So many new road bikes, still non-disc

[Smudge]

I prefer rim brakes for their lighter weight, simplicity and ease of maintenance. I dont do big miles, so rim wear isn't an issue to me.
Although, i do get the advantages of discs, especially on mountain bikes being used in wet muddy conditions.

 

[mustang1]

GCN had a video recently about rim brakes will be extinct in 2 years (I haven't seen the video yet so I might be wrong?)

 

[mustang1]

I went from Tiagra rim to Ultegra disc brakes and don't really know what all the fuss is about?

I recently went to disk brakes and don't notice anything until it started raining. I would have noticed more had ingone to hydro disks .

 

[si_c]

I'm a convert to disc brakes, commuting daily through all conditions make them an absolute no brainer. In the dry a good pair of rim brakes is equally good, but in the wet it's a different self contained water heater full of ocean dwellers.

For me however the biggest plus of disc brakes is the cleanliness. I rarely actually need to clean my rims, not because they are discs and it's not important, but more because they just don't get anywhere near as filthy, even in the worst conditions. My next bike is very likely to be a disc braked bike, probably with through-axles (not because I think they are better necessarily, nor have I had problems with QR, but because they are, like discs, the future), probably aluminium (maybe steel if I can find a one I like), and hopefully with a BSA threaded BB.

 

[mustang1]

We might eventually go back to rim brakes again as wheel manufacturers figure out no one is buying winter and summer wheels any more since you can use your best wheels all year long without fear of rim wear .

 

[si_c]

I recently went to disk brakes and don't notice anything until it started raining. I would have noticed more had ingone to hydro disks .

Probably not, the big advantage of hydraulics is the self-centering pad which means you don't need to adjust very often.

 

[si_c]

We might eventually go back to rim brakes again as wheel manufacturers figure out no one is buying winter and summer wheels any more since you can use your best wheels all year long without fear of rim wear .

They'll just start competing on features. You'll find them being advertised as being rounder than the competition so saving 10W per wheel soon.

 

[mustang1]

Changing the subject slightly but another one which can split opinions is what about using tubeless tyres.
We now have the combination of discs and tubeless in the mix. Both developing and will develop more in the future.

I have tubeless disk hydro but they are all on separate bikes.

 

[si_c]

If I was buying a new bike (which I'm not) I'd consider both disk and rim brakes and make a decision. I'd hope I'd have the choice to be able to make that decision. (I suspect I'd go for disks, but the question's hypothetical)

I'm about to get my rear wheel rebuilt with a new rim as my brakes have eaten it. It's done 14,000km. For an occasional weekend leisure rider like me that's a tolerable lifetime. But for a day-in-day-out commuter or serious distance rider I'd imagine the consumability of rims would be as much an issue as the ability to use carbon rims is for a racing type.

That's a decent distance to get out of a wheel, I'd definitely not be complaining!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Out of interest, does anyone on here buy kit because the professional riders use it.

I really couldn't give a toss what the latest pro fashion is. I've no intention of following suit. They aren't even paying for their stuff anyway - their Team/sponsors are. The cycle industry has always latched on to pro trends as a means to try to sell lesser copycat products to the masses - that's just business and has gone on for decades!
I can't abide the look of disc brakes on bikes - they really are pig ugly eyesores, and no bike of mine is ever going to have discs fitted to it. I've owned and ridden bikes for over 40 years and I have never yet worn out a wheel rim through braking. Some of my rims are steel and wear simply isn't a consideration on these. Maybe I'm not bothered because I'm not a speed merchant who wants to tear about and therefore has to rely on aggressive braking to scrub off a lot of momentum? My local terrain is generally fairly flat and brake performance is not an issue so long as they basically work. Most of the time I just stop pedalling and freewheel when I want to slow down. My brakes get very little use per mile ridden and mostly only light applications.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

A disc brake road bike it is.

 

[screenman]

I really couldn't give a toss what the latest pro fashion is. I've no intention of following suit. They aren't even paying for their stuff anyway - their Team/sponsors are. The cycle industry has always latched on to pro trends as a means to try to sell lesser copycat products to the masses - that's just business and has gone on for decades!
I can't abide the look of disc brakes on bikes - they really are pig ugly eyesores, and no bike of mine is ever going to have discs fitted to it. I've owned and ridden bikes for over 40 years and I have never yet worn out a wheel rim through braking. Some of my rims are steel and wear simply isn't a consideration on these. Maybe I'm not bothered because I'm not a speed merchant who wants to tear about and therefore has to rely on aggressive braking to scrub off a lot of momentum? My local terrain is generally fairly flat and brake performance is not an issue so long as they basically work. Most of the time I just stop pedalling and freewheel when I want to slow down. My brakes get very little use per mile ridden and mostly only light applications.

So earlier on somebody said something along the lines of everyone buys what the pro's use, my point is very few do as we see from the answers to me questions. I have worn rims down and unlike you I am a so called speed merchant, cannot abide doing anyting slow, but I have never yet replaced a rim.

I have discs on two of my bikes and rims on the other 4.

 

[Shortandcrisp]

We might eventually go back to rim brakes again as wheel manufacturers figure out no one is buying winter and summer wheels any more since you can use your best wheels all year long without fear of rim wear .

I’ve got a couple of sets of upgraded wheels I use throughout the summer, and a spare winter set to use on the winter bike when needed. Until those wear out, I wouldn’t really be in the market for a bike with disc brakes.

 

[mustang1]

Probably not, the big advantage of hydraulics is the self-centering pad which means you don't need to adjust very often.

Yup .And they feel so smooth, there is none of that friction feeling.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Not difficult at all. The hard bit would be fixing the puncture.

Okay, whatever you reckon.