Early Friday Thread: direction the bike industry is going
Comments
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rubertoe wrote:What about Hylex and bar end shifters? - oldskool meets newskool
Oooh... And I think they might be cheaper too... Opinions on bar-end vs. brifters? I'm not a racer, never will be, just want a bike I like riding and doesn't need bits replacing every other mile.
Seriously, Ultegra shifters for 40 quid? 11 speed can male-chicken-off.Sometimes parts break. Sometimes you crash. Sometimes it’s your fault.0 -
Depends how much you like riding with brifters. Bar end shifters embody the KISS principle; very little to go wrong...Opinions on bar-end vs. brifters?Pannier, 120rpm.0 -
But I've done all that with a disc brake bike and road bike, anticipation is the first rule of braking, positioning second and then braking technique third.Well, I'm not yet rich enough to have a summer bike. I use one for everything (mostly commuting at the mo admittedly). I'm a year round commuter and coming down CP Park Hill on a dark, rainy winters night with idiots in cars pulling their usual stunts has convinced me that disc brakes would be a very good idea.
If you can anticipate drivers in Penge you are Mystic Meg and I claim my £5 and if you reckon a disc brake offers no advantage on fast descents in heavy rain then you are clearly mis-informed.Kinesis Racelite 4s disc
Kona Paddy Wagon
Canyon Roadlite Al 7.0 - reborn as single speed!
Felt Z85 - mangled by taxi.0 -
Personally, after my off I am thinking of replacing my Italia with something disc braked as long drop brakes are a bit shite. The standard drop brakes on my Aprire are so much better than I don't think that I need discs on that.
Oh that's a bit discouraging, as I've just been fitting a new 105 groupset on my commuter and found that the blocks were about 2mm too high for the rims, and had to buy some long drop brakes to fit instead. They certainly look less chunky and purposeful than the 105s.0 -
1. Buy the bike of your dreams.
2. Replace parts that wear out, pads, chains etc. other than that stop buying.
3. Give not one whit to what others think.
4. Happiness.
Who cares what direction any industry is going in?The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Good points. But for 2 and 3 to lead to 4 it might be best not to look on here, especially the bargains thread.1. Buy the bike of your dreams.
2. Replace parts that wear out, pads, chains etc. other than that stop buying.
3. Give not one whit to what others think.
4. Happiness.
Who cares what direction any industry is going in?0 -
Comes in handy for tyres, chains and cassettes! :P
Good points. But for 2 and 3 to lead to 4 it might be best not to look on here, especially the bargains thread.1. Buy the bike of your dreams.
2. Replace parts that wear out, pads, chains etc. other than that stop buying.
3. Give not one whit to what others think.
4. Happiness.
Who cares what direction any industry is going in?The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
It's not just about braking late through choice when you're riding in traffic though.Dhope, I do worry about one thing. People, without the skill to do so, braking far to late because they think disc brakes will save them.
Menthel is sat at home with a couple of cracked vertebrae and other injuries from when a van pulled out on him. This is what he had to say on the first page of this:
I'm not saying discs would have saved him from having the accident, nobody knows that, but he might have scrubbed off a bit more speed in that particular emergency. I suspect he's been thinking about that a lot recently so his opinion is probably valid.Personally, after my off I am thinking of replacing my Italia with something disc braked as long drop brakes are a bit shite. The standard drop brakes on my Aprire are so much better than I don't think that I need discs on that.
Yep, thought about it since looking at the Italia. I suspect it will get written off and quite frankly I don't want long drops again. Having better braking in the wet weather would be a boon. I don't use the aprire in wet weather so normal drop calipers are fine.
For a fully loaded, commuting bike used in all weathers, discs, mudguards, fatter tyres and a rack will be the way forward.
Ian- get the best long drops you can afford. The most expensive shimano, velo orange or TRP would be best. They cost but are supposed to be as good as long drops get. Also stick the best pads on you can afford- swissstop would be my recommendation. Just be fully aware they are not as stoppy as good standard drop calipers.RIP commute...
Sometimes seen bimbling around on a purple Fratello Disc or black and red Aprire Vincenza.0 -
I did find my Ultegra SL brakes to be better than 105 5700 brakes. In terms of modulated braking. There is a good chance the SL brake pads were better as well.
I personally think the SL brakes I had on my Kharma were better in terms of modulation than my disc brakes on my Giant Escape M2.
I'm not joking.Food Chain number = 4
A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game0 -
That's not unreasonable, there are bad disc brakes just as there are good rim brakes. Good brakes can be badly set up.I personally think the SL brakes I had on my Kharma were better in terms of modulation than my disc brakes on my Giant Escape M2.
I'm not joking.0 -
BB7 brakes. Bloody awful!
That's not unreasonable, there are bad disc brakes just as there are good rim brakes. Good brakes can be badly set up.I personally think the SL brakes I had on my Kharma were better in terms of modulation than my disc brakes on my Giant Escape M2.
I'm not joking.RIP commute...
Sometimes seen bimbling around on a purple Fratello Disc or black and red Aprire Vincenza.0 -
Specifically I don't like it, I don't like the direction the road bike industry is going.
What don't I like?
It seems that there are now two options of road bikes: the areo bike which is a time trial bike with drop handlebars.
or
one with disc brakes, which looks like a mountain bike with drop handlebars - which IMO is fugly.
Disc brakes on road bikes. I have ridden in sunny, dark, bright, freezing, baking, windy, still, wet, dry, moist, extremely wet conditions and any and all combinations inbetween. I have never had any trouble braking. If I needed to lock the wheels either my anticipation (which is the first rule of braking) was off or it was the fault of the thing I'm trying not to hit. I haven't, not once, thought 'damn' I need disc brakes. I've had disc brakes on a previous commuting bike, I didn't somehow feel safer, it didn't make my commute any better, they were a pig to maintain but most important, I didn't go faster downhill because I thought to myself "its OK I've got disc brakes" I went as fast as my talent and guts allowed.
I'm going to say it, you don't need disc brakes on road bikes, they don't make you a better cyclist, they don't improve the experience.
Tyre options and pressure.
I'm a big guy, I'm also a purist, road bike tyres are 23mm and 120psi. I'm so obsessive over this it is OCD. What the hell is this nonsense with 25, 26 and 28mm at 80 - 60psi, is this F1 where we are preserving tyres and elevating comfort for the sake of unrepentant speed? WTF!? Tyres are 23mm and 120psi or above. If you feel uncomfortable by a better seat, thicker padded tights/shorts/bibs. Still uncomfortable, carbon seatpost. Still uncomfortable N+1.
You lot have gone soft.
when you say freezing you're referring to the ride from my house that turned from cool winter to arctic blast in a couple of hours?
Now that was cold so so so cold, just thinking about it makes my fingertips hurtRule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
Boffin, what's you're take on disc brakes?
I'll concede that 25mm tyre have lower rolling resistance than 23mm due to the way the tyre deforms on contact with the road. I thought the shift was down to comfort alone. It's annoying as I have a pair of Continental GP4000s 23mm waiting to go on my new wheels when I buy them - the thought they're slowing me down...Food Chain number = 4
A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game0 -
Don't feel too bad, 700x23s have a marginal aero advantage, which is to say nothing of the tiny amount of weight saving.
But yeah, 25s are now generally recognised to be faster ;-)0 -
2mm of tyre will make a small difference. Getting fitter will make a vast difference.
This goes for me as well.0 -
23mm to 25mm is marginal gains there is more variation in rolling resistance across the range of tyres, and let's not forget depending on the rim and wim of the manufacture tyres size can vary, certainly within a few mm.0
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Pretty much this.The anti-disc movement is akin to the Flat Earth Society or Creationists - you can continue to believe that discs aren't better but all the evidence suggests you're wrong.
Everyone I know who has had decent experience of both types of brakes see this as a no-brainer. As if it needs pointing out, mountain bikes moved to discs what, 15 years ago and never looked back. What's really bizarre is how much resistance there still is to disc brakes on road bikes. If you want to give people a laugh, post this in in the MTB forum.
And BTW I like the look of that Giant - it actually looks like it could stop in the wet
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Lets face, it, all this innovation in cycling products doesn't make anyone go faster.
Its just for the sake of selling products to middle class, middle aged wannabes. :oops:0 -
:shock:Lets face, it, all this innovation in cycling products doesn't make anyone go faster.
Its just for the sake of selling products to middle class, middle aged wannabes. :oops:
The first rule of bike club is you do not mention equipment vs training!0 -
Absolutely right, it makes them stop fasterLets face, it, all this innovation in cycling products doesn't make anyone go faster.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
They have a place but they will be adopted in the protour mainly because bike sponsors will insist.
Campagnolo won't, they don't have any disc brakes yet.
It's just a hill. Get over it.0 -
menthel wrote:
Ian- get the best long drops you can afford. The most expensive shimano, velo orange or TRP would be best. They cost but are supposed to be as good as long drops get. Also stick the best pads on you can afford- swissstop would be my recommendation. Just be fully aware they are not as stoppy as good standard drop calipers.
Thanks - I've got the Shimano R650 ones, which seem to be the best Shimano ones I could find0 -
menthel wrote:
Ian- get the best long drops you can afford. The most expensive shimano, velo orange or TRP would be best. They cost but are supposed to be as good as long drops get. Also stick the best pads on you can afford- swissstop would be my recommendation. Just be fully aware they are not as stoppy as good standard drop calipers.
Thanks - I've got the Shimano R650 ones, which seem to be the best Shimano ones I could find
Those are probably the best out there. Apparently they are equivalent to Ultegra kit.RIP commute...
Sometimes seen bimbling around on a purple Fratello Disc or black and red Aprire Vincenza.0
