Change come hard in the cycling community

[Ming the Merciless]

And yet, even with rim brakes I can lift the back wheel in the dry, so there is no more braking to be had.

In which case ABS is useless as no more braking to be had.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I don’t think the community does. It’s just that the innovations you talk of are often only taken up when a bike is replaced. Since we are not busy upgrading bikes every 3 years it can take a while for things to take off.

This is something I find quite interesting. My last really major bike purchase was my Spa Steel Audax (other than oddballs like a Brompton and a singlespeed) was 12 years ago. When I was researching it discs were a thing but were pretty uncommon on road bikes (as in bikes primarily for the road, as opposed to CX, MTB etc).

So all these (road) bikes we see with discs out and about were probably (maybe 80-90%) purchased in the last 10-12 years.

Unfortunately for me my Spa is such a good bike that I can't see myself replacing it any time soon so I will have to remain ignorant of the joys of disc brakes for the foreseeable.

 

[Profpointy]

In which case ABS is useless as no more braking to be had.

No, ABS prevents, or at least manages, locking up the wheel(s) thus keeping you at the "no more braking to had" point for more of the time if that makes sense

 

[Aravis]

Clipless pedals weren't resisted by the racing community to my knowledge. They were introduced by Lemond weren't they (Look pedals?) and spread.

Lemond is often seen as an innovator, sometimes with justification, but he wasn't really associated with Look pedals. All the evidence I can find suggests that Hinault alone used them when winning the 1985 Tour. This video of highlights from the Avoriaz stage that year is good to watch. It's not always easy to see what's going on with riders' feet, but at about 7 minutes we see Lemond reach down to adjust a toe-strap.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdzJh37r8YU

Edit: change here was pretty quick. The only rider to win the Tour with non-clipless pedals after their invention was Stephen Roche in 1987. In the early days the need for some give in the system wasn't properly understood, so with Stephen's recent knee problems sticking to the traditional looks like a good decision.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

No, ABS prevents, or at least manages, locking up the wheel(s) thus keeping you at the "no more braking to had" point for more of the time if that makes sense

Ah but what if you can avoid locking up the wheels for longer with hydraulics without ABS. Then there is more braking to be had than your unweighting the back wheel.

 

[PapaZita]

Most brakes have sufficient braking power most of the time. The difficulty is accessing that power safely, when the consequences of locking the wheels can be disastrous.

ABS in cars periodically releases the brakes, so it must increase stopping distance over a brake without ABS that is held at just the optimum point. The problem is that drivers of ordinary skill can’t do that. ABS gives the confidence to stamp hard on very powerful brakes without too much fear of the consequences. Before ABS drivers would hit things because they were too timid with the brakes.

Bikes give a lot more feedback to the rider, and the argument is that light action hydraulic disc brakes allow a delicacy of control that allows more of the available braking power to be accessed safely. Tyres and weight distribution should still be the physical limiting factors in stopping distance. Presumably at some point someone will try to persuade cyclists that we need ABS on our bikes, and I‘m sure we’ll resist that too.

I suspect that a large part of the acceptance of disc brakes by road cyclists is that they work well with carbon rims and allow wider tyres.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Carbon rims will certainly have helped discs to redress the overall weight balance

 

[rydabent]

I think the weight penalty of disc brakes probably deterred the earlier adoption of them in road cycling.

And some commentators have made the argument that disk brakes have resulted in the pro peloton taking more risks and as a result more severe crashes have occured. So in some senses and improvement and other senses possibly not.

What would really improve cycling for me, is less marginalisation of it.

What little weigh penalty there is with disc brakes, is pretty much made up with lighter rims. Rims on disc brake bikes can be lighter, stronger, and more aero. Also for every ounce taken off the rims is worth 2 on the frame.

 

[PapaZita]

I think it’s driven in the opposite direction. Racers want aerodynamic wheels. They’re too heavy unless made of carbon. Rim brakes aren’t great on carbon rims. Solution: disc brakes.

 

[matticus]

Rims on disc brake bikes can be lighter, stronger, and more aero. Also for every ounce taken off the rims is worth 2 on the frame.

... and increase your sex appeal!

Guys, you KNOW it makes sense - buy disc brakes. Call now on 0800-BIG-BRAKES, and have that credit card ready!

 

[classic33]

Lemond is often seen as an innovator, sometimes with justification, but he wasn't really associated with Look pedals. All the evidence I can find suggests that Hinault alone used them when winning the 1985 Tour. This video of highlights from the Avoriaz stage that year is good to watch. It's not always easy to see what's going on with riders' feet, but at about 7 minutes we see Lemond reach down to adjust a toe-strap.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdzJh37r8YU

Edit: change here was pretty quick. The only rider to win the Tour with non-clipless pedals after their invention was Stephen Roche in 1987*. In the early days the need for some give in the system wasn't properly understood, so with Stephen's recent knee problems sticking to the traditional looks like a good decision.

*Over a hundred years after their invention.

 

[mjr]

In the last 30 or more years, there has been three really big improvement in cycling. They are click shift, clipless pedals, and disc brakes.

Click shift has been around since at least the type X hub gear in 1905, which is a bit more than 30 years ago.

And hub brakes are better than discs as they don't get wet as easily and don't dry out as abruptly.

edit to add: but too heavy for racers and it's not good commerce to sell a brake that only needs new pads every decade.

 

[cyberknight]

apparently someone is trying to get companies to take on his idea walkable 3 bolt shoes but is not getting much interest,

https://road.cc/content/tech-news/could-walkable-cleat-revolutionise-cycling-shoe-design-310183

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

What little weigh penalty there is with disc brakes, is pretty much made up with lighter rims. Rims on disc brake bikes can be lighter, stronger, and more aero. Also for every ounce taken off the rims is worth 2 on the frame.

It's not though is it? Well, not at any sane price point. Entry level rim brake bikes are as light as lower middle range disc brake bikes.
I'm not anti-disc brakes BTW.
66% of my fleet has them.

 

[T4tomo]

I think it’s driven in the opposite direction. Racers want aerodynamic wheels. They’re too heavy unless made of carbon. Rim brakes aren’t great on carbon rims. Solution: disc brakes.

Yes I try to avoid riding my rim braked / carbon wheel combo in the wet. But in the dry its the best of both worlds - Fast, sexy and light, sadly the rider doesn't match up.

I will say the newer editions of road disc brakes are a chunk forward on the early one, more clearance when "off" so very little issues with rubbing etc you got with the 1st gen.