Originally Posted by
rpenmanparker
Help me understand. Years ago (not so many actually) road rims didn't have machined brake tracks. The tracks were either anodized or not. Nobody complained about braking due to the surface. Now it's like folks won't even consider riding on a rim without a machined track. Still I can't tell any difference. What is it all about.
I think it's two different things:
The machining itself gives the pad a more even surface to align to which gives smoother, consistent braking. A un-machined surface could do that, but this adds consistency.
As for coatings, some like hard anodizing and ceramics were said to improve braking in certain conditions. But not all, and sooner or later they start to wear off. Others, like color anodizing and paint do nothing or make braking worse so the sooner they wear off the better. So machining those right off the batt helps those in both respects.
And of course, machining is removing material, so you get a lighter rim out of it. If memory serves that must appeal to you.