I hope so too. I have a gravel bike with disc brakes as it seemed like the most obvious choice, but I'm never racing or trying to go down a mountain as fast as possible so rim brakes do the job perfectly well
I am gripping my rim brakes every ride on everything I own, save 1 mountain bike I have. My road bike is lovely, but is rim brake (2011 Trek Madone 5.2). I managed to procure an older set of 55 mil rim brake carbon wheels, and that bike is just *chef's kiss* to me. Admittedly, I'd love a Shimano electronic shifting groupset, but only if it's a full groupset, and matching the color of the old one. Everything is black these days, and the grey/ silver of my Ultegra (6800 series?) is beautiful on the bike. A black groupset would be too much black on the bike for my taste.
Cable location means little for day to day use. Disc brakes are simply better for everyone. Tubeless is better for everyone that doesn't leave their bike sitting for months between rides
@@BennoSattler I have a Trek Emonda 2018 with Bontrager Speed stop V Brakes and Bontrager Aeolus 3 Pro, Trek says maximum 25 mm tires but I would like to try 28mm for more comfort, just not sure if’s a safety issue?
The return of threaded BBs and the advances in TPU tubes definitely gives me hope that the industry can advance without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
@@veganpotterthevegan Instead of stretching this analogy to the breaking point I'll just say that I'm in favour of keeping anything that makes maintaining my bikes easier with less faffing. (thanks to GCN this is word is no common place in my lexicon) If you're a fan of BB30, tubless/hookless, hydraulic brakes and aero socks, all the power to you. I'm just happy to have the choice and I think a healthy industry provides as much choice as it can support. :)
@@jhiguchi I like working on my bikes. But rim brakes are actually more work. Cleaning rims and adjusting rim brakes takes more effort than disc brakes that are largely self cleaning and self adjusting
@@veganpotterthevegan But the scale of the work is different. Rim brakes take more day to day work, but are extremely simple (and particularly simple for roadside work). Disc brakes, especially hydraulic disc brakes, are more complicated to work on but require less routine upkeep.
"Easier" is opinion. I used to futz around with rim brakes all the time as the pads wore down or the cable stretched. Discs have a little more learning curve to initially set up, and require a few specialized tools, but good quality ones are essentially set-and-forget. The only time I typically touch them is an occasional bleed or replacing the pads, which is no more difficult than replacing rim pads.
"cheaper" kind of depends on how you look at it, for the initial outlay sure, unless you want reputable electronic shifting then there are no lower mid-tier options, but sooner or later you will need new rims (sooner rather than later if they are carbon and/or you ride in all weathers).
I ride them mainly because they work just fine for me, and they are what is on my circa 2000 ride (Merlin Road with Campy Record gruppo). I do not feel like spending (nor can I right now) $10K USD+ on a new crunchy carbon wonder bike, just to get the disc brakes, aero, and complicated hidden and wireless everything. Especially not if it is going to have a shitty, out of round, loose and noisy, press fit bottom bracket setup for that exorbitant price!
Bringing out a new rim brake bike is good, making it ridiculously expensive is not. What us consumers want is CHOICE! So, a range of bikes with rim/disc brakes in a variety of specs. Simple really.
My wife and I were fortunate enough to visit Colnago from the USA back in 2015 where we had the great pleasure of meeting Ernesto Colnago. I asked Ernesto if I should get rim brakes or disks on my new Colnago. He said get rim so I did! At least I think that’s what he said because his English was not great and my Italian worse LOL. I’m glad to see rim brakes making a return. I’m 69 and very much a traditionalist. Y’all keep riding!
Think in 2015, rim brakes were the better option. I bought a C64 with rim brakes in 2018, but replaced it with one with disks in 2020. I'm not a heavy braker, but disks are just so much better for most cyclists
Rim brakes are cheaper, generally speaking. They are far easier to maintain and adjust. Moreover, they can be adjusted in the middle of a ride with relative ease.
Disc brakes need less maintainence. If they're hydraulic, you won't ever need to adjust them on a ride as they're self adjusting as the pads wear. They're also largely self cleaning. I've had to clean rims in the past due to roads being so dirty when riding in the rain but that's a total non-issue with discs
It's amazing, most of us seem to want easier bikes to ride and maintain and are OK with losing the advantages required by professionals. Hopefully we'll continue to see bike manufacturers understand this fact and direct some attention our way.
@@FoobsTonno, they don't. You replace the pads and cables every year and that's it. Disc brakes rub if your thru axle goes out of torque, pads glaze over if you brake too hard, if they overheat, the discs warp, and you have to bleed them every year. They're nice if you don't do your own maintenance, but they're a pain for everyone else.
What most internet comments complain about and what most people actually buy are not always the same. There is no way the entire industry would deliberately make bikes that don't sell.
@@davids4610 Rim brakes didn't disappear overnight. There was a long period where both were an option, and the more prifitable one remains while the less profitable one is dying. If enough people still bought new expensive rim brake bikes, they would still be an option.
In 2018 bought a Cervelo R 3 wth rim brakes because as everyone was moving to disc brakes, got that bike for 35% off. Upgraded the wheels and using TPU inner tubes, the tubes are now lasting longer than the tires. Bought a gravel bike after that with tubeless and disc brakes. The noise, the seemingly endless having to adjust those brakes and having to replace the hydraulic fluid really made me appreciate the rim brakes. Leakage of sealtant and other issues had me move to the TPU inner tubes for that bike. I am not so much a traditionalist but someone who loves very low mainteance and functionly over "high tech".
I saved more than £100, and about a kilo in weight by purchasing a new road bike with rim brakes over the same model, but with discs. That made sense to me.
@@delorangeade I just hate the fact that with the rim brake version they made all the tubes thin etc etc. where as with the disc version the bikes looks totally different and a lot more modern. Why couldn't they keep the modern look for the rim version as well. The only thing that puts me off, but it's a big thing. The disc version looks so much more chunky and 'professional'
Unless you are using carbon rims, or antique chromed steel or aluminum ones, rim brakes are powerful and reliable under all conditions. Quality alloy rims and quality brake pads with rim brakes are a fully mature, inexpensive, easily maintained system. I have always thought that the disc brake road bike craze began for two reasons: 1) Carbon fiber rims don't work well with rubber brake pads, especially when wet (thought: Why not just use carbon brake pads, a la F1, or, more relevantly, MotoGP?); and 2) E-bikes, especially the fast and heavy kinds that we New Yorkers detest and fear, need a motorcycle style braking system because they ARE effectively motorcycles. With so many mainstream bike companies jumping on the E-bike bandwagon, it makes sense to spread hydraulic disc brakes across the product line, because it's cheaper in the long run as they take advantage of economies of scale. Add to the foregoing the emphasis on racing, and this has skewed product lines towards bikes and related equipment that are, as Ollie has said in the past,, not fit for purpose for most riders. Seriously: Most people don't live or ride in the Alps or Rockies. Most people aren't trying to break away from the peloton, or riding in pacelines such that they need to refine their cadence in one tooth increments on a 13 cog rear cassette. Sure, there are plenty who do, and of course there should be products that cater to that market. But to see the product lines of most bike and groupset manufacturers, you would think that racing up and down Mont Ventoux is the norm, not the exception.
Excellent comment - fact - carbon rims and rim brakes aren't really compatible in the long run run, fact - 99% of amateur cyclists don't need deep section carbon rims, fact - good quality alloy rims are usually lighter than deep section carbon wheels. I am staying with rim brakes - DEFINITELY NOT BUYING DISCS - this is simple - NO RIM BRAKE OPTION = NO SALE ! I am voting with my wallet on this one.
@@jacdogma1316 True, but they do look and SOUND cool, even on a 'dated', older, even non-carbon skinny tubed frame, totally non-aero machine, as long as they are not the 55mm+ deep variety, and they fit between the chain stays and under the fork crown. 😉
I don't really agree with carbon rims at all - they are massively expensive and heavier, need disc brakes and are prone to sudden failure- this is a technology suitable for professional cyclists who need small aerodynamic gains during races but have the budgets to replace the wheels two or three times per year. If you want reliable wheels that will last for years carbon wheels are a definite NO, if you want simplicity and safety, disc brakes are a NO. On balance disc brakes are needed for deep section carbon wheels for professional cyclists but otherwise there is no clear need, direct mount rim brakes with good quality alloy wheels are totally superior- cost about a third, simple to maintain and wheels last for years without the risk of sudden failure or delamination associated with carbon fibre. Carbon fibre is great for frames but does not withstand heat or friction at all so it is absolutely wrong for wheels. Fact deep section carbon wheels and disc brakes will add ca. 1.5kg to the weight of the bike so there is a weight saving needed elsewhere - a much more expensive and likely weaker frame obtains thus the bike is not built to last - it is designed for one season of racing only - not for several years of enjoyment for amateur cyclists
you say weight but rim brakes are not ideal for carbon bikes or carbon wheels. They are best suited to steel or aluminum the era that they were designed from.
@smiddysmidton8313 Agreed that rim brakes and carbon rims don't work well. Rim brakes don't work well with wooden rims either, which was standard in the era (1910-1935) that rim brakes emerged from. As you said, rim brakes paired with aluminum or steel rims work fine. Although, the material of the bike frame has no bearing on braking performance. Also, hydraulic disc brakes have better stopping power and better modulation, albeit at a weight and price penalty. Cable actuated disc brakes have worse stopping power than rim brakes paired with aluminum rims, and cost more, and weigh more. In 2024, hydraulic disc brakes make sense on mid-tier to high-end road bikes, where the cost of hydraulic is a small proportion of the total cost of the bike and as a finished build, the weight will be reasonable. On budget road bikes, rim brakes are totally superior to cable and hydraulic disc brakes. A 22lbs budget road bike with hydraulic disc brakes that costs $500 more than its 20lbs rim brake counterpart doesn't make sense. Likewise, any cable actuated disc brake road bike doesn't make sense due to poor braking performance. So, I'll say it again: Rim brake paired with aluminum rims is the best braking system for bikes priced at the Tiagra level and below.
@@EverythingsFine82 The weight penalty is long gone. Calipers have become smaller and lighter, forks that can cope with the forces generated by disc brakes have become lighter as well. The aerodynamic benefits of disc brakes are also quite large, with most calipers now bieng fitted behind the fork or in the rear triangel, so the only part sticking out is the discs themselves.
Why do we have to keep beating an old dog. If you like rim brakes, why shouldn’t you be able to have them. If you like discs, great, you too have that option. Same with tubes vs tubeless and BB standards. It is your bike and should be your choice.
@@NemesisRTCW if you think disc is more aero then go out and buy the s-works tarmac sl8 like I did and try ride no hands on windy days on the same roads you have been riding the last 25 years. Then do same on your rim brake tarmac and see how much marketing duped you hehe
I just recently built up a steel frame that was built for me is 1984. I built it up with Campy SR 11spd. and Mavic carbon clincher (inner tubes) wheels. The bike built up at 18lbs and has a beautiful ride. It has become the bike I pull down first to ride. It is the perfect marriage of old and new. Love this bike.
Rim brakes were shelved just long enough to make them trendy again. Although, I will say disc brakes are nice for off-roading in muddy areas. My rim brakes would get clogged up in a lot of mud. But for everything else, rim brakes are much easier. And I don’t mind tubes at all. I prefer it over the mess of fixing a tubeless tire.
I can set up a tubeless wheels faster than installing 2 tubes. If I'm gonna get a flat on that tire, tubeless is already saving me time(I'm definitely getting plenty of punctures). It's really only a mess if you're installing them with your feet
It's not good for longevity of your rims. Once you wear through your brakingpatch your 2000$ carbons rims are toast. Even if everything else on them is still fine.
@@shawnreynolds2705 Try some Shimano BR-600 rim brakes or any Ultegra level rim brake with ball bearings in the pivots and forged arms. Stops on a dime any conditions.
A simple thing that should return....round seatpost. Stop the proprietary post. Round posts are easier to work with, come in different lengths and setbacks, and make it easy to replace if it breaks.
@@daniellloyd100 That's true, but they come in limited sizes for frames. I have one frame I cracked 5 aero seatposts on because they are a couple mm too short. I have a cyclocross frame I can't use the manufacturer's seatpost because it is way too short. Luckily, the frame has an adapter for round seatpost, so I can use a 410 mm seatpost that just fits.
I have provided myself for the future, before everything goes haywire in "development": A 2017 6.8 kg Cannondale Hi Mod , with 2x11speed wireless Etap shifters, rimbrakes, 28mm tube tyres, brake cables hidden only in the frame, normal handlebar and stem 38mm compact shortreach, threaded BB just renewed. I will keep this the next 20 years ;-) I'm stocking up on tyres, chains, cassettes etc. But with waxing the driveline will last very long anyway.
That's more or less what I'm riding too and I have no intention of upgrading any time soon. What wheels & brake calipers do you run? My only complaint with the set up I have is the Sram Red calipers and they're pretty crappy
@@joeystreets2746 I've only done a few testruns til now but found my Sram red brakes lacking. I changed the pads to SwissStop, which I always do and they reduced the stopping distance to less than half. Hollowgram HG wheels
My touring bike has rim brakes and I've yet to have an issue with being able to stop. They are simple and quick to adjust if needed, which is rare. OTOH, when tourists I follow who have disc brakes have an issue, the problem is far more difficult to solve and typically requires a bike shop mechanic.
i remember the growing pains working at a shop when disk brakes were comming in to line up. then i remember what a fucking pain in the ass it was to get pads flat on a rim. im not trying to be rude, just a PSA. you need a truing stand to get a good rim brake set up. you only need a couple wrenched to service and burp disc brakes. pads last a season (5000km city). a 3buck cup to burp shimano mtb levers.and the seals in the caliper fail after 2 or 3 seasons (20k or 30k km) they are bomb proof. im a messenger and if it rained 2 days in a row i wore oure my pads, and needed new rims ever season. lol once i blew out both sidewalls front and back, so i lowered my tire pressure and upened up the brakes and finished my shift :P. happy tours!
Perhaps disc brakes are a little less intuitive than rim brakes to adjust? Once you learn to adjust them properly though it's no more difficult, if not a tad quicker.
@@Andy_ATB you should never need to fix the braking system of a vehicle in the middle of a ride. I don't understand why so many cyclists simply accept that their stuff constantly breaks. Need to put more pressure on the manufacturers.
Sensible comment. I really don't understand the people who say rim brakes are preferable. But I totally get not finding them valuable enough to justify the price. We still aren't at the point where older used bikes have hydraulic brakes yet, so the ultra- budget riders don't get them for a few more years (my prediction, 5-7 years before $250 used road bikes start to have hydraulic brakes).
@@leafan101 Thanks and I agree. I got my bike used with rim brakes, great deal and not really any disc brake bikes worth buying as to get disc brakes I'd have to compromise on the frame and groupset which I decided was my priority.
That I can understand. I have a rim brake bike too; it’s parked out of the house for use as a daily commuter, which I dont care for even if it’s stolen. I guess that that’s why some folks want rim brake bikes, because they just want a worthless toss away bike that they can afford not to care for.
Disk is nice on my commute/errand bike where I know I can always get a Lyft to the LBS if something happens and they break. Rim breaks however are field repairable. I only do rim breaks for my bikepacking bike. When I'm 200 miles from a LBS and nothing but corn and soybeans for 100 miles around, I need field repairable.
@@leafan101my 12 year old bike has disk brakes, paid around 1000€ for it at the time with tektro hydraulics but they're good enough that I never felt the need to change them
I use both disc and rim. Rim brakes work great when it is dry. And it is lighter. I still use external cabling on some of my bikes. I use electronic shifting too. Both work great. So no issues here. What I really dislike is how bike companies push crazy bb standards and axles onto consumers. Honestly, I am done with big bike brands. Goodbye. I shall buy mainly from small custom builders and specify what I want.
I’ve never once found that rim brakes gave less braking force than I was capable of dealing with. To me, they’re probably a benefit to a pro (probably), but I’m not a pro.
The total force is a non-issue. Stopping distance is though. If you ride enough, there will be a time when rim brakes won't stop well enough for you. That's also true for disc brakes but there isn't a better option than disc brakes.
@@veganpotterthevegan Exactly. They're also easier to apply pressure to without jeopardising my ability to stay upright. It's like ABS brakes, automatic gear boxes, sensors and cameras on cars... It just make the experience less brain damage.
@@FoobsTon ha, for sure. None of these people would want 4 drum brakes on a car. They were "good enough" when that's all we had. And there were some ridiculous holdouts that thought disc brakes weren't necessary.
@@veganpottertheveganyour stopping distance is limited by the traction of your tires. If you can lock up your wheels and skid with your rim brakes, switching to disc wouldn't do anything to change your stopping distance.
@holben27 locking your wheels means nothing. It's the modulation and ability to slow down in between. Then there's the disc brake superiority with brake fade on a long, technical descent. That's something that's even a bigger deal for novices as they use their brakes more than a skilled rider. *Mostly everyone benefits from the larger tires that disc brakes permit too
Guys Pinarello new Dogma F, also has RIM brake option, and no one 😅 mention it ... Rim brake never died , it's just less options out there , but many many riders still prefer it .
The Dogma F is so overpriced that I am not surprised that nobody mentions it- Pinarello have totally priced themselves out of the market so they are making the F-series bikes to try to reconnect with the consumer, they should have carried on making F10 & F12 versions where you get the T1100 professional level frames but instead you get a hugely expensive watered down Dogma F with a weaker frame, discs and 105 groupset, Uuuurgh, I am sticking with my F10 with dura ace di-2 and rim brakes which cost less their F7 with 105, I hate what Pinarello have done to their brand - but they are interested in making 💰💰, not the best race bikes
My newest bike has disc brakes. They are nice but to be honest, in the 30+ years I’ve been riding on road, I have never needed the extra stopping power of disc. Rim brakes have always been enough. Then again I don’t live near any mountains and avoid riding in the wet. But I do love disc on my mountain bike.
"extra stopping power of disc" only applies if your rim brake caliper/pads are not the best, or you have carbon rims. Otherwise, discs provide inferior, though arguably easier to control power.
I tried two stabs at disc brake road bikes. Giant TCR rides horribly and does not feel like the rim-brake TCR of 2019. It was so bad I got rid of it after a few rides. Also tried Allez Sprint disc--not what the rim brake one was. And these bikes cost $3k….WTF. Best to scrounge up a decent rim brake bike, some spare parts and hope the industry makes a bold move to bring rim brakes back to road (frames, groups, wheels manufacturers all have to be on board). Road bikes don’t feel exciting with disc brakes, they feel unbalanced and sluggish. My apologies for anyone who feels different but there was a true excitement when brands brought out new Tarmacs, TCRs, Emondas, S5, Foil, Altamira etc etc etc in the past decade. The bikes were responsive and fast. Also tubeless tires …they look like fine and feel fine but when they go out on the road what a mess! I am not putting down anyone who enjoys their disc brake bike / obviously I have a different opinion😂😂😂
I have been riding on the road exclusively since 1974. Before that I had a Raleigh 3spd that I road on pavement, sidewalks and dirt trails. Start working in a bike shop in Santa Cruz that year and when we weren't fixing or selling bicycles we were smoking ganja and having far ranging discussions on how the Universe should work. One of the great things about bicycles is their simplicity. And that fertile space that breeds invention. So one day this traveling salesman comes in with the bike that is going to change everything. What he showed us was a bicycle with a plastic frame and fork and joining them together was a nylon headset. My friend Laurence looked at it and said; "the only thing missing is disc brakes." Now the owner of the shop joined the conversation: "All the bicycles in this shop already have disc brakes." Except for my Gitane track bike he was right. The wheel is the rotor and the caliper is, well, the caliper. Being a grumpy old fuck now at the age of 71 I think that since Look Pedals hit the industry in 1985 most of the thing since are like putting Alligator shoes on a dead man. Overpriced and unnecessary. Bom Shiva! Reply
I'm from San Jose and I probably did 50 plus rides over HWY 9 to SC and my rim brakes served me well, my best time to SC city limit line was roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes, I miss those days now I live in Holland where it's flat and very boring to ride a bicycle.
You only have to look at how many perfectly good bikes are thrown away nowadays, to realise they've already become too complex for most people to fix at home and that makes them too expensive to get fixed in a shop. Good quality steel frames, 5 deraileur gears with friction shifters, rim brakes (on steel rims), threaded bottom brackets and drop - outs rather than through axles. These would all make for durable reliable and repairable bikes which would meet the needs of 99% of leisure riders and commuters.
Mechanic and rider for more than 40 years...I ride rim brakes only because I'm too cheap to upgrade. I also have carbon tubular rims...in the wet with carbon rims & rim brakes, they are so bad you may as well not have brakes on the bike at all! On the internally routed cables note, I love the look! So clean! I think it is so good looking it's almost a good enough reason to replace the old bike. On that topic if you're using hydraulic brakes then you'll likely sell the bike before you need to replace a cable housing.
I am with u, been riding since 1985 with triathlons , got my last bike in 2020 which is for sprint Duathlons , rim brakes , manual shifting as well . Also still using my Garmin 920XT 10 yrs old .
if you combine the good pads and carbon rims, you get a very good result ( dry and wet )... I use only red pads from campagnolo and " ac3 " style rim brakes, i have no problem at all ; the braking is much better than my campagnolo zonda wheels
I personally cannot 'upgrade' like the industry and many on here demand that I do, since I would like to EAT decent food for the next year instead of spending all of that coin on a crunchy aero carbon, hidden everything, wide wheeled/tired, disc braked, wunder-bike for insanely exorbitant amounts of coin.
Carbon wheels and rim brakes are NOT compatible - if you are going carbon wheels you need disc brakes. The question arises as to whether you need carbon wheels when you can get excellent alloy wheels (e.g. maxtal) for a third of the price of caarbon wheels ? Carbon wheels are really only needed for professional cyclists.
Without a doubt on road bike I prefer rim brakes. Stopping is as much about tyres as brakes and 99% of the time brakes are about speed control not panic stopping which usually comes down to tyres sliding. I only buy 2nd hand bikes now as I feel the bike industry is not listenening and trying to force people into more complex, expensive and dependant technologies which goes against the entire essence of cycling. Good on Colonago I'd buy one if I didn't already have two
Among everything mentioned the thing I despise the most is internal cable routing. It just seems like a complicated solution to a non-existent problem. I've been stuck on the side of the road twice because of this specific "feature" on my gravel bike.
I view that largely the same as the trend for cell phones made out of glass. Mostly impractical but it looks nice so all the "journalists" fawn over it and disparage any model without it.
Also, most do not need the 'function' of the proven by Silca, 5 watts or so aero savings which they provide. I will admit though that the 'track bike look' of fully hidden everything is kind of cool, despite the royal PIA they are to service/maintain.
Quite agree I bought a frame new that had internal cables and even with magnets and all the other equipment had an nightmare getting the second cable through the handlebars and frame as the magnet kept picking up the first cable in the end I fed 2 fishing lines through attached to the cables and pulled and preyed it didn’t pull off going through.
Two simple reasons why rim brakes should have remained: user choice and weight. I still ride my Trek Madone Series 9 Project One, where rim brakes reached perfection. 7.45kg with pedals, bottle cages and lights.
There is a lot of useless tech out there: DI2, cables routed inside the frame, carbon bikes for casual riders, etc. Lots of marketing BS most (99.9%) people don’t need. But discs are one hell of an advancement for most risers: -Easy in maintenance -comparably cheap in service -reliable in all weather conditions -Easy to adjust (at least after a bit of practice) -No issues with untrue rims rubbing against the breaking surface and slowing you down -Self-adjusting when bled even half properly. (ie you have a fairly consistent feeling all the way through the brake pads) -Less pulling force required to stop you down Discs are literally the 1 upgrade worth it for any rider. In MTB sports people were shittalking discs in the beginning as well but today nobody would buy a bike without discs for good reasons. Even hard core traditionalists are now happily riding their disc brakes.They’re just better.
Carbon also has it's benefits. With the fibre layup you can make a bike that is very stiff lateraly,, yet compliant in the horizontal plane. So more comfort over bumps, yet stiff enough to not corner like a wet noodle. That is very hard to do with aluminium tube, yes you can make it oval, but changing the tubes wall thickness is a very costly/ expensive/impractical affair.
It is always the same blabla. In the past some riders didn't like Clip Pedales because of Sprints in which they prefered cages, they didn't like aluminium frames because they were ugly, they hated STI and were happy with their downtube shifters, helmets were really dangerous because of overheating.... 😂. As you said in your comparison to MTB, no one will talk about this in 5 years time. Its always been like that. Some people just don't like change.
I won’t deny that Carbon has its benefits. But not for the average joe. I have worked in the industry long enough to be able to tell you with 100% confidence that the average joe will be better off with a modern steel or aluminium road bike. The differencees both in weight and performance only matter to those with a strict nutrition and training plan on their hand. And then only if they are competing. One of the last GCN videos was about this ultra cheap road bike and this thing was only 4 minutes slower than a 10k race machine. Throw in some better wheels, fit it correctly and the gap will be even smaller. So no, Carbon fibre is marketing bla bla especially since the real benefits only come with more expensive fibres that most people can’t afford anyways. Also Carbon QC is a nightmare to behold. ;)
@@theredspoon1763 I somewhat disagree with your take in carbon. A good carbon bike is just better to ride. That said, I also do like aluminum too. If I was on a tight budget, I'd get a really nice aluminum frame with a better groupset and wheels. I think that is where a lot of people go wrong. They are so obsessed with carbon, they will spend more on a carbon frame when they could get a better overall bike with aluminum.
There are so many top quality rim-brake superbikes still hanging up in people's garages that, if I were in the market for such a bike, I'd hunt up the best used one I could find.
The GCN casual merch has me in a wrench. The designs are all fiercely amazing and very unique, but the GCN text is way too in your face (like Alex's shirt). It being more of a subtle logo (like a flap/tag on the side or a logo only on the back) or an if ykyk design would make it feel less like walking around with a red bull max verstappen fan-shirt and more like wearing a proper design-shirt, which in my eyes it totally is. Not sure if I'm alone in this, but I feel it is what's keeping it from being perfect, massive props to the designers!
100% agree. I'm actually quite surprised they go this garish with the logo. I've always admired the restraint of European cars and their smallish maker badges vs some 8 inch tall monstrosity you find on the grill of an Escalade.
Completely agree, I like many of the designs, but I despise wearing any branding. When I pay for something I'm unwilling to become a walking billboard as well.
Serviceable parts would be a nice return. The number of times I've been advised to buy a fully new component instead of servicing it is shocking. E.g., where only servicing a rear free hub would suffice, I was told I needed to replace the whole wheel.
Just built a Trek Emonda 2024 with direct mount rim brakes after my favorite bike was stolen. It's fantastic. It's nimble, responsive, and doesn't gurgle nor screech when I apply the brakes. Feels like a real bike to me - not a bike that wants to be a motorcycle. Decidedly a personal preference, but I'm kind of old and don't race. To each his/her own for sure, but there are many people who legitimately prefer rim brakes on high end bikes.
Millions of rim brake bikes out there only a badly run bike manufacture would stop making Rim brake bikes and parts . We are not all wannabe tour de france riders . We want reliable simple and easy to maintain bikes to do the miles on . IMHO
Rim brakes are so much better. I never had problems stopping on rims, but my discs fade all the time, or randomly stop working bc of contamination - incredibly unsafe! Also easier to work on
Since moving to disc brakes, I have no trouble with wheels going out of true as the rim wears out. Replacing a worn rotor is much easier and cheaper than replacing a worn rim. 'No fuss' is an exaggeration.
Campagnolo still sells a full range of rim brakes from Chorus to Super Record according to their website. In future please do you due diligence before stating preference for sponsor’ group set. TY.
Mechanical gearing, caliper and rim brakes, inner-tubes, standardized round seat post sizing, threaded bottom brackets, separate stem/handlebar setups without integration.
My Giant Contend's been giving me smiles for miles and was the cheapest road bike available in my LBS on account of it being the only model left w/ rim brakes. All the fun of being a roadie w/ almost an additional $1k available in my wallet still!
Because disc brakes will always rub…. No matter what. Negating aero wheels and aero helmet you just spent 4k on. Pro teams have mechanics full time to help with this problem regular people do not. Also disc brakes make for a heavier bike and are proven less aero. Manufacturers like disc brakes because the consumer has to buy a brand-new bike.
One of the joys of bicyling is its simplicity and the idea that you can do all your own work. I can just about live with disc brakes but the idea of electronic shifting is completely anathaema to me.
Disc brakes have solved a problem no road cyclist ever had - braking power. Disc brakes are for mountain bikers, cross bikes etc not TT bikes, road bikes.
braking power is important. Especially if you carry cargo. Just because a bicycle is slow on the straight it doesn't mean it's slow downhill. When you're going 50kph+ downhill (easily achieved without pedalling) and you have 20kg+ of papers, groceries or even a trailer on the back, you want to have some stopping power.
Can confirm. About a month ago, I took my dad’s old mountain bike to a trail where I had only ridden my gravel bike, and during the technical downhill parts, braking was definitely a problem, even in the dry
@@nstrug On my previous bike I had Shimano carbon wheels with a thin metal strip along the rim. Great braking power in dry and wet and no special brake pads required. I regret having sold that bike.
I think rim brakes will be available for a long time, but not in the top groups. Taking a look at the sales worldwide of the lower categories, I don't see hydraulic disc brakes make much progress because of the fact that there a lot of people do their own maintenance and are not in the mood for those brakes, neither for tubeless tires.
Rim brakes, tubes and external cable routing have never left the road bikes at my home. Life is simple and I can work on all of my bikes. I do have discs on my mtn bike , gotta say they work well and are easy to work on too. Have a great day !
I love my rim brakes... If it ain't broken don't fix it..❤ I have used the stump jumper.. 😊 I know what this machine is capable of.. I actually jumped an old stump in my home town.. God bless Orangeville.. just to demonstrate that it's possible
I remember my first 1985 Stumpjumper and Trek 850s with cantilevers that was sooo powerful at stopping that I nearly threw myself over the bars in those first rides. And my first DuraAce's (1990?) were staggeringly powerful (well, after Campy's, foot-on-the-road was 'powerful stopping'...ahem). Those bikes are so much lighter and faster than the behemoths with shock-absorbers.
I don’t understand why people complain about disc brake maintenance. I ride 10k km per year and all I have to do is to now and then replace the brake pads (10 min job) and to bleed the brakes once a year (30 min job). Super easy and brake performance is far superior.
Why rim brakes? Because the hydraulic disk brakes are like a children's tech experiment. Such poor quality. So many simptoms... Noises when braking, noises/touching when not braking...
Bring back threaded headsets and quill stems. Anyone who believes they're inferior has no idea just how versatile and reliable they are. I see far more loose threadless headsets come through my shop, as well as customers who are frustrated that they cant adjust their handlebar height without dropping another $30-50 on some ugly contraption to replace their existing stem.
For the sake of accuracy, there are only two electronic groupsets in Campy's lineup: Super Record Wireless and Super Record EPS. Campy's mechanical road groupsets include Super Record, Record, Chorus, and Centaur. So Campy has hardly moved away from mechanical groups on the road. Campy also offers Super Record, Record, and Chorus mech groupsets in disc AND rim brake options. Seems like Alex's comments about Campy and rim brakes aren't congruent with what Campy offers.
My thoughts exactly. It is a shame, though, that Campy chose not to make the new SR Wireless in a rim brake version. That's one reason Pinarello did not include an updated Dogma F rim brake in their latest launch (according to Fausto). But Pinarello still produces the older Dogma F in rim brakes thankfully.
Another advantage of crazy manufacturing ‘advances', is we learn how to maintain our old ‘out of date bikes’ we can get cheap 2nd hand components, reusing what would be otherwise thrown away, and I don’t get tempted to part with £4000 I need for eating because, nothing on that showroom model will fit with anything I already have. Perfect.
The only thing more important than rim brakes on a proper road bike are tubs. How about getting back to racing on sub 1000g super comfortable wheelsets that you don't pinch flat and won't throw you on the floor or destroy your rim flanges when they lose air suddenly!
I hope that they keep making rim brakes. The simplicity, and looks are far beyond disc. It would also be nice if they continued to improve the technology of the brakes. Surely there has to be some computer modeled, 3-d printed design that could be lighter and at same time apply more stopping power. Improvements in the rubber compounds for pads that stop better when wet. It's so enjoyable to take an old frame and apply modern tech to improve the ride.
I do ride disc brakes on my gravel bike, but hate the faff of brake maintenance. Still riding and racing rim brakes on the road, 25mm tubulars are all anyone needs.
I use disk brakes from the adult re-start with cycling and newer looks to rim brakes, you know-they wear rim, saffer in wet conditions, etc. But this summer I bought a singlespeed bike with two rim brakes, and it's amazing. They work well with narrow road slick tires flowlessly. Anyway, you don't need additional force at the brakes-all you get is uncontrollable sliding (and it's less effective to brake near this point, as car brake tests teach). And it's cheap; it looks nice and classy. I love it. Unfortunately, singlespeed is not for my left knee, but I plan to change it to the same bike with rear derailer.
My gripe with disk brakes is not the brakes themselves but the fact you have to also get new frame, wheels and groupset/shifters to use them meaning for those cash strapped of us with old rim brake bikes we can't reuse anything
On the throttle ebike comment - I cycle through Leicester to get to work and there are loads of these deliveroo riders on throttle bikes and it's carnage. They fly around corners so fast that it won't be long until someone comes to serious harm. I think something does need to be done about them
Good vid guys. A point missed is that the cycling industry has decades of scamming us, constantly updating and changing equipment to help us empty our wallets! They have also been too quick to put to market new equipment without proper longer term testing and consumer approval. I am so happy I have a collection of road bikes from various era's. I find a few of my 20-30 yr old bikes to be competitive and not much different in ride comfort from today's modern stuff, and easier to work on as well.. Its always the legs that are the deciding factor! Cheers!
4:32 Are people interested in a premium brand rim brake road bike? Ask all the people who snapped up the slower shifting manual Porsche 911 R with the top spec RS engine for an ungodly sum.
I own a Colnago C60 with Campa Record mechanical 11v and rim brakes. I welcome Colnago’s move to accommodate rim brake fans; I am sorry, however, that it is available only with electronic shifting. There should still be a place for traditionalists, like myself, who appreciate rim brakes and mechanical shifting.
Here is the logic problem with "FTP" measurement: FTP is defined as the power one can sustain for an extended period of time, usually 45 minutes to one hour...well, is it 45 minutes or an hour? In any case, a performance measure. FTP is explained as the power output at which lactate clearance equals lactate production...a metabolic state which may or may not equate to one's one hour power output. FTP is tested by riding for 20 minutes or less, perhaps as little as 5 minutes, because riding hard for an hour hurts too much. Then, we multiply by .95. We keep trying to equate FTP-60, FTP-20, FTP-5, and lactate threshhold, and then scoff at "FTP" when we find that these measures aren't the same!
In a race situation, disc brakes are needed to have the uniform control of speed throughout the peloton. For most of us who don't have a support crew and pro bank roll, I think having an easy to maintain, dependable, and affordable means of cycling is preferred. If you want to ruin cycling, make it unaffordable to everyday cyclists. Rich people drive cars and have bike "collections." Keep it fun folks!
I mean, the peloton was doing just fine before disc brakes were introduced. It also seems there were more accidents lately than ever before on rim brakes.
YES! WHEN will this industry learn/have the epiphany that there are only SO many wealthy hedge fund managers, (or 'dentists' in the UK, as they say) around to purchase their batshit bonkers priced products/!?!?! Eating, and having a safe place to sleep will always take priority/precedence over 'disposable income' fluff like a fully pro level, full aero hidden cable, crunchy carbon disc braked vunderbike. Yes, even for a dedicated enthusiast/bike nut.
Glad to hear rim brakes might make a comeback, love them on my old Venge. Complex and environmentally dodgy discs are more expensive and not really necessary. But there's a new emerging sport that greatly benefits from disc brakes. Backcountry touring on an e-assist bike or any bike loaded down with gear is radically improved with disc brakes. Descending 20 kilometers on steep gravel switchbacks with an 85ilb trailer in the back of me was easy. Impossible on rim brakes, which would simply have burned. Love to have choices for different purposes.
The main reason for disc brakes is that it's easier to make carbon rims that don't explode from overheating like carbon rim brakes do occasionally. Which was a real problem for a time. But they are lighter, brake just as well and are much easier to maintain and honestly look better to me. I'm hoping that we'll get some more rim brake options back in the future.
The cost associated with cycling is extraordinary. The manufacturers produce a new model and market it - the elite teams are provided with sponsorship to promote the new stuff. Other manufacturers produce similar options to remain in business. Other teams get on board to remain competitive. This cycle of supply and demand gets so expensive, that only the extremely wealthy people or teams with sponsorship can really afford the sport. I have a twenty year old BILLATO full carbon that was custom built for me by Roberto Billato in 2006. It’s equipped with 10 S Campag Chorus Carbon, Campag Scirocco Rims, HP tyres and still looks and performs like new. It cost me AUD$10k then (I was 55 and could afford it). My training hack is a 2005 aluminium/carbon Wilier with Chorus 10S - it cost me AUD $5k and is still going strong. For domestic competition and recreational cycling, there is nothing wrong with rim brakes and other equipment that has been around for years, if you look after it. For instance, being able to service bearings in bottom brackets, wheels, pedals etc.
For me, I’d love to see the return of standardised headset caps - like the circular O-ring-sealed ones of a few years ago. The problem with a lot of modern frames that come with proprietary cockpits is that the headset caps are designed only to work with the integrated bar-stems that come with the bike. This means that if the bar is too wide or the stem too short or long, replacing the cockpit costs a lot of money. With a standardised headset cap that can accommodate a range of integrated bars and, indeed, a range of separate bars and stems, it is easier and cheaper to find a stem-bar combination that works for each individual rider.
I used rim brakes for 40 years, yes there are a lot of advantages to use a disc brake, but I never missed one. 105 km/h downhill at the Kühtai in Austria with rim brakes, no problem.
Yet every downhill MTB has had discs for about 10-15 years. I recently swapped my rim braked bike for a disc braked one, and will never go back. The rim brakes were Ultegra Di2 on alloy rims, so not a non branded cheap job,and the difference is night and day.
@@NemesisRTCW I agree, the difference is huge, but I don’t need a disc brake. I feel save with rim brakes and had never a problem. I wish the bike part companies would make both versions.
@@blende5.693 I must say I am pretty overweight. Being out of cycling for a year or 6 hasn't done me any good. I am willing to bet a lighter rider will not notice as large a difference, but for me the dics brakes feel much better, whereas the rim brakes felt adequate at best (they did feel better when I was lighter, in my memory) My normal day to day bike is a flatbar Rose Multistreet with Xt 11 speed and hydraulic disk brakes, and then the difference is very noticable. After doing a ride on my old rim brake bike the Multistreet always felt overbraked at first, but in reality the Ultegra rim brakes were just mediocre at best.
@@NemesisRTCW If you are a heavier rider, be careful on long descends. Buy the biggest rotors you can fit, trust me. Brakes overheat faster than you might imagine, and when they do, they immediately lose all the power. Scary stuff.
I just understand why we are being forced to move to disc brakes. There are millions of bikes out there that are rim, yet if a caliper brakes, you're basically screwed if you want to buy a new one.
Rim brakes: Simpler tech. Just as good if sunshine rider. Perfect if using classic strong alloy wheels. There is a lot of rim brake bikes out there. No noise. Many, like old school. Easy to maintain.
With respect to rim brake bikes: Take a look at Ritchey Logic Road bike. A steel frame with rim brakes. Still available. Lots cheaper than the Colnago, and it's real steel, not plastic! 🙂
I believe that functionality is , in many times , more important then performance ! specially if one is not racing ! being able to have the parts to last a loooooot of years/kms and being able to do fixes at home with unspecialized tools is a super important thing for any bicycle both enthusiast / lover ! So i wish y'all guys did a video on how a low cost , but good bicycle ! can be a really very nice one to own , by just swapping to it some good quality parts , not necessarily expensive ones ! ...including second hand parts when budget calls ! I did that with my bicycle and i literally love it !!! ...and if weight is an issue , it only weights around a kg more that an aero canyon ! and its all aluminium ! ( i sent you photos and the story to your inbox ! ) I believe its a great thing for ppl ( including myself , who want in into the sport / experience but cant afford an expensive bike !!! Best regards , Thank you ! Ps. i use inner tubes , its so much cheaper and less troubling than tubless !
After wearing out my rims, the choice of rim brake wheel compared with disk is minimal. Finding it hard to find the optimal choice within my price range.
I am a life-long cyclist in my mid seventies. Two years ago I was coming down the Roca Corba hill on a lovely bike with disc brakes. The descent was so fast that I was heavy on the brakes for a good portion of the ride. The disc brakes got so hot that they warped and gave me a very rough ride. After they cooled they regained their true shape and became smooth again. Gordon Becker Toronto, Canada
Why not rim brakes? Cheaper, lighter, also easier to maintain, for light riders not doing 90kph they're great. I'm riding Shimano 105 rim brakes on my Van Rysel EDR 105 AF and it's perfect.
God bless Colnago. Now, hopefully some other companies will follow suit with lower cost options. I just like the simplicity and ease of maintenance of rim brakes. And i’m lazy enough to skip riding in the rain. And YES to inner tubes!
Tubes? Threaded bottom brackets? Rim brakes? Did they ever go away? My bikes are all lugged steel frame traditional bikes. What most people would call "a bike." The kind that Mercks raced on or randonneurs tour on. It is not about the gear, guys. It's about the engine.
Thought for the GCN shop. For cyclists with diabetes who have to have an insulin pump, a jersey designed to hold an insulin pump and thread the connector thru would be a boon for those of us who do have to use one.
@@凸Bebo凸 Sadly with the UCI weight limit your comment is BS. A Disc braked TDF bike weighs just as much or little as a rim braked one, it has to, as there is nothing on the rulebook that allowed rim braked bikes to weigh less.
@@NemesisRTCW lol cope, there are no 6.8kg disc brake bikes it's impossible with aero shape unless you go super shallow wheels that are slow. Easy to make a UCI illegal sub 6.8kg bike on rim though. The average weight of the bikes was 8kg 2 years ago. Heavy silly bikes no pro wants to ride.
@@凸Bebo凸 My Lapierre Xelius with Dura ace 12 speed DI2 comes in at 6.9 kg. That's with pedals, a long stem (still figuring out the position, so lots of spacers still on) on DA C36 rims. Your statement is just incorrect. You can make a disc braked bike weighing in near or under the UCI limit.
@@NemesisRTCW Those are slow 21mm wheels, you don't know what you are talking about and definitely can't. I'm going to laugh when pogacar blasts up the hill on rim next year and you Freds are rushing out to buy it again.
As someone who likes to go away riding in new, not always well-known places, the possibility to service the bike without to much problems, I much prefer rim brakes, inner tubes and external cables.
@@pierrex3226 True, but none which have an alloy braking surface (like the original, 'old school' aero carbon wheels), and none in narrower options which will fit into older, low clearance frames/forks. ☹😡
Not interested in an expensive rim brake bike AT ALL. But I agree on no going tubeless. Not a single worry about sealant spraying everywhere or getting all over my floor/garage etc. I rarely get punctures and I have been riding latex tubes for years. In fact, the only few punctures I got were from changing the tire and the my lever ripping my latex tube.
Do you think other brands will follow in Colnago's footsteps and bring out new bike models with rim brakes?
I hope so!
Yes. Rim brakes are a more elegant solution.
Unless there are groupsets and wheelsets to hang off them, it's all rather moot.
I hope so too. I have a gravel bike with disc brakes as it seemed like the most obvious choice, but I'm never racing or trying to go down a mountain as fast as possible so rim brakes do the job perfectly well
I am gripping my rim brakes every ride on everything I own, save 1 mountain bike I have. My road bike is lovely, but is rim brake (2011 Trek Madone 5.2). I managed to procure an older set of 55 mil rim brake carbon wheels, and that bike is just *chef's kiss* to me.
Admittedly, I'd love a Shimano electronic shifting groupset, but only if it's a full groupset, and matching the color of the old one. Everything is black these days, and the grey/ silver of my Ultegra (6800 series?) is beautiful on the bike. A black groupset would be too much black on the bike for my taste.
Old school kit is still relevant, thank you. Inner tubes, rim brakes, external cables just make sense for many cyclists.
All you said is true except rim brakes. They have no use
@@skfl2372 to you, we dont think the same way, and thats the beauty of living in the free world
Love those down tube friction shifters. I also am looking forward to the return of wool clothing.
@@Elinzar Agree. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no matter how wrong it is.
Cable location means little for day to day use. Disc brakes are simply better for everyone. Tubeless is better for everyone that doesn't leave their bike sitting for months between rides
35mm tyres, rim v-brakes, external cables, Mavic Alu wheels, threaded BB! My 22 year old bike is now hot again. BILF!
I just built up a new custom Ti, with 38mm, v-brakes alloy rims, just the ticket!
Which V-Brakes has that tire clearance? Thx
Everyone will look at you with envy now
@@zozolione All of the V-Brakes on the market clear a 38mm tire easily.
Not to be confused with "C-brakes" a.k.a. road calipers.
@@BennoSattler I have a Trek Emonda 2018 with Bontrager Speed stop V Brakes and Bontrager Aeolus 3 Pro, Trek says maximum 25 mm tires but I would like to try 28mm for more comfort, just not sure if’s a safety issue?
The return of threaded BBs and the advances in TPU tubes definitely gives me hope that the industry can advance without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
@@jhiguchi the baby is the reason the bathwater is dirty.
@@veganpotterthevegan Instead of stretching this analogy to the breaking point I'll just say that I'm in favour of keeping anything that makes maintaining my bikes easier with less faffing. (thanks to GCN this is word is no common place in my lexicon) If you're a fan of BB30, tubless/hookless, hydraulic brakes and aero socks, all the power to you. I'm just happy to have the choice and I think a healthy industry provides as much choice as it can support. :)
@@jhiguchi I like working on my bikes. But rim brakes are actually more work. Cleaning rims and adjusting rim brakes takes more effort than disc brakes that are largely self cleaning and self adjusting
@@veganpotterthevegan But the scale of the work is different. Rim brakes take more day to day work, but are extremely simple (and particularly simple for roadside work). Disc brakes, especially hydraulic disc brakes, are more complicated to work on but require less routine upkeep.
@@veganpotterthevegan When did I say anything about rim brakes? I'll ride anything from brakeless track bikes to disc brake gravel.
I don't use rim brakes because of nostalgia, I do because they're cheaper and easier to maintain.
"Easier" is opinion. I used to futz around with rim brakes all the time as the pads wore down or the cable stretched. Discs have a little more learning curve to initially set up, and require a few specialized tools, but good quality ones are essentially set-and-forget. The only time I typically touch them is an occasional bleed or replacing the pads, which is no more difficult than replacing rim pads.
"cheaper" kind of depends on how you look at it, for the initial outlay sure, unless you want reputable electronic shifting then there are no lower mid-tier options, but sooner or later you will need new rims (sooner rather than later if they are carbon and/or you ride in all weathers).
I ride them mainly because they work just fine for me, and they are what is on my circa 2000 ride (Merlin Road with Campy Record gruppo).
I do not feel like spending (nor can I right now) $10K USD+ on a new crunchy carbon wonder bike, just to get the disc brakes, aero, and complicated hidden and wireless everything.
Especially not if it is going to have a shitty, out of round, loose and noisy, press fit bottom bracket setup for that exorbitant price!
@@nofascistsonmywatch You don't have to spend 10k on a bike to have reliable disc brake carbon wonder bike...
Drum brakes - I can’t recall having fettled on the go more than occasionally adjusting a cable barrel…
Bringing out a new rim brake bike is good, making it ridiculously expensive is not. What us consumers want is CHOICE! So, a range of bikes with rim/disc brakes in a variety of specs. Simple really.
Surly, rivendell, crust... Some bike companies are still carrying the torch.
Origine marque française fait du très bon rim brake abordable
Rose Pro SL 105. There you go. It's available all the time for past few years.
@@user-ep6iw9he7e not in UK their not!
This is the ultimate post on UA-cam.
Clear, direct, concise, logical, simple.
My wife and I were fortunate enough to visit Colnago from the USA back in 2015 where we had the great pleasure of meeting Ernesto Colnago. I asked Ernesto if I should get rim brakes or disks on my new Colnago. He said get rim so I did! At least I think that’s what he said because his English was not great and my Italian worse LOL. I’m glad to see rim brakes making a return. I’m 69 and very much a traditionalist. Y’all keep riding!
Caden wheels. I recommend
Think in 2015, rim brakes were the better option. I bought a C64 with rim brakes in 2018, but replaced it with one with disks in 2020. I'm not a heavy braker, but disks are just so much better for most cyclists
Here here!
Now if we can simplify BB standards from the current 9,000 variations...
That sounds like pure science fiction
😒
What we need is a new universal standard.
@@jrstf We now have 9,001 standards.
i like my bb68 running a 30mm spindle.
Rim brakes are cheaper, generally speaking. They are far easier to maintain and adjust. Moreover, they can be adjusted in the middle of a ride with relative ease.
Nah. I've a rim brake and a disc brake bike...disc brakes barely need maintenance. They're the future. Love my rim brake bike but it's old hat now.
Disc brakes need less maintainence. If they're hydraulic, you won't ever need to adjust them on a ride as they're self adjusting as the pads wear. They're also largely self cleaning. I've had to clean rims in the past due to roads being so dirty when riding in the rain but that's a total non-issue with discs
I‘ve never needed to adjust my hydraulic disk brakes.
And they don't scream like banshee just because oil from your fingers got on them.
@@ScottyCycles why would you get oil on your disc brakes?
It's amazing, most of us seem to want easier bikes to ride and maintain and are OK with losing the advantages required by professionals. Hopefully we'll continue to see bike manufacturers understand this fact and direct some attention our way.
Rim brakes need more maintenance. Technology moves on for a reason.
@@FoobsTonno, they don't. You replace the pads and cables every year and that's it.
Disc brakes rub if your thru axle goes out of torque, pads glaze over if you brake too hard, if they overheat, the discs warp, and you have to bleed them every year. They're nice if you don't do your own maintenance, but they're a pain for everyone else.
What most internet comments complain about and what most people actually buy are not always the same.
There is no way the entire industry would deliberately make bikes that don't sell.
@@squngy0 When you're only given one choice, that's what you buy.
@@davids4610 Rim brakes didn't disappear overnight. There was a long period where both were an option, and the more prifitable one remains while the less profitable one is dying.
If enough people still bought new expensive rim brake bikes, they would still be an option.
In 2018 bought a Cervelo R 3 wth rim brakes because as everyone was moving to disc brakes, got that bike for 35% off. Upgraded the wheels and using TPU inner tubes, the tubes are now lasting longer than the tires. Bought a gravel bike after that with tubeless and disc brakes. The noise, the seemingly endless having to adjust those brakes and having to replace the hydraulic fluid really made me appreciate the rim brakes. Leakage of sealtant and other issues had me move to the TPU inner tubes for that bike. I am not so much a traditionalist but someone who loves very low mainteance and functionly over "high tech".
Their mention of "traditionalist" sounded quite paternalizing, insulting and ignorant.
I saved more than £100, and about a kilo in weight by purchasing a new road bike with rim brakes over the same model, but with discs. That made sense to me.
Was it a Trek Domane? That's what I'm guessing 😂
until you feel the braking performance of discs.
@@Mrpoodler I thought someone would guess correctly.
@@delorangeade I just hate the fact that with the rim brake version they made all the tubes thin etc etc. where as with the disc version the bikes looks totally different and a lot more modern. Why couldn't they keep the modern look for the rim version as well. The only thing that puts me off, but it's a big thing. The disc version looks so much more chunky and 'professional'
Until you need it.@@Koen030NL
Unless you are using carbon rims, or antique chromed steel or aluminum ones, rim brakes are powerful and reliable under all conditions. Quality alloy rims and quality brake pads with rim brakes are a fully mature, inexpensive, easily maintained system.
I have always thought that the disc brake road bike craze began for two reasons: 1) Carbon fiber rims don't work well with rubber brake pads, especially when wet (thought: Why not just use carbon brake pads, a la F1, or, more relevantly, MotoGP?); and 2) E-bikes, especially the fast and heavy kinds that we New Yorkers detest and fear, need a motorcycle style braking system because they ARE effectively motorcycles. With so many mainstream bike companies jumping on the E-bike bandwagon, it makes sense to spread hydraulic disc brakes across the product line, because it's cheaper in the long run as they take advantage of economies of scale.
Add to the foregoing the emphasis on racing, and this has skewed product lines towards bikes and related equipment that are, as Ollie has said in the past,, not fit for purpose for most riders. Seriously: Most people don't live or ride in the Alps or Rockies. Most people aren't trying to break away from the peloton, or riding in pacelines such that they need to refine their cadence in one tooth increments on a 13 cog rear cassette. Sure, there are plenty who do, and of course there should be products that cater to that market. But to see the product lines of most bike and groupset manufacturers, you would think that racing up and down Mont Ventoux is the norm, not the exception.
Excellent comment - fact - carbon rims and rim brakes aren't really compatible in the long run run, fact - 99% of amateur cyclists don't need deep section carbon rims, fact - good quality alloy rims are usually lighter than deep section carbon wheels.
I am staying with rim brakes - DEFINITELY NOT BUYING DISCS - this is simple - NO RIM BRAKE OPTION = NO SALE !
I am voting with my wallet on this one.
@@jacdogma1316 True, but they do look and SOUND cool, even on a 'dated', older, even non-carbon skinny tubed frame, totally non-aero machine, as long as they are not the 55mm+ deep variety, and they fit between the chain stays and under the fork crown. 😉
I don't really agree with carbon rims at all - they are massively expensive and heavier, need disc brakes and are prone to sudden failure- this is a technology suitable for professional cyclists who need small aerodynamic gains during races but have the budgets to replace the wheels two or three times per year. If you want reliable wheels that will last for years carbon wheels are a definite NO, if you want simplicity and safety, disc brakes are a NO. On balance disc brakes are needed for deep section carbon wheels for professional cyclists but otherwise there is no clear need, direct mount rim brakes with good quality alloy wheels are totally superior- cost about a third, simple to maintain and wheels last for years without the risk of sudden failure or delamination associated with carbon fibre. Carbon fibre is great for frames but does not withstand heat or friction at all so it is absolutely wrong for wheels.
Fact deep section carbon wheels and disc brakes will add ca. 1.5kg to the weight of the bike so there is a weight saving needed elsewhere - a much more expensive and likely weaker frame obtains thus the bike is not built to last - it is designed for one season of racing only - not for several years of enjoyment for amateur cyclists
Rim brakes for price and weight. At the Tiagra level and below, rim brakes and aluminum rims make a lot of sense.
you say weight but rim brakes are not ideal for carbon bikes or carbon wheels. They are best suited to steel or aluminum the era that they were designed from.
@smiddysmidton8313 Agreed that rim brakes and carbon rims don't work well. Rim brakes don't work well with wooden rims either, which was standard in the era (1910-1935) that rim brakes emerged from. As you said, rim brakes paired with aluminum or steel rims work fine. Although, the material of the bike frame has no bearing on braking performance.
Also, hydraulic disc brakes have better stopping power and better modulation, albeit at a weight and price penalty. Cable actuated disc brakes have worse stopping power than rim brakes paired with aluminum rims, and cost more, and weigh more.
In 2024, hydraulic disc brakes make sense on mid-tier to high-end road bikes, where the cost of hydraulic is a small proportion of the total cost of the bike and as a finished build, the weight will be reasonable.
On budget road bikes, rim brakes are totally superior to cable and hydraulic disc brakes. A 22lbs budget road bike with hydraulic disc brakes that costs $500 more than its 20lbs rim brake counterpart doesn't make sense. Likewise, any cable actuated disc brake road bike doesn't make sense due to poor braking performance.
So, I'll say it again: Rim brake paired with aluminum rims is the best braking system for bikes priced at the Tiagra level and below.
@@EverythingsFine82
The weight penalty is long gone.
Calipers have become smaller and lighter, forks that can cope with the forces generated by disc brakes have become lighter as well.
The aerodynamic benefits of disc brakes are also quite large, with most calipers now bieng fitted behind the fork or in the rear triangel, so the only part sticking out is the discs themselves.
Why do we have to keep beating an old dog. If you like rim brakes, why shouldn’t you be able to have them. If you like discs, great, you too have that option. Same with tubes vs tubeless and BB standards. It is your bike and should be your choice.
@@NemesisRTCW if you think disc is more aero then go out and buy the s-works tarmac sl8 like I did and try ride no hands on windy days on the same roads you have been riding the last 25 years. Then do same on your rim brake tarmac and see how much marketing duped you hehe
I just recently built up a steel frame that was built for me is 1984. I built it up with Campy SR 11spd. and Mavic carbon clincher (inner tubes) wheels. The bike built up at 18lbs and has a beautiful ride. It has become the bike I pull down first to ride. It is the perfect marriage of old and new. Love this bike.
Sounds pretty much perfect. Good job!
ding ding ding. you did the right thing
Rim brakes were shelved just long enough to make them trendy again. Although, I will say disc brakes are nice for off-roading in muddy areas. My rim brakes would get clogged up in a lot of mud. But for everything else, rim brakes are much easier. And I don’t mind tubes at all. I prefer it over the mess of fixing a tubeless tire.
I can set up a tubeless wheels faster than installing 2 tubes. If I'm gonna get a flat on that tire, tubeless is already saving me time(I'm definitely getting plenty of punctures). It's really only a mess if you're installing them with your feet
It's not good for longevity of your rims. Once you wear through your brakingpatch your 2000$ carbons rims are toast. Even if everything else on them is still fine.
I loved my center pull rim brakes. Those things could stop molecular motion. I hated side pull rim brakes and so did my insurance company.
@@shawnreynolds2705 Try some Shimano BR-600 rim brakes or any Ultegra level rim brake with ball bearings in the pivots and forged arms. Stops on a dime any conditions.
I agree, for muddy conditions its disc no contest. Every thing else is highly debatable.
A simple thing that should return....round seatpost. Stop the proprietary post. Round posts are easier to work with, come in different lengths and setbacks, and make it easy to replace if it breaks.
The good thing about an aero post is that your saddle is guaranteed to be straight.... Dan
@@daniellloyd100 That's true, but they come in limited sizes for frames. I have one frame I cracked 5 aero seatposts on because they are a couple mm too short. I have a cyclocross frame I can't use the manufacturer's seatpost because it is way too short. Luckily, the frame has an adapter for round seatpost, so I can use a 410 mm seatpost that just fits.
I have provided myself for the future, before everything goes haywire in "development":
A 2017 6.8 kg Cannondale Hi Mod , with 2x11speed wireless Etap shifters, rimbrakes, 28mm tube tyres, brake cables hidden only in the frame, normal handlebar and stem 38mm compact shortreach, threaded BB just renewed. I will keep this the next 20 years ;-)
I'm stocking up on tyres, chains, cassettes etc. But with waxing the driveline will last very long anyway.
bro is ready to cycle around the wasteland after the nukes strike
Fallout bike
That's more or less what I'm riding too and I have no intention of upgrading any time soon.
What wheels & brake calipers do you run? My only complaint with the set up I have is the Sram Red calipers and they're pretty crappy
@@joeystreets2746 I've only done a few testruns til now but found my Sram red brakes lacking. I changed the pads to SwissStop, which I always do and they reduced the stopping distance to less than half. Hollowgram HG wheels
This is the GOAT frame for all round performance. I would drop down to a 36cm bar but just about perfect.
My touring bike has rim brakes and I've yet to have an issue with being able to stop. They are simple and quick to adjust if needed, which is rare. OTOH, when tourists I follow who have disc brakes have an issue, the problem is far more difficult to solve and typically requires a bike shop mechanic.
Rims are a better bet for most touring cyclists; as they're simple and easier to fix if you're out in the middle of nowhere.
i remember the growing pains working at a shop when disk brakes were comming in to line up. then i remember what a fucking pain in the ass it was to get pads flat on a rim.
im not trying to be rude, just a PSA. you need a truing stand to get a good rim brake set up. you only need a couple wrenched to service and burp disc brakes. pads last a season (5000km city). a 3buck cup to burp shimano mtb levers.and the seals in the caliper fail after 2 or 3 seasons (20k or 30k km) they are bomb proof.
im a messenger and if it rained 2 days in a row i wore oure my pads, and needed new rims ever season. lol once i blew out both sidewalls front and back, so i lowered my tire pressure and upened up the brakes and finished my shift :P.
happy tours!
Perhaps disc brakes are a little less intuitive than rim brakes to adjust? Once you learn to adjust them properly though it's no more difficult, if not a tad quicker.
@@Andy_ATB you should never need to fix the braking system of a vehicle in the middle of a ride.
I don't understand why so many cyclists simply accept that their stuff constantly breaks. Need to put more pressure on the manufacturers.
Hear hear
I personally would prefer to exclusively use hydraulic disc brakes, but buying rim brake bikes used are almost always cheaper.
Sensible comment. I really don't understand the people who say rim brakes are preferable. But I totally get not finding them valuable enough to justify the price.
We still aren't at the point where older used bikes have hydraulic brakes yet, so the ultra- budget riders don't get them for a few more years (my prediction, 5-7 years before $250 used road bikes start to have hydraulic brakes).
@@leafan101 Thanks and I agree. I got my bike used with rim brakes, great deal and not really any disc brake bikes worth buying as to get disc brakes I'd have to compromise on the frame and groupset which I decided was my priority.
That I can understand. I have a rim brake bike too; it’s parked out of the house for use as a daily commuter, which I dont care for even if it’s stolen.
I guess that that’s why some folks want rim brake bikes, because they just want a worthless toss away bike that they can afford not to care for.
Disk is nice on my commute/errand bike where I know I can always get a Lyft to the LBS if something happens and they break.
Rim breaks however are field repairable. I only do rim breaks for my bikepacking bike. When I'm 200 miles from a LBS and nothing but corn and soybeans for 100 miles around, I need field repairable.
@@leafan101my 12 year old bike has disk brakes, paid around 1000€ for it at the time with tektro hydraulics but they're good enough that I never felt the need to change them
I use both disc and rim. Rim brakes work great when it is dry. And it is lighter. I still use external cabling on some of my bikes. I use electronic shifting too. Both work great. So no issues here. What I really dislike is how bike companies push crazy bb standards and axles onto consumers. Honestly, I am done with big bike brands. Goodbye. I shall buy mainly from small custom builders and specify what I want.
I’ve never once found that rim brakes gave less braking force than I was capable of dealing with. To me, they’re probably a benefit to a pro (probably), but I’m not a pro.
The total force is a non-issue. Stopping distance is though. If you ride enough, there will be a time when rim brakes won't stop well enough for you. That's also true for disc brakes but there isn't a better option than disc brakes.
@@veganpotterthevegan
Exactly. They're also easier to apply pressure to without jeopardising my ability to stay upright.
It's like ABS brakes, automatic gear boxes, sensors and cameras on cars... It just make the experience less brain damage.
@@FoobsTon ha, for sure. None of these people would want 4 drum brakes on a car. They were "good enough" when that's all we had. And there were some ridiculous holdouts that thought disc brakes weren't necessary.
@@veganpottertheveganyour stopping distance is limited by the traction of your tires. If you can lock up your wheels and skid with your rim brakes, switching to disc wouldn't do anything to change your stopping distance.
@holben27 locking your wheels means nothing. It's the modulation and ability to slow down in between. Then there's the disc brake superiority with brake fade on a long, technical descent. That's something that's even a bigger deal for novices as they use their brakes more than a skilled rider. *Mostly everyone benefits from the larger tires that disc brakes permit too
Guys Pinarello new Dogma F, also has RIM brake option, and no one 😅 mention it ... Rim brake never died , it's just less options out there , but many many riders still prefer it .
The Dogma F is so overpriced that I am not surprised that nobody mentions it- Pinarello have totally priced themselves out of the market so they are making the F-series bikes to try to reconnect with the consumer, they should have carried on making F10 & F12 versions where you get the T1100 professional level frames but instead you get a hugely expensive watered down Dogma F with a weaker frame, discs and 105 groupset, Uuuurgh, I am sticking with my F10 with dura ace di-2 and rim brakes which cost less their F7 with 105, I hate what Pinarello have done to their brand - but they are interested in making 💰💰, not the best race bikes
inner tubes (on road), external cables, threaded BB's, and.......MECHANICAL DRIVETRAINS!!
Standard round seat tubes is another one.
My newest bike has disc brakes. They are nice but to be honest, in the 30+ years I’ve been riding on road, I have never needed the extra stopping power of disc. Rim brakes have always been enough. Then again I don’t live near any mountains and avoid riding in the wet. But I do love disc on my mountain bike.
"extra stopping power of disc" only applies if your rim brake caliper/pads are not the best, or you have carbon rims. Otherwise, discs provide inferior, though arguably easier to control power.
@@borthwey Wtf ? Inferior ? Against all studies ? lol
I tried two stabs at disc brake road bikes. Giant TCR rides horribly and does not feel like the rim-brake TCR of 2019. It was so bad I got rid of it after a few rides. Also tried Allez Sprint disc--not what the rim brake one was. And these bikes cost $3k….WTF. Best to scrounge up a decent rim brake bike, some spare parts and hope the industry makes a bold move to bring rim brakes back to road (frames, groups, wheels manufacturers all have to be on board). Road bikes don’t feel exciting with disc brakes, they feel unbalanced and sluggish. My apologies for anyone who feels different but there was a true excitement when brands brought out new Tarmacs, TCRs, Emondas, S5, Foil, Altamira etc etc etc in the past decade. The bikes were responsive and fast. Also tubeless tires …they look like fine and feel fine but when they go out on the road what a mess! I am not putting down anyone who enjoys their disc brake bike / obviously I have a different opinion😂😂😂
I have been riding on the road exclusively since 1974. Before that I had a Raleigh 3spd that I road on pavement, sidewalks and dirt trails. Start working in a bike shop in Santa Cruz that year and when we weren't fixing or selling bicycles we were smoking ganja and having far ranging discussions on how the Universe should work. One of the great things about bicycles is their simplicity. And that fertile space that breeds invention. So one day this traveling salesman comes in with the bike that is going to change everything. What he showed us was a bicycle with a plastic frame and fork and joining them together was a nylon headset. My friend Laurence looked at it and said; "the only thing missing is disc brakes." Now the owner of the shop joined the conversation: "All the bicycles in this shop already have disc brakes." Except for my Gitane track bike he was right. The wheel is the rotor and the caliper is, well, the caliper. Being a grumpy old fuck now at the age of 71 I think that since Look Pedals hit the industry in 1985 most of the thing since are like putting Alligator shoes on a dead man. Overpriced and unnecessary. Bom Shiva!
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I'm from San Jose and I probably did 50 plus rides over HWY 9 to SC and my rim brakes served me well, my best time to SC city limit line was roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes, I miss those days now I live in Holland where it's flat and very boring to ride a bicycle.
You only have to look at how many perfectly good bikes are thrown away nowadays, to realise they've already become too complex for most people to fix at home and that makes them too expensive to get fixed in a shop.
Good quality steel frames, 5 deraileur gears with friction shifters, rim brakes (on steel rims), threaded bottom brackets and drop - outs rather than through axles. These would all make for durable reliable and repairable bikes which would meet the needs of 99% of leisure riders and commuters.
Mechanic and rider for more than 40 years...I ride rim brakes only because I'm too cheap to upgrade. I also have carbon tubular rims...in the wet with carbon rims & rim brakes, they are so bad you may as well not have brakes on the bike at all! On the internally routed cables note, I love the look! So clean! I think it is so good looking it's almost a good enough reason to replace the old bike. On that topic if you're using hydraulic brakes then you'll likely sell the bike before you need to replace a cable housing.
I am with u, been riding since 1985 with triathlons , got my last bike in 2020 which is for sprint Duathlons , rim brakes , manual shifting as well . Also still using my Garmin 920XT 10 yrs old .
if you combine the good pads and carbon rims, you get a very good result ( dry and wet )... I use only red pads from campagnolo and " ac3 " style rim brakes, i have no problem at all ; the braking is much better than my campagnolo zonda wheels
I personally cannot 'upgrade' like the industry and many on here demand that I do, since I would like to EAT decent food for the next year instead of spending all of that coin on a crunchy aero carbon, hidden everything, wide wheeled/tired, disc braked, wunder-bike for insanely exorbitant amounts of coin.
Carbon wheels and rim brakes are NOT compatible - if you are going carbon wheels you need disc brakes. The question arises as to whether you need carbon wheels when you can get excellent alloy wheels (e.g. maxtal) for a third of the price of caarbon wheels ?
Carbon wheels are really only needed for professional cyclists.
Without a doubt on road bike I prefer rim brakes. Stopping is as much about tyres as brakes and 99% of the time brakes are about speed control not panic stopping which usually comes down to tyres sliding. I only buy 2nd hand bikes now as I feel the bike industry is not listenening and trying to force people into more complex, expensive and dependant technologies which goes against the entire essence of cycling. Good on Colonago I'd buy one if I didn't already have two
Among everything mentioned the thing I despise the most is internal cable routing. It just seems like a complicated solution to a non-existent problem. I've been stuck on the side of the road twice because of this specific "feature" on my gravel bike.
I view that largely the same as the trend for cell phones made out of glass. Mostly impractical but it looks nice so all the "journalists" fawn over it and disparage any model without it.
Also, most do not need the 'function' of the proven by Silca, 5 watts or so aero savings which they provide.
I will admit though that the 'track bike look' of fully hidden everything is kind of cool, despite the royal PIA they are to service/maintain.
Quite agree I bought a frame new that had internal cables and even with magnets and all the other equipment had an nightmare getting the second cable through the handlebars and frame as the magnet kept picking up the first cable in the end I fed 2 fishing lines through attached to the cables and pulled and preyed it didn’t pull off going through.
Two simple reasons why rim brakes should have remained: user choice and weight. I still ride my Trek Madone Series 9 Project One, where rim brakes reached perfection. 7.45kg with pedals, bottle cages and lights.
Same also riding the Madone 9 with rim. It’s the ultimate
There is a lot of useless tech out there: DI2, cables routed inside the frame, carbon bikes for casual riders, etc. Lots of marketing BS most (99.9%) people don’t need. But discs are one hell of an advancement for most risers:
-Easy in maintenance
-comparably cheap in service
-reliable in all weather conditions
-Easy to adjust (at least after a bit of practice)
-No issues with untrue rims rubbing against the breaking surface and slowing you down
-Self-adjusting when bled even half properly. (ie you have a fairly consistent feeling all the way through the brake pads)
-Less pulling force required to stop you down
Discs are literally the 1 upgrade worth it for any rider. In MTB sports people were shittalking discs in the beginning as well but today nobody would buy a bike without discs for good reasons. Even hard core traditionalists are now happily riding their disc brakes.They’re just better.
Carbon also has it's benefits.
With the fibre layup you can make a bike that is very stiff lateraly,, yet compliant in the horizontal plane.
So more comfort over bumps, yet stiff enough to not corner like a wet noodle.
That is very hard to do with aluminium tube, yes you can make it oval, but changing the tubes wall thickness is a very costly/ expensive/impractical affair.
It is always the same blabla. In the past some riders didn't like Clip Pedales because of Sprints in which they prefered cages, they didn't like aluminium frames because they were ugly, they hated STI and were happy with their downtube shifters, helmets were really dangerous because of overheating.... 😂. As you said in your comparison to MTB, no one will talk about this in 5 years time. Its always been like that. Some people just don't like change.
I won’t deny that Carbon has its benefits. But not for the average joe. I have worked in the industry long enough to be able to tell you with 100% confidence that the average joe will be better off with a modern steel or aluminium road bike. The differencees both in weight and performance only matter to those with a strict nutrition and training plan on their hand. And then only if they are competing. One of the last GCN videos was about this ultra cheap road bike and this thing was only 4 minutes slower than a 10k race machine. Throw in some better wheels, fit it correctly and the gap will be even smaller. So no, Carbon fibre is marketing bla bla especially since the real benefits only come with more expensive fibres that most people can’t afford anyways. Also Carbon QC is a nightmare to behold. ;)
@@theredspoon1763 I somewhat disagree with your take in carbon. A good carbon bike is just better to ride. That said, I also do like aluminum too. If I was on a tight budget, I'd get a really nice aluminum frame with a better groupset and wheels. I think that is where a lot of people go wrong. They are so obsessed with carbon, they will spend more on a carbon frame when they could get a better overall bike with aluminum.
There are so many top quality rim-brake superbikes still hanging up in people's garages that, if I were in the market for such a bike, I'd hunt up the best used one I could find.
The GCN casual merch has me in a wrench. The designs are all fiercely amazing and very unique, but the GCN text is way too in your face (like Alex's shirt).
It being more of a subtle logo (like a flap/tag on the side or a logo only on the back) or an if ykyk design would make it feel less like walking around with a red bull max verstappen fan-shirt and more like wearing a proper design-shirt, which in my eyes it totally is. Not sure if I'm alone in this, but I feel it is what's keeping it from being perfect, massive props to the designers!
100% agree. I'm actually quite surprised they go this garish with the logo. I've always admired the restraint of European cars and their smallish maker badges vs some 8 inch tall monstrosity you find on the grill of an Escalade.
Completely agree, I like many of the designs, but I despise wearing any branding. When I pay for something I'm unwilling to become a walking billboard as well.
100% agree as well. Tone down the logo. I’ll buy!
Agreed. I am not keen on big logos. Would buy a more subtly branded t shirt
Serviceable parts would be a nice return. The number of times I've been advised to buy a fully new component instead of servicing it is shocking. E.g., where only servicing a rear free hub would suffice, I was told I needed to replace the whole wheel.
Just built a Trek Emonda 2024 with direct mount rim brakes after my favorite bike was stolen. It's fantastic. It's nimble, responsive, and doesn't gurgle nor screech when I apply the brakes. Feels like a real bike to me - not a bike that wants to be a motorcycle. Decidedly a personal preference, but I'm kind of old and don't race. To each his/her own for sure, but there are many people who legitimately prefer rim brakes on high end bikes.
All external routing too??
rim for racers and road disc for noobs.
I have a 2015 Jamis Icon with external cables and rim brake. That bike is so simple to work on!
Millions of rim brake bikes out there only a badly run bike manufacture would stop making Rim brake bikes and parts . We are not all wannabe tour de france riders . We want reliable simple and easy to maintain bikes to do the miles on . IMHO
Hydraulic disc brakes are simpler and require less maintenance than rim brakes. The only advantage rim brakes have is price.
@@audunskilbrei8279 rim for road disc for dirt and let the customer decide what they want .
Do you ever ride in the rain?
Did you use coaster brakes when rim brakes were the norm in the TdF so you wouldn't be a wanna be?
@@audunskilbrei8279 how many cyclists do you think can replace a hydraulic brake caliper?
Rim brakes are so much better. I never had problems stopping on rims, but my discs fade all the time, or randomly stop working bc of contamination - incredibly unsafe! Also easier to work on
Rim brakes are no fuss, people want them and some brands will listen
We hope that cyclists will have all the options to choose what they like
Since moving to disc brakes, I have no trouble with wheels going out of true as the rim wears out. Replacing a worn rotor is much easier and cheaper than replacing a worn rim. 'No fuss' is an exaggeration.
Disc brakes are less fuss. Largely self cleaning and they're self adjusting if hydraulic
@@veganpotterthevegan self adjusting is a new one, will tell my friend next time his discs run or squeal
@@matkrek
Only when they're new. Same as rims.
C68: Now we can look forward to rim brake technology trickling down to bikes regular people can afford.
Campagnolo still sells a full range of rim brakes from Chorus to Super Record according to their website. In future please do you due diligence before stating preference for sponsor’ group set. TY.
I'd like to see someone make a 105 mechanical w/rim, if only for the price point. Of course wheels and part availability could be a factor.
Tiagra is going to take that role from now on.
Just get Sugino RD4 Square Taper. They forge the arms 25 times, way better quality than glued together Shimano junk cranksets.
@@squngy0 Or Campag. It’s possible to buy decent campag rim set-ups. You can spec Condor with rim brakes (as I will be for my n+1)
You can still find 11 speed 105 rim brake.
Mechanical gearing, caliper and rim brakes, inner-tubes, standardized round seat post sizing, threaded bottom brackets, separate stem/handlebar setups without integration.
so glad i picked up so many rim brake bikes over the last few years and they were awesome value,wheels too!!! dont belive the bike industry hype baby!
The Nostradamus of bikes
@@gcn 10 speed mechanical all the way,it just works, like all fads they seem to come full circle after a 10-15 year cycle,pun intended
Don't buy,ride
My Giant Contend's been giving me smiles for miles and was the cheapest road bike available in my LBS on account of it being the only model left w/ rim brakes. All the fun of being a roadie w/ almost an additional $1k available in my wallet still!
I would never buy another rim brake bike again. Disc is just so much better
I was almost ready to give in and go tubeless when TPU tubes showed up. Love the feel and glad I never had to deal with the mess
Because disc brakes will always rub…. No matter what. Negating aero wheels and aero helmet you just spent 4k on. Pro teams have mechanics full time to help with this problem regular people do not. Also disc brakes make for a heavier bike and are proven less aero. Manufacturers like disc brakes because the consumer has to buy a brand-new bike.
Rubbing is the absolute worst. Never had a set that doesn't do this. Plenty of glazing too, a nightmare scenario
One of the joys of bicyling is its simplicity and the idea that you can do all your own work. I can just about live with disc brakes but the idea of electronic shifting is completely anathaema to me.
Time also recently released an Alpe d’Huez rim brake model but that seemed to fly under the radar.
Disc brakes have solved a problem no road cyclist ever had - braking power. Disc brakes are for mountain bikers, cross bikes etc not TT bikes, road bikes.
Well, they solved the problem of rim brakes on carbon rims in the wet.
braking power is important. Especially if you carry cargo.
Just because a bicycle is slow on the straight it doesn't mean it's slow downhill. When you're going 50kph+ downhill (easily achieved without pedalling) and you have 20kg+ of papers, groceries or even a trailer on the back, you want to have some stopping power.
I've struggled horribly with my rim brakes in rainy conditions
Can confirm. About a month ago, I took my dad’s old mountain bike to a trail where I had only ridden my gravel bike, and during the technical downhill parts, braking was definitely a problem, even in the dry
@@nstrug On my previous bike I had Shimano carbon wheels with a thin metal strip along the rim. Great braking power in dry and wet and no special brake pads required. I regret having sold that bike.
I think rim brakes will be available for a long time, but not in the top groups. Taking a look at the sales worldwide of the lower categories, I don't see hydraulic disc brakes make much progress because of the fact that there a lot of people do their own maintenance and are not in the mood for those brakes, neither for tubeless tires.
Rim brakes, tubes and external cable routing have never left the road bikes at my home. Life is simple and I can work on all of my bikes. I do have discs on my mtn bike , gotta say they work well and are easy to work on too. Have a great day !
I love my rim brakes... If it ain't broken don't fix it..❤ I have used the stump jumper.. 😊 I know what this machine is capable of.. I actually jumped an old stump in my home town.. God bless Orangeville.. just to demonstrate that it's possible
I remember my first 1985 Stumpjumper and Trek 850s with cantilevers that was sooo powerful at stopping that I nearly threw myself over the bars in those first rides. And my first DuraAce's (1990?) were staggeringly powerful (well, after Campy's, foot-on-the-road was 'powerful stopping'...ahem). Those bikes are so much lighter and faster than the behemoths with shock-absorbers.
I don’t understand why people complain about disc brake maintenance. I ride 10k km per year and all I have to do is to now and then replace the brake pads (10 min job) and to bleed the brakes once a year (30 min job). Super easy and brake performance is far superior.
You would be surprised how many people are not able to bleed brake or scare to try.
Why rim brakes? Because the hydraulic disk brakes are like a children's tech experiment. Such poor quality. So many simptoms... Noises when braking, noises/touching when not braking...
*road hydro.
XC hydro works great. Many years before road hydro is good AND even then it is still mad overkill.
I like my high end mechanical kit and was pissed off that I would forced into disc brake/electronic territory. So well done, Colnago.
My 105 rim brakes max out at 28c. It would be great if calipers might be released that cam squeeze 32c underneath.
It would be interesting if they took this into account
Bring back threaded headsets and quill stems. Anyone who believes they're inferior has no idea just how versatile and reliable they are. I see far more loose threadless headsets come through my shop, as well as customers who are frustrated that they cant adjust their handlebar height without dropping another $30-50 on some ugly contraption to replace their existing stem.
For the sake of accuracy, there are only two electronic groupsets in Campy's lineup: Super Record Wireless and Super Record EPS. Campy's mechanical road groupsets include Super Record, Record, Chorus, and Centaur. So Campy has hardly moved away from mechanical groups on the road. Campy also offers Super Record, Record, and Chorus mech groupsets in disc AND rim brake options. Seems like Alex's comments about Campy and rim brakes aren't congruent with what Campy offers.
My thoughts exactly. It is a shame, though, that Campy chose not to make the new SR Wireless in a rim brake version. That's one reason Pinarello did not include an updated Dogma F rim brake in their latest launch (according to Fausto). But Pinarello still produces the older Dogma F in rim brakes thankfully.
Another advantage of crazy manufacturing ‘advances', is we learn how to maintain our old ‘out of date bikes’ we can get cheap 2nd hand components, reusing what would be otherwise thrown away, and I don’t get tempted to part with £4000 I need for eating because, nothing on that showroom model will fit with anything I already have. Perfect.
The only thing more important than rim brakes on a proper road bike are tubs. How about getting back to racing on sub 1000g super comfortable wheelsets that you don't pinch flat and won't throw you on the floor or destroy your rim flanges when they lose air suddenly!
I hope that they keep making rim brakes. The simplicity, and looks are far beyond disc. It would also be nice if they continued to improve the technology of the brakes. Surely there has to be some computer modeled, 3-d printed design that could be lighter and at same time apply more stopping power. Improvements in the rubber compounds for pads that stop better when wet. It's so enjoyable to take an old frame and apply modern tech to improve the ride.
I do ride disc brakes on my gravel bike, but hate the faff of brake maintenance. Still riding and racing rim brakes on the road, 25mm tubulars are all anyone needs.
I use disk brakes from the adult re-start with cycling and newer looks to rim brakes, you know-they wear rim, saffer in wet conditions, etc. But this summer I bought a singlespeed bike with two rim brakes, and it's amazing. They work well with narrow road slick tires flowlessly. Anyway, you don't need additional force at the brakes-all you get is uncontrollable sliding (and it's less effective to brake near this point, as car brake tests teach). And it's cheap; it looks nice and classy. I love it. Unfortunately, singlespeed is not for my left knee, but I plan to change it to the same bike with rear derailer.
My gripe with disk brakes is not the brakes themselves but the fact you have to also get new frame, wheels and groupset/shifters to use them meaning for those cash strapped of us with old rim brake bikes we can't reuse anything
On the throttle ebike comment - I cycle through Leicester to get to work and there are loads of these deliveroo riders on throttle bikes and it's carnage. They fly around corners so fast that it won't be long until someone comes to serious harm. I think something does need to be done about them
Good vid guys. A point missed is that the cycling industry has decades of scamming us, constantly updating and changing equipment to help us empty our wallets! They have also been too quick to put to market new equipment without proper longer term testing and consumer approval.
I am so happy I have a collection of road bikes from various era's. I find a few of my 20-30 yr old bikes to be competitive and not much different in ride comfort from today's modern stuff, and easier to work on as well.. Its always the legs that are the deciding factor!
Cheers!
4:32 Are people interested in a premium brand rim brake road bike? Ask all the people who snapped up the slower shifting manual Porsche 911 R with the top spec RS engine for an ungodly sum.
I own a Colnago C60 with Campa Record mechanical 11v and rim brakes. I welcome Colnago’s move to accommodate rim brake fans; I am sorry, however, that it is available only with electronic shifting. There should still be a place for traditionalists, like myself, who appreciate rim brakes and mechanical shifting.
Here is the logic problem with "FTP" measurement:
FTP is defined as the power one can sustain for an extended period of time, usually 45 minutes to one hour...well, is it 45 minutes or an hour? In any case, a performance measure.
FTP is explained as the power output at which lactate clearance equals lactate production...a metabolic state which may or may not equate to one's one hour power output.
FTP is tested by riding for 20 minutes or less, perhaps as little as 5 minutes, because riding hard for an hour hurts too much. Then, we multiply by .95.
We keep trying to equate FTP-60, FTP-20, FTP-5, and lactate threshhold, and then scoff at "FTP" when we find that these measures aren't the same!
In a race situation, disc brakes are needed to have the uniform control of speed throughout the peloton.
For most of us who don't have a support crew and pro bank roll, I think having an easy to maintain, dependable, and affordable means of cycling is preferred.
If you want to ruin cycling, make it unaffordable to everyday cyclists. Rich people drive cars and have bike "collections."
Keep it fun folks!
I mean, the peloton was doing just fine before disc brakes were introduced. It also seems there were more accidents lately than ever before on rim brakes.
YES!
WHEN will this industry learn/have the epiphany that there are only SO many wealthy hedge fund managers, (or 'dentists' in the UK, as they say) around to purchase their batshit bonkers priced products/!?!?!
Eating, and having a safe place to sleep will always take priority/precedence over 'disposable income' fluff like a fully pro level, full aero hidden cable, crunchy carbon disc braked vunderbike.
Yes, even for a dedicated enthusiast/bike nut.
I LOVE having bar ends on my mountain bike. I love the leverage I get with them on long uphill stretches.
Glad to hear rim brakes might make a comeback, love them on my old Venge. Complex and environmentally dodgy discs are more expensive and not really necessary. But there's a new emerging sport that greatly benefits from disc brakes. Backcountry touring on an e-assist bike or any bike loaded down with gear is radically improved with disc brakes. Descending 20 kilometers on steep gravel switchbacks with an 85ilb trailer in the back of me was easy. Impossible on rim brakes, which would simply have burned. Love to have choices for different purposes.
The main reason for disc brakes is that it's easier to make carbon rims that don't explode from overheating like carbon rim brakes do occasionally. Which was a real problem for a time. But they are lighter, brake just as well and are much easier to maintain and honestly look better to me. I'm hoping that we'll get some more rim brake options back in the future.
I think a lot of the changes are to also to block the Right (capacity) to Repair.
@@snowstrobe for sure. Electronic shifting especially, they made simple electric motors into proprietary, overengineered pieces of plastic.
The cost associated with cycling is extraordinary. The manufacturers produce a new model and market it - the elite teams are provided with sponsorship to promote the new stuff. Other manufacturers produce similar options to remain in business. Other teams get on board to remain competitive. This cycle of supply and demand gets so expensive, that only the extremely wealthy people or teams with sponsorship can really afford the sport. I have a twenty year old BILLATO full carbon that was custom built for me by Roberto Billato in 2006. It’s equipped with 10 S Campag Chorus Carbon, Campag Scirocco Rims, HP tyres and still looks and performs like new. It cost me AUD$10k then (I was 55 and could afford it). My training hack is a 2005 aluminium/carbon Wilier with Chorus 10S - it cost me AUD $5k and is still going strong. For domestic competition and recreational cycling, there is nothing wrong with rim brakes and other equipment that has been around for years, if you look after it. For instance, being able to service bearings in bottom brackets, wheels, pedals etc.
Just finished building a 2018 CANONDALE SuperSix of 5,1kgs 11s Rim Brakes with SRAM RED 22. Of course Rim Brakes are back 😊
For me, I’d love to see the return of standardised headset caps - like the circular O-ring-sealed ones of a few years ago. The problem with a lot of modern frames that come with proprietary cockpits is that the headset caps are designed only to work with the integrated bar-stems that come with the bike. This means that if the bar is too wide or the stem too short or long, replacing the cockpit costs a lot of money. With a standardised headset cap that can accommodate a range of integrated bars and, indeed, a range of separate bars and stems, it is easier and cheaper to find a stem-bar combination that works for each individual rider.
I still ride rim brakes, no need for disk brakes, my groupset is 105 and the bike was built in 2007...
How often do you change the pads?
I used rim brakes for 40 years, yes there are a lot of advantages to use a disc brake, but I never missed one. 105 km/h downhill at the Kühtai in Austria with rim brakes, no problem.
Yet every downhill MTB has had discs for about 10-15 years.
I recently swapped my rim braked bike for a disc braked one, and will never go back. The rim brakes were Ultegra Di2 on alloy rims, so not a non branded cheap job,and the difference is night and day.
@@NemesisRTCW I agree, the difference is huge, but I don’t need a disc brake. I feel save with rim brakes and had never a problem. I wish the bike part companies would make both versions.
@@blende5.693
I must say I am pretty overweight.
Being out of cycling for a year or 6 hasn't done me any good.
I am willing to bet a lighter rider will not notice as large a difference, but for me the dics brakes feel much better, whereas the rim brakes felt adequate at best (they did feel better when I was lighter, in my memory)
My normal day to day bike is a flatbar Rose Multistreet with Xt 11 speed and hydraulic disk brakes, and then the difference is very noticable. After doing a ride on my old rim brake bike the Multistreet always felt overbraked at first, but in reality the Ultegra rim brakes were just mediocre at best.
@@NemesisRTCW If you are a heavier rider, be careful on long descends. Buy the biggest rotors you can fit, trust me. Brakes overheat faster than you might imagine, and when they do, they immediately lose all the power. Scary stuff.
I just understand why we are being forced to move to disc brakes. There are millions of bikes out there that are rim, yet if a caliper brakes, you're basically screwed if you want to buy a new one.
What do you mean?
I bought a new caliper a few months ago, they are easy to find
Rim brakes: Simpler tech. Just as good if sunshine rider. Perfect if using classic strong alloy wheels. There is a lot of rim brake bikes out there. No noise. Many, like old school. Easy to maintain.
I have a Colnago with rim brakes and I love it. It's much easier to do maintenance on than my disc brake Mt. bike.
#captioncompetition- "OK, yes, I ate a steak last night but I don't think it was your friend! Please stop chasing me!"
With respect to rim brake bikes: Take a look at Ritchey Logic Road bike. A steel frame with rim brakes. Still available. Lots cheaper than the Colnago, and it's real steel, not plastic! 🙂
Steel is real and so is plastic but plastic lasts longer, especially with the low maintainence most people do.
for 6000bucks you can get a custom frame.
@@veganpotterthevegan Sorry but plastic (carbon fiber) does not last longer than steel
I have a Ritchey Logic and a Breakaway. Both ride fantastic. I'm old school. I don't own a single disk brake bike, and I don't plan on it.
@@888timesmart I own a Ritchey Logic (rim brake) as well, it's so smooth! No descent too steep, no worries!
I believe that functionality is , in many times , more important then performance ! specially if one is not racing ! being able to have the parts to last a loooooot of years/kms and being able to do fixes at home with unspecialized tools is a super important thing for any bicycle both enthusiast / lover !
So i wish y'all guys did a video on how a low cost , but good bicycle ! can be a really very nice one to own , by just swapping to it some good quality parts , not necessarily expensive ones ! ...including second hand parts when budget calls !
I did that with my bicycle and i literally love it !!! ...and if weight is an issue , it only weights around a kg more that an aero canyon ! and its all aluminium ! ( i sent you photos and the story to your inbox ! )
I believe its a great thing for ppl ( including myself , who want in into the sport / experience but cant afford an expensive bike !!!
Best regards , Thank you !
Ps. i use inner tubes , its so much cheaper and less troubling than tubless !
#captioncompetition: The red Jersey looks favourite. Gotta have a superior lactose threshold.
After wearing out my rims, the choice of rim brake wheel compared with disk is minimal. Finding it hard to find the optimal choice within my price range.
Hard decision, isn’t it? Maybe looking at the other components before the brakes could help you decide
@@gcn It's only "hard" because so many of these wheel manufacturers REFUSE to produce ANY rim brake wheels whatsoever anymore. 😡👎👎
I'm okay with lower end group sets offering rim brakes. The bike industry shouldn't be exclusive to the rich.
I am a life-long cyclist in my mid seventies. Two years ago I was coming down the Roca Corba hill on a lovely bike with disc brakes. The descent was so fast that I was heavy on the brakes for a good portion of the ride. The disc brakes got so hot that they warped and gave me a very rough ride. After they cooled they regained their true shape and became smooth again. Gordon Becker Toronto, Canada
Why not rim brakes? Cheaper, lighter, also easier to maintain, for light riders not doing 90kph they're great. I'm riding Shimano 105 rim brakes on my Van Rysel EDR 105 AF and it's perfect.
God bless Colnago. Now, hopefully some other companies will follow suit with lower cost options. I just like the simplicity and ease of maintenance of rim brakes. And i’m lazy enough to skip riding in the rain. And YES to inner tubes!
Tubes? Threaded bottom brackets? Rim brakes? Did they ever go away? My bikes are all lugged steel frame traditional bikes. What most people would call "a bike." The kind that Mercks raced on or randonneurs tour on. It is not about the gear, guys. It's about the engine.
Thought for the GCN shop. For cyclists with diabetes who have to have an insulin pump, a jersey designed to hold an insulin pump and thread the connector thru would be a boon for those of us who do have to use one.
Rim brakes rule. Tadej is going to use that Colnago C68 up the mountains next year.
lol, they are gonna stick a rim brake bike on that guy, give him a 1.5kg advantage then sell rim brake bikes again once he dominates the disc users.
@@凸Bebo凸
Sadly with the UCI weight limit your comment is BS.
A Disc braked TDF bike weighs just as much or little as a rim braked one, it has to, as there is nothing on the rulebook that allowed rim braked bikes to weigh less.
@@NemesisRTCW lol cope, there are no 6.8kg disc brake bikes it's impossible with aero shape unless you go super shallow wheels that are slow. Easy to make a UCI illegal sub 6.8kg bike on rim though. The average weight of the bikes was 8kg 2 years ago. Heavy silly bikes no pro wants to ride.
@@凸Bebo凸
My Lapierre Xelius with Dura ace 12 speed DI2 comes in at 6.9 kg.
That's with pedals, a long stem (still figuring out the position, so lots of spacers still on) on DA C36 rims.
Your statement is just incorrect.
You can make a disc braked bike weighing in near or under the UCI limit.
@@NemesisRTCW Those are slow 21mm wheels, you don't know what you are talking about and definitely can't. I'm going to laugh when pogacar blasts up the hill on rim next year and you Freds are rushing out to buy it again.
The problem with rim brakes is wheel choice, theres not much out there. Depending on how much riding you do, a wheelset will last you 3-4 years.
Rim brakes have always been here, much like vinyl records for DJs. The beauty lies in the details.
As someone who likes to go away riding in new, not always well-known places, the possibility to service the bike without to much problems, I much prefer rim brakes, inner tubes and external cables.
Nobody wants to address the lack of rim brake rims.
Chinese factories still sell them routinely, so it's not an issue at all. Farsports just to name one, but there are many. Many many.
@@pierrex3226 True, but none which have an alloy braking surface (like the original, 'old school' aero carbon wheels), and none in narrower options which will fit into older, low clearance frames/forks. ☹😡
Not interested in an expensive rim brake bike AT ALL. But I agree on no going tubeless. Not a single worry about sealant spraying everywhere or getting all over my floor/garage etc. I rarely get punctures and I have been riding latex tubes for years. In fact, the only few punctures I got were from changing the tire and the my lever ripping my latex tube.