Kontact

Go ahead. Just pointing out how making universal statements from a narrow experience base leads to sounding like you don't know what you are talking about.


Heh, how about some strong statements on gearing from a Florida resident?

FBinNY 

I find it interesting (but not surprising) that you chose to quote me here. Especially since I specifically referenced wet weather as an exception.

Also, it's generally been accepted from day one that CF rims are not suited for braking.

What disc brake for road fans miss is that the vast majority of road cyclists are fair weather riders, and there's no valid argument against rim brakes for their purposes.

smd4

I'm not sure you mis-comprehended, "Personally, I would never consider the rims on rim-brake bikes a "wear item," as a "universal statement."

Kontact

So when they are wear items, those are not the ones you considered? 🤣

smd4

I would not consider them wear items. And just because you say they are, does not make them so.

Kontact

Does that mean they don't wear out, or just that their common wear does not meet the criteria of "wear item"?


​​​​​I have a chain in a box from 1980 with zero elongation. Not a wear item? 😂

smd4

Everything on a bike has the potential to wear out. Even spokes. So by your definition everything that makes up a bike is a wear item (and don't straw-man the issue by referring to items that aren't put to use on a bike).

And BTW, "wear item" wasn't even a term when I was working in shops.

Kontact

There are some items customers should not expect to wear out on a bike. Anything on a bike that bears direct friction is not going to be on that list, unless it has a sacrificial part that can be replaced instead, like ball bearings. Brake pads certainly wear faster than rims, but the same is true of pads and rotors, and they are also both wear items.

Long story short, when people ask about future service, the rims should at least be discussed. They can wear relatively quickly in hilly, wet places with frequent stops needed. And people eventually move out of Illinois or Florida and take their wheels with them.

smd4

I wrenched in So-Cal, down the street from the original maker of Yeti bikes, and in Nor-Cal. Apparently neither place had rain, mud or mountain bikers.

grumpus

Whether or not you were aware of rim wear happening or not in places that you worked, it definitely does happen to the extent that rims require replacement on a regular basis for some higher mileage riders. Wet weather and hills are a significant factor, perhaps because this will influence choice of brake block compound, local geology and road gritting policy probably as well. German legislators thought it enough of an issue that they mandated visible wear indicators on all aluminium rims (now a EU-wide requirement I think).

FBinNY 

This is one of those apples and oranges issues. FWIW the DIN mandate for rim wear indicators came after the advent of mountain biking, and mist likely because of it. Prior to mountain biking rim wear wasn't considered an issue, though, of course it did and does happen.

Ultimately it's not binary, but a question of degree. Road bike rim wear mostly is too slow, and doesn't become an issue for most because, either they don't ride enough, or other things (potholes) kill off the wheel first.

I'd venture that if we polled professional mechanics, they'd confirm that rim replacement due to brake track is limited to a tiny percentage of the total number of rim or wheel replacements.

In fact, contrary to the opinion of some, I'll venture that broken spokes cause vastly more rebuilds than worn rims.

grumpus

I think it might vary a lot depending on where the mechanic worked - Germans use dynamo hubs (they have mandated effective lighting too - it's almost as if they think bicycles are proper road vehicles) so if the rim wears out they'll routinely have a new one fitted, while without the dyno it might be more common to just replace the wheel. But that's not the issue here - I stated that rim brakes make rims a wear item, and I stand by that regardless of others' experience or opinions. I have worn out rims, I have known people who have worn out rims, I have seen other people discussing worn out rims ...

FBinNY 

As I said, apples and oranges. I don't claim that rims are magically immune to brake wear, just that wearing to near failure is rare for road bikes.
So the fact that you've experienced it doesn't mean we disagree.

Though I am curious---(and only that)

Is this on a road bike? Are there other factors, ie. stop and go urban commuting, wet weather, sandy roads, etc. that might account for greater brake track wear.

Kontact

Yes, road bikes. Saw some of it in Wisconsin, considerably more around Seattle. I agree that wet+grit is a large contributor, and people ride in the winter here.