Disc brakes,, they dont look nice..
#27
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One design ethic that existed in the rim brake era that has not migrated well to the modern (road disc) era well is that of customization.
Back in the day road racing bikes had so many mix and match component options that made building your own bike with your choice of components really distinguished the person’s bike and made it identifiable to fellow riders (riding friends, fellow bike club members) for all the cool things that gave that particular person’s ride it’s own mojo, so to speak.
Probably for safety and reliability reasons, the major disc brake manufacturers use of standardization is understandable. Calipers are generally black, brake hoses are black.
I have perused on-line European bike part suppliers who carry fun alternative parts that capture my imagination and stimulate my middle aged mental hobby of envisioning my next, cooler than ever retro/modern bike build. And it is a colorful, steampunk kind of vision with orange anodized brake calipers and disc rims, bad ass tubeless road tires, stainless steel braid brake lines, one piece handlebar/stem combos that compliment the ride, hydraulic aero brake levers devoid of shifter mechanisms... you get the idea?
The deep pool of fantastically positive, non-snarky individuals on the classic and vintage forum are largely non-polarizing, typically possessing an inherent aesthetic spider-sense of the right-ness of a given design be it vintage, modern or more often, a thoughtful integration of multiple eras of design sensibility.
Last edited by masi61; 03-10-21 at 12:30 PM.
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Don’t get me started on brifters now.
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I have a tough time saying this road bike looks bad due to disc brakes. And I dont think I would find it better looking if it had rim brakes. Its just a good looking bike either way.
Quality steel main and rear triangles, carbon fork, disc brakes, 44mm head tube. Looks sharp to me.

Rim brake bikes can also look awesome. Its possible for both styles to look nice.
Quality steel main and rear triangles, carbon fork, disc brakes, 44mm head tube. Looks sharp to me.

Rim brake bikes can also look awesome. Its possible for both styles to look nice.
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Aesthetics aside, I don't get the pros using them for road racing. A wheel change is maybe 10-15 seconds with a rim brake, but can be minutes with a disc wheel, even with a top notch roadside tech. American Quinn Simmons was in the break late in the Strade Bianche race last week, and lost minutes from a flat tire. Coulda been a contender had he been riding rim brakes.
Is Ineos the only team on rim brakes this season?
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Its the internet- its what happens when someone starts a thread only to complain about technology. Even in a forum which celebrates old tech, it happens.
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all in the eye of the beholder. imo, it depends....i've seen some applications that don't float my boat, but others that do. this one grabs me...

practically speaking, need for disc brakes is relative. they are fantastic on steep hills with a heavy load. plus, if you contend with icy/snowy conditions. i've had rims w/canti's get icy and, having not realized, began a descent and found i could not stop. that scared the puhjeezus out of me.

practically speaking, need for disc brakes is relative. they are fantastic on steep hills with a heavy load. plus, if you contend with icy/snowy conditions. i've had rims w/canti's get icy and, having not realized, began a descent and found i could not stop. that scared the puhjeezus out of me.
Actually, I can see a front, but wonder why the placement always almost 100% of the time on the lefthand side.
On a steel fork.
for the rear, the extra effort to install and possibly needing a "thru" axle... a rear caliper is not used that much in percentage of braking, for cyclocross, OK, of off road, OK for most street work as noted only in real adverse condition, do I think it would be worth the bother.
Now, as a SoCal rider, rare is the real need but be interested to reference if the potential for better modulation is the ticket.
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#34
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https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/p...s-guide-489754
Very quickly the top bikes from all manufacturers are moving away from rim brakes, whether we like it or not.
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I have a tough time saying this road bike looks bad due to disc brakes. And I dont think I would find it better looking if it had rim brakes. Its just a good looking bike either way.
Quality steel main and rear triangles, carbon fork, disc brakes, 44mm head tube. Looks sharp to me.

Rim brake bikes can also look awesome. Its possible for both styles to look nice.
Quality steel main and rear triangles, carbon fork, disc brakes, 44mm head tube. Looks sharp to me.

Rim brake bikes can also look awesome. Its possible for both styles to look nice.
I ordered a Faran.
Haven't received it yet, but I am collecting components.

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I have not followed Riv' they "accept" disc brakes... Hmmm.
Actually, I can see a front, but wonder why the placement always almost 100% of the time on the lefthand side.
On a steel fork.
for the rear, the extra effort to install and possibly needing a "thru" axle... a rear caliper is not used that much in percentage of braking, for cyclocross, OK, of off road, OK for most street work as noted only in real adverse condition, do I think it would be worth the bother.
Now, as a SoCal rider, rare is the real need but be interested to reference if the potential for better modulation is the ticket.
Actually, I can see a front, but wonder why the placement always almost 100% of the time on the lefthand side.
On a steel fork.
for the rear, the extra effort to install and possibly needing a "thru" axle... a rear caliper is not used that much in percentage of braking, for cyclocross, OK, of off road, OK for most street work as noted only in real adverse condition, do I think it would be worth the bother.
Now, as a SoCal rider, rare is the real need but be interested to reference if the potential for better modulation is the ticket.
i'd read sometime back as to why the brake is on the fork's left side. made sense as to why from what i'd read. perhaps i could find that source, again
edit: it might be that manufacturers would then have to produce right and left specific calipers. with side uniformity the don't have to. as well, it's not the best idea to mount the caliper front side of the fork drop out since calipers are only made for left side
not sure why people say rear brakes aren't used that much. i use mine as much maybe more on and off road. maybe just muscle memory/habit growing up on bmx bikes where using the front could result in a crash. and, "skidding out" was, of course, the most fun way to come to a stop

Last edited by thook; 03-10-21 at 04:16 PM.
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Deciding their ugly just cause they're modern is pointless as well but that's a different close minded issue, looks wise they have it all over weinmann 999 brakes but that's just my view.
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I seek out the steepest longest mountain roads in the western USA and my rim brakes do just great, I can easily apply enough front brake to lift my rear tire off the ground despite moving my butt well behind the seat, I could obviously do this with dsc brakes with less finger force on the brake lever, but my hands are tough and a dual pivot side pull already provides more braking power than I can actually use.
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I seek out the steepest longest mountain roads in the western USA and my rim brakes do just great, I can easily apply enough front brake to lift my rear tire off the ground despite moving my butt well behind the seat, I could obviously do this with dsc brakes with less finger force on the brake lever, but my hands are tough and a dual pivot side pull already provides more braking power than I can actually use.
Can you do this with a 40-50 pound load on the bike under wet conditions?
I've tried on my Bilenky tourer and had less than favorable results.
It scared the daylights out of me and that's why my next tourer will have discs.
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Yet, we can almost always find a current/recent thread in C&V asking "what bike is this?" with pics of an older steel frame. I would bet a medium sum of money that I could change the decals on my old Nishiki, and there are only a small handful of people who would recognize what it really is. Are things significantly different with new bikes? Probably not...except to the people who are familiar with the subtle differences. Same as it ever was.
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#43
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I was a bike messenger in Seattle for 12 years. I don't know if you've been to Seattle, but you might say it rains there pretty frequently and there are hills. My point was that it doesn't matter what kind of brakes you have, if you lock that front wheel up, you're going down.
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I was a bike messenger in Seattle for 12 years. I don't know if you've been to Seattle, but you might say it rains there pretty frequently and there are hills. My point was that it doesn't matter what kind of brakes you have, if you lock that front wheel up, you're going down.
#46
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Disc brakes have their place on road bikes, especially if you're riding in wet conditions or are descending down steep and long hills or mountains.
For most applications, brakes are meant to slow you down and rim brakes work great. But there's no doubting that modern hydraulic disc brakes offer superior stopping power.
That being said, I much prefer rim brakes for their ease and cost of maintenance.
For most applications, brakes are meant to slow you down and rim brakes work great. But there's no doubting that modern hydraulic disc brakes offer superior stopping power.
That being said, I much prefer rim brakes for their ease and cost of maintenance.
and yes disc's are ugly, heavy, make noise and fade on steep descents.
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What I said, if you read the thread in chronological order, is that it's dumb to brake hard in wet conditions, regardless of what kind of brakes you have. I stand by my statement.
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no, dude....that's not what you said even if it is what you meant. you're reply was more vague. furthermore, gomango said nothing about "braking hard" much less front brake lock up. you can't compare being a bike messenger to hauling weight....weather dry or wet.....in the hills. nothing beats discs for that purpose
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Disc brakes have their place on road bikes, especially if you're riding in wet conditions or are descending down steep and long hills or mountains.
For most applications, brakes are meant to slow you down and rim brakes work great. But there's no doubting that modern hydraulic disc brakes offer superior stopping power.
That being said, I much prefer rim brakes for their ease and cost of maintenance.
For most applications, brakes are meant to slow you down and rim brakes work great. But there's no doubting that modern hydraulic disc brakes offer superior stopping power.
That being said, I much prefer rim brakes for their ease and cost of maintenance.
I think that is total crap passed around until people start to believe it. I have been riding calipers in wet and down steep hills for 50 years with never a problem. It is just not a true statement.
and yes disc's are ugly, heavy, make noise and fade on steep descents.
and yes disc's are ugly, heavy, make noise and fade on steep descents.
I ride up and then descend down North Vancouver's Mt. Seymour Road about half-a-dozen times each year. This is a 10-plus kilometre (6.7 miles) road with 950 metres (3,100 feet) of elevation which has an average gradient of 8.7%. Its average gradient is higher than that of the climb to L'Alpe D'Huez. There are no flat sections - you're either climbing up or going down. I've ridden it on bikes shod with caliper and disc brakes. There is no question that my disc brake bikes offer far better performance going downhill, especially if I'm using carbon rims and tubular tires. Rims and tires stay cooler with disc brakes compared with caliper brakes.
I never claimed caliper brakes are not up to the job. Most modern examples are very good and I normally prefer riding bikes with them but caliper brakes do not offer the same level of performance in the wet and under constant heavy use compared with disc brakes.
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i love rim brakes myself. but, to further your sentiments, i have a friend who only uses a car to pull a boat or travel cross country. otherwise, for at least over 20 years, he gets around town by bike where you can't go very far and not hit hills. he hauls his trailer with groceries, garden supplies, and more. once he got a gunnar w/discs for the job, he never rides his cross check, anymore