brakes just switched to 1x12. don't feel under any pressure on the trails 😁

byrnem31 · 19-05-2022 11:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084233#Comment_119084233

I had a set of hunt aero 33s discs and they were stunning. Sold them cause i had no bike and wanted to go back to rim. When i did have them on the bike though, i was worried id put a ding in the rim so i couldn't really relax on the bike as they cost nearly a €1000. Now i have a set of alliminium mavic askuims ones and i can thrash them about which is more fun as i dont care if i knock the crap out of them. So previously, i had a new heavy carbon disc bike with carbons wheels, yet im enjoying a 7 year older bike more with alliminium wheels and rim brakes. Back to basics for me, old school and im lovin it.

Chips Lovell · 19-05-2022 11:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084294#Comment_119084294

They won't. They know where the sponsorship money is coming from. Same reason they allowed discs in the first place.

fat bloke · 19-05-2022 2:23pm

That Canyon is a grand bike OP but still only a relatively lowly mid level machine in its day. Imagine how good a top tier rim braked bike with top shelf components and a bananas-light wheelset will be by comparison. Now's the time to bank a peak rim-braked bike. I've bagged a couple of super-light-weights for myself and the Mrs so I'm immune to the new bike showroom-envy for the forseeable.

byrnem31 · 19-05-2022 2:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119085298#Comment_119085298

I have a cube agree c62 ordered that im going to cancel as there is no hope of getting it this year. So i will have potentially 3k for a rim brake bike.

Would you get a decent rim brake bike for 3k? . Tcr possibly or would they be mid level also and not much difference from what i have?

GandhiwasfromBallyfermot · 19-05-2022 3:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119085461#Comment_119085461

I recently got a Ridley Helium with 11 speed Di2 and rim brakes for under 2.5k but I bought it without wheels. Bike was ex demo so only been ridden a handful of times and is spotless. You might have to be patient and keep your eye on the facebook page of some shops around the country but there's great bargains to be had at the moment on bikes with 'old' tech. My last bike had disc brakes but I just found them overkill and the benefits you get over the added weight were marginal so I sold it, mind you I'm 68kg so a lack of stopping power has never really been an issue with me.

Macy0161 · 19-05-2022 4:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119085461#Comment_119085461

I have a 2017 TCR Advanced 1 (rim brake), and can't fault it except the standard PR2 stock wheels. Got second hand C60's on it now, and that's really killed any desire to upgrade I had.

fat bloke · 19-05-2022 4:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119085461#Comment_119085461

3k in the second hand market ftw! Get something positively stupendous.

Daroxtar · 19-05-2022 6:21pm

I specc'd direct mount rim brakes on the new bike I built up last year. Absolutely top drawer stopping power on carbon rims and under 7kg without resorting to ridiculous exotic components. I can't see discs being any better. I only ride that bike in dry weather and my other bike has aluminium rims so they're adequate in the wet.

magicbastarder · 19-05-2022 9:48pm

i can definitely tell the difference between my two bikes; one is ultegra 6800 rim brakes on zondas (with the ultegra pads), and the other is trp hy-rd brakes (so not full hydraulic) and you don't need to pull nearly as hard on the second bike to get full stopping power.

ednwireland · 20-05-2022 8:57am

My old mountain bike had magura hydraulic rim brakes so I've been a fan of hydraulic brakes for 25 years. So discs ain't much of a change apart from the lack of rim wear.

Keep_Her_Lit · 20-05-2022 1:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119086036#Comment_119086036

I'm considering an investment in a decent rim braked bike myself, new or secondhand. Do you have any recommendations for where to buy secondhand? As for new options, the Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8 looks like a pretty good deal at €2.5k for 7.0kg with full Ultegra. Rosebikes X-LITE SIX ULTEGRA comes in at 6.4kg for €4.25k but seems to be end of line now with most sizes unavailable.

Weepsie · 20-05-2022 2:08pm

I've 5 bikes. Ultegra discs on one, SRAM force on another, trp Hy/rd, ultegra rim and centaur rim.

The ultegra discs and sram force are my least favourite. They stop me better than the others though, but they're a bit more finicky and I despise the noise one of them always makes and the other sometimes makes. Now they're the older variation of both, and also on qr frames which I think doesn't help wih disc rub, but still.

Trps though, never have let me down.

Rim brake road bikes becoming rare

Comments