A return to rim brakes and surprised how poor they are

[Ming the Merciless]

Seems like a lot of faff when with disc brakes you won't ever need to replace the rims.

 

[PapaZita]

I’m never sure whether making a vital structural part of the bicycle also a wear item was extremely foolish, or, a genius bit of lightweight design. 😁

 

[matticus]

I’m never sure whether making a vital structural part of the bicycle also a wear item was extremely foolish, or, a genius bit of lightweight design. 😁

DIsc pads are pretty vital, no? I've observed several people forced to replace those mid-ride - never seen it with rim-brakes. (and getting The Right pads for a rim-brake at a high street shop is a loooot easier than with disks, I can tell you ... )

Then there's the thru-axle compatibility tango, have we mentioned that yet?

It all balances out in the long run.

 

[matticus]

Sadly, the way its going is that trying to buy a decent road bike with rim brakes is getting harder and harder

Just wait until everyone is on discs. You can bet that rim-brakes will be The! New! Must! Have! Thing!

 

[Eziemnaik]

Just wait until everyone is on discs. You can bet that rim-brakes will be The! New! Must! Have! Thing!

Unlikely.
They will go the way of friction shifters, threaded headsets, 36 spoke lightweight rims etc. Will continue to be produced for the lower market, maybe the likes of VeloOrange and Paul's will provide better quality equipment...

 

[Teamfixed]

Friction shifters? Mine are ratchet

 

[matticus]

Unlikely.
They will go the way of friction shifters, threaded headsets, 36 spoke lightweight rims etc.

And single chain-rings??
Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it .... but actually, if you gave me long enough odds ...

 

[T4tomo]

It's not actually really a lot of faff or expense. A pair of wheels built maybe every three* years or so.

* Number pulled out of the air. Could well be more.

Indeed, particularly when re using a quality hub, the actual cost of the spokes (you probably go with new but could reuse) rim and building it isn't actually that much. Particularly compared to disc calipers that have a limited life and rotors and pads being more expensive and quicker wearing than pads for rim brakes.

I might have convinced myself to go that route when my rim brake wheels, which are still going strong after 5 years of summer use) do need replacing (I have had new bearings on the rear).

 

[Eziemnaik]

And single chain-rings??
Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it .... but actually, if you gave me long enough odds ...

Only had to wait 40 years for them to reappear

 

[mjr]

Call me a luddite but discs just look wrong and in the words of CB during last years TDF ... "disc brakes are trying to solve a problem that does not exist"

But as usual, CB won't put his money where his mouth is and disc brakes bikes are sold with his name on.

I agree speed of wheel change is only an issue in pro cycling, hence the discussion, where disc brakes are causing a real issue , due to speed of change and differing TA standard between manufacturers.

Says someone who's never needed to repair a puncture quickly in cold cold rain.

Also, neutral service does now carry disc wheels, but only for one standard rotor and axle combination so I've yet to spot it being used. Bike swaps remain more common.

This is true. I haven't done the sums and my record keeping isn't good enough anyway, but I generally feel that it's OK to treat rims as consumables. Not very consumable, but consumable in the long term. But as you note, my opinion might be different if I used fancier rims.

I've replaced more wheels due to crocked hubs than worn rims — but only just.

 

[mjr]

I don’t know where you get slower wheel changes from.

Watching people.

You drop the wheel in and out like a good un rather than needing to undo a QR brake release like with rim brakes.

Firstly, a QR brake release is a small lever, so hardly a lengthy step.

Secondly, I see from later posts that you assume a simple QR disc wheel, but the vast majority I've seen have been "thru axle".

And thirdly, do disc brakes no longer need a spacer inserting when the wheel is removed to avoid farking up if someone breathes on the brake lever?

You also don’t get that horrible grinding noise of rim brakes.

No, you get the horrible grinding noise of disc brakes, which is a far more annoying whistle or shing-shing-shing-shing... and grit can often be cleared from the rim brake with a squirt of water from a bidon but I'm told that's a no-no with discs that can result in the hot rotor warping.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Some doth protest too much

 

[gcogger]

There are no teams at all in the pro-peloton running QR disc brakes, which is what the post you've selectively quoted from was about. Frames produced for QR disc brakes were a relatively short lived thing (I know i've got one on a gravel bike) before the Thru axle was "invented" and became standard (although there are different standards of TA which is another thing stopping a universal solution on the service bike).

I'd be very surprised if you can link to a bike on sale today that has disc brakes and QR skewers......

Not trying to make any particular point, but my bike is like that:
Trek FX3

 

[T4tomo]

Says someone who's never needed to repair a puncture quickly in cold cold rain.

My point was mjr, speed of the "wheel change" part of the process was only applicable for Pro cycling.

I.e that comparing the few seconds to remove (and replace) a rim brake wheel with QR skewer (not forgetting the micro second to undo the brake quick release) or the marginally longer (but still short) time to unscrew (and replace) a Thru axle, is neither here nor there compared with the time for tyre removal fixing the puncture / replacing the inner tube and replacing the tyre. For Pro riders its everything as they just swap the wheel over,
For recreational riders, that difference is insignificant as the rest of the process will take much longer.

 

[matticus]

Some doth protest too much

Did they create a new thread on a well-worn* subject?

*god I'm good.