The end of rim brake is upon us
I have 3 disc braked bikes(MTB, gravel and road) I much prefer rim-brakes for road bikes, but the options to purchase are shrinking rapidly. All the brands that still say they stock eg. Giant, Ribble etc have far too agressive geometry on the largest sizes, so I'm almost in the position of not being able to purchase a rim braked bike any more.
Can't believe it has come to this so quickly. I can only hope some momentum builds behind the views expressed by Froomey that manufacturers might rethink the choice they give us.
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Rim brakes aren't going to vanish, but they might be increasingly restricted to low end bikes, or high end custom bikes.
People are still building bikes with quill stems and square taper bottom brackets.0 -
So over £1800 doesn't now get you a sub 20lb race bike.
The silver lining is this will be a boon for bike shops as people are less and less able to fix their press fit hydro braked Di2 geared internally cabled integrated cockpit machines themselves.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0 -
Get a rim brake Bowman Palace instead? They do complete builds now as well as framesets.1
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I’ve just bought a Caad13 rim brake bike. Maybe it will be a collectors item😆0
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Keep what you have, buy up latest generation rim brake wheels while they are still available, consider resprays and second-hand rather than buying new, support independent frame builders and paint shops.
Screw the industry and tune out of the marketing-dominated mainstream cycling media.1 -
The irony is that I've got much more disposable income now to spend on bikes than I've had in my life, and I'm struggling to find anything I want to buy...
Ah well, there's always another set of Boras or the latest EE Brakes limited edition..
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this.joe_totale-2 said:Get a rim brake Bowman Palace instead? They do complete builds now as well as framesets.
just as good as a caad, just as cool and in that green/black with deep rims utter flippin' gorgeous.
listen to joe - he talks sense..The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
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First.Aspect said:
Rim brakes aren't going to vanish, but they might be increasingly restricted to low end bikes, or high end custom bikes.
People are still building bikes with quill stems and square taper bottom brackets.
This is the way it's going unfortunately & it's a real shame.
The reality is that if you're riding somewhere where the weather is half decent & aren't doing long alpine descents every 5 minutes discs aren't needed.
I have a disc braked bike for winter use in the UK & not sure I would go back to rims anytime soon but for summer riding rims all the way.0 -
I'm the same.ibr17xvii said:First.Aspect said:Rim brakes aren't going to vanish, but they might be increasingly restricted to low end bikes, or high end custom bikes.
People are still building bikes with quill stems and square taper bottom brackets.
This is the way it's going unfortunately & it's a real shame.
The reality is that if you're riding somewhere where the weather is half decent & aren't doing long alpine descents every 5 minutes discs aren't needed.
I have a disc braked bike for winter use in the UK & not sure I would go back to rims anytime soon but for summer riding rims all the way.
The available parts aren't going to get any worse, and bespoke builders with customers focussed on ride quality and aesthetics will always maintain a market for rim brakes.
A bigger concern might be availability of high end wheels, but you would hope existing product lines would be maintained for some time to come.
And who knows. There has been a massive industry push for not really any better and in some ways worse technology, technology that costs a great deal more and it more technically complex. It is the same with tubeless. Yet it is not universally popular and may never entirely succeed.0 -
this.First.Aspect said:
I'm the same.ibr17xvii said:First.Aspect said:Rim brakes aren't going to vanish, but they might be increasingly restricted to low end bikes, or high end custom bikes.
People are still building bikes with quill stems and square taper bottom brackets.
This is the way it's going unfortunately & it's a real shame.
The reality is that if you're riding somewhere where the weather is half decent & aren't doing long alpine descents every 5 minutes discs aren't needed.
I have a disc braked bike for winter use in the UK & not sure I would go back to rims anytime soon but for summer riding rims all the way.
The available parts aren't going to get any worse, and bespoke builders with customers focussed on ride quality and aesthetics will always maintain a market for rim brakes.
A bigger concern might be availability of high end wheels, but you would hope existing product lines would be maintained for some time to come.
And who knows. There has been a massive industry push for not really any better and in some ways worse technology, technology that costs a great deal more and it more technically complex. It is the same with tubeless. Yet it is not universally popular and may never entirely succeed.
we can all tick off on our fingers marketing hype that has been swallowed by the masses leading to changes that aten't really that much better:
tubeless
electronic gearing
discs
certain wheelbrands
certain clothing brands
gravel bikes
but hey, the average clubbie will scream and shout that without these your bike is out of date.
the populace have believed the hype..The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
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Press fit bottom brackets.MattFalle said:
this.First.Aspect said:
I'm the same.ibr17xvii said:First.Aspect said:Rim brakes aren't going to vanish, but they might be increasingly restricted to low end bikes, or high end custom bikes.
People are still building bikes with quill stems and square taper bottom brackets.
This is the way it's going unfortunately & it's a real shame.
The reality is that if you're riding somewhere where the weather is half decent & aren't doing long alpine descents every 5 minutes discs aren't needed.
I have a disc braked bike for winter use in the UK & not sure I would go back to rims anytime soon but for summer riding rims all the way.
The available parts aren't going to get any worse, and bespoke builders with customers focussed on ride quality and aesthetics will always maintain a market for rim brakes.
A bigger concern might be availability of high end wheels, but you would hope existing product lines would be maintained for some time to come.
And who knows. There has been a massive industry push for not really any better and in some ways worse technology, technology that costs a great deal more and it more technically complex. It is the same with tubeless. Yet it is not universally popular and may never entirely succeed.
we can all tick off on our fingers marketing hype that has been swallowed by the masses leading to changes that aten't really that much better:
tubeless
electronic gearing
discs
certain wheelbrands
certain clothing brands
gravel bikes
but hey, the average clubbie will scream and shout that without these your bike is out of date.
the populace have believed the hype.
4-arm cranks.
Intergrated bar/stem combos.
Gravel bikes, my god. They started off literally 1-2mm here and there from a cross bike, the industry realised that wasn't enough, so they have turned them into 29er hard tail mountain bikes with curly bars. That used to be what we called a "frankenbike". They are great bikes, ideal for riding in places where mountain bikers haven't moved lots of tree trunks and rocks in the way.0 -
integrated stem and bar combos
internal cabling.The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
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"Ah it wasn't like this in my young day", said in a tremulous croaky voice while the head wobbles uncontrollably.0
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Just my opinion but I don't see any issue with the switch to disc in the industry - I have currently 3 disc bikes (Shimano 105 / Sram Rival Hydraulic and also a bike with TRP Spyre mechanical) as always the issue is the setup. Done properly they are fit and forget with better performance and modulation (especially in the wet) so makes complete sense for makers to switch efforts to disc.
I can see why manufacturers don't offer both - Most people will want discs so that is where they will focus their attention having 2 frames for both discs and rim costs more and uses up more resources.
In the same way you cannot get a MTB with V brakes anymore - Just moving with the times really.0 -
I am quite relieved I don't own any of such things...
Still happily running rim brakes, threaded BB, clinchers and even 10 speed! For as long as spares supply hold, I won't be "upgrading"...
Although that fear has led to stocking on spare partsleft the forum March 20231 -
mr_eddy said:
Just my opinion but I don't see any issue with the switch to disc in the industry - I have currently 3 disc bikes (Shimano 105 / Sram Rival Hydraulic and also a bike with TRP Spyre mechanical) as always the issue is the setup. Done properly they are fit and forget with better performance and modulation (especially in the wet) so makes complete sense for makers to switch efforts to disc.
I can see why manufacturers don't offer both - Most people will want discs so that is where they will focus their attention having 2 frames for both discs and rim costs more and uses up more resources.
In the same way you cannot get a MTB with V brakes anymore - Just moving with the times really.
I'd like to know how you come to that conclusion.0 -
Ive got a black size 56 caad 13 rim brake frame. bought it built it up and its too big so It isnt used. Im 5'11 and have always ridden a 56 before so if youre taller than me and want it, Ill sell it to you for a decent price. I havent cut the steerer down much at all.rwoofer said:Just heard back from a dealer that the rim braked CAAD13 is no longer coming to the UK despite still being listed on the Cannondale website.
I have 3 disc braked bikes(MTB, gravel and road) I much prefer rim-brakes for road bikes, but the options to purchase are shrinking rapidly. All the brands that still say they stock eg. Giant, Ribble etc have far too agressive geometry on the largest sizes, so I'm almost in the position of not being able to purchase a rim braked bike any more.
Can't believe it has come to this so quickly. I can only hope some momentum builds behind the views expressed by Froomey that manufacturers might rethink the choice they give us.0 -
I think disc brakes are great. Because i charge to service them.
I think good rim brakes are great because they work really really well for me.0 -
And some others. The key one being the comparison the mountain bikes.ibr17xvii said:mr_eddy said:Just my opinion but I don't see any issue with the switch to disc in the industry - I have currently 3 disc bikes (Shimano 105 / Sram Rival Hydraulic and also a bike with TRP Spyre mechanical) as always the issue is the setup. Done properly they are fit and forget with better performance and modulation (especially in the wet) so makes complete sense for makers to switch efforts to disc.
I can see why manufacturers don't offer both - Most people will want discs so that is where they will focus their attention having 2 frames for both discs and rim costs more and uses up more resources.
In the same way you cannot get a MTB with V brakes anymore - Just moving with the times really.
I'd like to know how you come to that conclusion.
For mtb use there are clear performance benefits pretty much across the board. For road use it is at best marginal and in a lot of ways discs are worse.
So for that reason rim brake technology will hang on for a lot longer. Possibly indefinitely, like vinyl.2 -
Such as? 🤔First.Aspect said:...and in a lot of ways discs are worse.
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Often noisy, can't tell when your pads are nearly worn as easily, pads don't last as long, the amount of people who find they aren't working right but can't diagnose the problem, heavier and require a stronger fork, cost more.orraloon said:[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]3 -
need specialist tools to work on, fluids, can't be bodged to gether to get you home, incompatability between brands ......
basically, for the road, if you can ride properly you don't need them..The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
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Also need longer chainstays and/or less optimal chainlines to accommodate wider dropout spacing, heavier-built front wheels with crossed (as opposed to radial) spokes to accommodate braking forces at the hub (wheel is heavier and more spokes = signifciantly less aero), and the calipers and rotors will also always be less aero than rim brakes, all else being equal.0
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Also make everything incompatible with everything that existed prior to disc brakes...1
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So quite a lot of ways.. 1
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Apart from the roads, the wine, the aqueducts and the rule of law, what have the Romans ever given us?0
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MattFalle said:
need specialist tools to work on, fluids, can't be bodged to gether to get you home, incompatability between brands ......
basically, for the road, if you can ride properly you don't need them.
I wouldn't go as far as that.
Coming down my local sketchy descent in the wet in winter I know which I'd rather have but I take your point.
Yes I don't "need" them as all things being equal I will still get down but in the right circumstances they are nice to have.0 -
I wonder at what level this economy of scale operates at, though. Pure road bikes are a relatively small percentage of the bikes made and sold, and perhaps increasingly so with the advent of gravel, e-bikes etc.mr_eddy said:
I can see why manufacturers don't offer both - Most people will want discs so that is where they will focus their attention having 2 frames for both discs and rim costs more and uses up more resources.
So to what extent is it "it's not economical for us to produce both disc and rim versions of the same road bike", and to what extent "it's more economical to only make pure road bikes with disc brakes, because that's the technology we use on all of our other bikes". ?
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So all a matter of personal subjective choice then.0
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Well, the reasons listed are objective, it's subjective choice whether you value them more or less than the opposing reasons for the other choice.orraloon said:So all a matter of personal subjective choice then.
But the point is that we are no longer being permitted to exercise that choice when buying new bikes.
So yes, it's a matter of personal subjective choice...
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