Before you go off upgrading your road bike...

[Rooster1]

why are you asking me, I didn't write the article.

But if you have wasted your money on an oversized ceramic bearing equipped jockey wheel, I would suggest it would be churlish to bin it.

The rest are merely talking points

Just banter. I only have one of the offending items anyhows.

 

[ColinJ]

Rode 3 cyclo-cross races this year (for the first time in over 45 years). The race I did best in was the wettest and muddiest event of the 3 with more technical descents and demand on braking. I rode a Surly Cross-Check with linear pull rim brakes and pink Kool-Stop pads. I didn't seem to be at a disadvantage to all the disc brake riders and stayed on the bike without crashing as a result of inferior brakes. I only saw one other rim -braked bike in the race, a lovely classic Ritchey. However, if I needed a new bike I'd probably get something with discs because that's what manufacturers are flooding the market with.

Rim brakes wore out the rims on my first mountain bike in just one winter of doing steep, muddy descents. The replacement bike with disc brakes is still on its original rims after 20 years!

 

[matticus]

Rim brakes wore out the rims on my first mountain bike in just one winter of doing steep, muddy descents. The replacement bike with disc brakes is still on its original rims after 20 years!

So they're probably a good thing for winter MTB rides (which is what they were developed for).
But they're little use in CX racing*, and even less for road-riding.

Glad we've cleared that up!

*As Ian has explained, and my racing over several seasons has confirmed.

 

[fossyant]

Don’t/didn’t Shimano call their (early) STIs “flight deck” which is equally stupid for something on a bicycle

They had a bike computer called the 'flight deck' that would sort of tell you what gear the bike was in on the display - so long as you keyed in the wheel size and the sprocket ratio's I think. Just ended up as a digital readout. Worked it out from speed and cadence sensors. All went out the window with Garmin shizzle GPS's.

 

[vickster]

They had a bike computer called the 'flight deck' that would sort of tell you what gear the bike was in on the display - so long as you keyed in the wheel size and the sprocket ratio's I think. Just ended up as a digital readout. Worked it out from speed and cadence sensors. All went out the window with Garmin shizzle GPS's.

Looking at this, some of the early shifters said Flightdeck on them (at least in North America, maybe the silliness didn’t reach Europe)
https://neloscycles.com/Shifters-Shimano-105-Flight-Deck/

 

[fossyant]

Looking at this, some of the early shifters said Flightdeck on them (at least in North America, maybe the silliness didn’t reach Europe)
https://neloscycles.com/Shifters-Shimano-105-Flight-Deck/

It's to do with the computer you could get - compatible with it

https://www.bike-components.de/en/Shimano/Flight-Deck-SC-7900-Cycling-Computer-Closeout-p30588/

 

[ColinJ]

But they're little use in CX racing*, and even less for road-riding.

I have worn out rims on my road bikes too on gritted local roads in winter! (I made the mistake of doing one winter on my best wheels and the front rim braking surface paid the price... )

I imagine it isn't so much of an issue if you don't have multiple 10-20% twisty, turny descents per ride.

 

[Ian H]

I've never done 'upgrades'. I just replace worn-out stuff. It's one of those silly buzzwords in cycling like 'cockpit', 'aero', 'gravel', and people referring to their 'climbing bike'. Pure silliness.

 

[vickster]

It's to do with the computer you could get - compatible with it

https://www.bike-components.de/en/Shimano/Flight-Deck-SC-7900-Cycling-Computer-Closeout-p30588/

Ah…still a stoopid name

 

[T4tomo]

Ah…still a stoopid name

we'd only recently evolved from down tube shifters when "Flightdeck" shifters were branded thus. i Guess shimano thought it was so revolutionary we'd all think we were flying planes......

My mate still has my old road bike with 10spd ultegra flightdeck.

to be honest the shifters back then are most robust than the current ones, as whilst the washing line cable exits are a bit ugly, they are a nicer line coming out of the shifting gubbins so you gte less cable fraying and related issues.

 

[fossyant]

Ah…still a stoopid name

I agree ! And went out of date in a poof.

 

[fossyant]

we'd only recently evolved from down tube shifters when "Flightdeck" shifters were branded thus. i

I haven't evolved on my road bikes, still running 8 speed SIS.

 

[Gillstay]

Don’t/didn’t Shimano call their (early) STIs “flight deck” which is equally stupid for something on a bicycle

My specialized has a `Direct drive' sticker on the frame. I would love to go into a shop and ask for a new one, but I don't want to look like the dick who thought that one up.

 

[iandg]

So they're probably a good thing for winter MTB rides (which is what they were developed for).
But they're little use in CX racing*, and even less for road-riding.

Glad we've cleared that up!

*As Ian has explained, and my racing over several seasons has confirmed.

Did I explain something? I usually just garble a load of sh1te

 

[iandg]

I have worn out rims on my road bikes too on gritted local roads in winter! (I made the mistake of doing one winter on my best wheels and the front rim braking surface paid the price... )

I imagine it isn't so much of an issue if you don't have multiple 10-20% twisty, turny descents per ride.

I can't be that heavy on the brakes then. I get 3-4 years out of a rim on my road wheels and a couple of years on my off-road wheels.

If I serious about cyclo-cross and racing (most of my off-road riding is forest trails and green roads and not technical mtb singletrack) then I would probably upgrade to discs.

edit: I average about 5000 miles/year about 2/3 on-road and 1/3 off-road