Death of the rim brake looming?

jon1981 · 08-07-2018 2:31pm #1

So are we seeing that start to the end of the rim brake now UCI have approved disc brakes? Also will this be an excuse for a new bike in a few years time when manufacturers stop making rim brakes

micar · 08-07-2018 2:36pm

jon1981 wrote: »

So are we seeing that start to the end of the rim brake now UCI have approved disc brakes? Also will this be an excuse for a new bike in a few years time when manufacturers stop making rim brakes

Watching tdf and just noticed disc breaks on one on the bikes.

Time for an upgrade

jon1981 · 08-07-2018 3:52pm

micar wrote: »

Watching tdf and just noticed disc breaks on one on the bikes.

Time for an upgrade

Quite a few of them i see

Brian? · 08-07-2018 3:53pm

No.

Pros are riding them because they’re paid to.

andy69 · 08-07-2018 5:31pm

Brian? wrote: »

No.

Pros are riding them because they’re paid to.

...and in all the years (since mid 80's) I'm in cycling as a sport, and all the people I've met though road racing, sportives, in clubs, out on the roads, in social situations/conversations etc etc., I've never ever, e.v.e.r. once heard someone say "ye know what would be great? Disc brakes".
So in my little limited exposure to bike world, my experience is that no one 'wanted' them.
Pushed by the industry I reckon, and as I've said before, IMHO they're simply a solution looking for a problem*.

I have to say though... much as I dislike them, I'm beginning to crack. That aero Cannondale bike launched last week looks amazing. First time I've thought that about a bike equipped with Discs.

If only we could get to a point where they didn't need heat guns, baking in an oven, balancing, bleeding, decontaminating, kid gloves when your wheel is out and bike's in your car in case the lever got pushed and the pads stuck together... :eek:

It's alright for the Pro's, they don't shive-a-git what they ride and they have a team of mechanics on hand to maintain them.

*ok, admittedly I have heard that full carbon rims leave a lot to be desired when it comes to braking, so improving on those might feel like something great perhaps. Alu braking surfaces is at my end of the market so I'm happy with the current braking, it's never let me down.

Zen0 · 08-07-2018 6:01pm

On last year’s Wicklow 200 coming down the Shay Elliot in torrential rain my rim brakes left a lot to be desired. I nearly ran into the guy in front of me. And no, they are not cheap or poorly set up brakes. So I don’t accept that they are a solution looking for a problem. My commuter has discs and I suspect that my next road bike will have them too.

andy69 · 08-07-2018 6:13pm

Zen0 wrote: »

On last year’s Wicklow 200 coming down the Shay Elliot in torrential rain my rim brakes left a lot to be desired. I nearly ran into the guy in front of me. And no, they are not cheap or poorly set up brakes. So I don’t accept that they are a solution looking for a problem. My commuter has discs and I suspect that my next road bike will have them too.

guess we're just different then - never happened to me. For the record I use Swisstop pads...maybe they're just great....maybe I just handle the bike differently...maybe my light weight makes it that way for me (I've often got to work *hard* on downhills, and I never really got this whole 'free energy' thing that Bäckstedt often talks about

). I'm certainly not shy when it comes to descending though. Not in the slightest.

smacl · 08-07-2018 6:25pm

andy69 wrote: »

guess we're just different then - never happened to me. For the record I use Swisstop pads...maybe they're just great....maybe I just handle the bike differently...maybe my light weight makes it that way for me (I've often got to work *hard* on downhills, and I never really got this whole 'free energy' thing that Bäckstedt often talks about ). I'm certainly not shy when it comes to descending though. Not in the slightest.

Rider weight certainly makes a difference. At 88kg I find the full hydro disc brakes to be excellent. Took a bit of setting up and right pads (sintered all the way for me) but they behave brilliantly. Downside is they weigh more, they can be noisy, and bleeding is new skill to learn. Also the hoods on my Ultegra hydro setup tend to slip forward regularly which is a pain.

ted1 · 08-07-2018 6:51pm

Well my last fall was because it rim brakes wearing the wheel.
I’ll be going disc in future. I’m also 100kg and commute all winter and find rims brakes suck in winter

Weepsie · 08-07-2018 7:20pm

When manufacturers see that people don't have to buy wheels because of rim wear every few years there'll be an about face of sorts

jon1981 · 08-07-2018 7:27pm

Looking like the tide is turning in favour of discs, alot more articles popping on cycling websites supporting them over rim brakes. I can see why bicycle shops would enjoy the shift to discs... would drive up servicing revenue.

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/future-wont-see-road-bikes-without-disc-brakes-will-325026

Rm brakes will be obsolete and disc brakes used on all road bikes in the future, according to the head of one of the world’s biggest bike brands.

Mike Sinyard, the CEO of Specialized, dismissed concerns about the safety of disc brakes, and said that he expected all road bikes to be sold with disc in future.

colm_mcm · 08-07-2018 7:30pm

Weepsie wrote: »

When manufacturers see that people don't have to buy wheels because of rim wear every few years there'll be an about face of sorts

The markup on a disc is huge though.

jon1981 · 08-07-2018 7:33pm

Looking at the Giant range of bikes, every bike from road to cx to gravel has disc brakes... not even the entry level bike has rim brakes.

smacl · 08-07-2018 7:39pm

Weepsie wrote: »

When manufacturers see that people don't have to buy wheels because of rim wear every few years there'll be an about face of sorts

I suspect very many bikes are bought with a fit of enthusiasm but don't get enough use to wear out anything much. The additional up front cost of discs is likely to outweigh the lost revenue for wheel longevity. It would be interesting to know what percentage of wheels sold are due to replacing worn rims versus being shipped with a new bike or bought as an upgrade.

magicbastarder · 08-07-2018 7:41pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

The markup on a disc is huge though.

i was perusing the genesis website recently; an equilibrium 20 frame is STG£500, but the disc version is STG£350 *extra*. that's basically going to invove a beefier fork and the bosses for the brakes. that's a hell of a markup for that.

Andy Magic · 08-07-2018 7:54pm

Either way I just hope the manufacturers keep producing both and don't retire rim brakes eventually.

I currently ride rim brakes all year round on all my bikes (road). I rented a bike for a week in Majorca recently and it had discs, it was good to try them out but the braking was too good for me, i locked up and skidded descending from the lighthouse. I did get more used to them as the week went on but they were almost too good for me I'm afraid.

Anyway each to there own, as I said above I just hope they keep producing both.

CrowdedHouse · 08-07-2018 8:00pm

As I think someone said in another thread, I'm looking forward to the giveaway priced high end rim braked bikes and wheelsets

jon1981 · 08-07-2018 8:01pm

Andy Magic wrote: »

I rented a bike for a week in Majorca recently and it had discs, it was good to try them out but the braking was too good for me, i locked up and skidded descending from the lighthouse.

To be fair this can happen with decent rim brakes like Ultegra...perhaps technique is a factor? But agreed it's more likely to happen with disc brakes given the pull power available

jon1981 · 08-07-2018 8:05pm

You can't retro fit disc brakes onto a frame designed for rim brakes right? So an upgrade is going to be an entire new bike...this will probably slow down the death of the rim brake!

magicbastarder · 08-07-2018 8:09pm

no, you can't retrofit.

C3PO · 08-07-2018 8:25pm

I would be very surprised if road bikes don't go the way of mountain bikes with disc brakes becoming standard issue!

Lemming · 08-07-2018 8:40pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

no, you can't retrofit.

Unless the frame designers had the foresight to put Post/IS mounts on the frame, you're out of luck. If they did, it should* just be a matter of matching up the correct mounting bracket to play nicely between frame & disc.

* Disclaimer: YMMV

jon1981 · 08-07-2018 8:40pm

C3PO wrote: »

I would be very surprised if road bikes don't go the way of mountain bikes with disc brakes becoming standard issue!

Seems to be the case with Giant bikes.

Andy Magic · 08-07-2018 8:51pm

jon1981 wrote: »

To be fair this can happen with decent rim brakes like Ultegra...perhaps technique is a factor? But agreed it's more likely to happen with disc brakes given the pull power available

Funny you say that, I currently run Ultegra brakes on all 3 of my road bikes. I have the latest Ultegra on my 2018 TCR and I find the brakes brilliant. I don't think it's technique either, I'd consider myself a half decent descender.

jon1981 · 08-07-2018 8:52pm

Andy Magic wrote: »

Funny you say that, I currently run Ultegra brakes on all 3 of my road bikes. I have the latest Ultegra on my 2018 TCR and I find the brakes brilliant. I don't think it's technique either, I'd consider myself a half decent descender.

That must be the last TCR they made with rim brakes? Couldn't see one one their site.

magicbastarder · 08-07-2018 9:18pm

i went to the site (https://www.giant-bicycles.com/ie) and the first two road bikes displayed are rim brake versions.

jon1981 · 08-07-2018 9:30pm

My bad! Still hope so!

Sinbad_NI · 08-07-2018 9:39pm

Discs all the way for me going forward.

dahat · 08-07-2018 9:40pm

There is a technique to braking on a bike be it rim or disc brakes that needs to be practised.

I'll never use rim brakes on carbon rims due to my fat arse plus the normal damp weather so if I get a new bike it's carbon & discs or rim & alu for me..

2018 TCR with discs is €400 dearer than rim version, far too big a mark up for me as others have said.

Weepsie · 08-07-2018 11:36pm

Giant have a few rim braked bikes available. TCR and TCR advanced and scr.

Think they'd be losing more customers than they gain if they just go to an all disc line.

Plus there's still some standardization issues with disc wheels and hubs is there not?

doozerie · 09-07-2018 12:09am

jon1981 wrote: »

So are we seeing that start to the end of the rim brake now UCI have approved disc brakes?

That's really two questions wrapped up in one:

* Will we all get rid of our rim-braked bikes and wheels in order to move to disc? I won't, but obviously I'll only be able to continue with rim brakes as long as replacement brake pads, etc., remain available.

* Will manufacturers stop producing rim-braked framesets and components and remove the choice from the consumer? If they see more profit in doing so, then presumably they will (case in point, if there is one thing Specialized like, it's profit, hence their litigious nature, personally I think any predictions by them are based entirely on their own best interests and they'll say anything to further them).

Death of the rim brake looming?

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