[road]

What do we reckon the chances are that manufacturers like Shimano will start making rim brake groupsets across the range again? I’m not sure who started it, the frame or groupset manufacturers, but the move to disc brakes by default is bad. There’s no reason why they can’t start to move back again when they see people still wanting the simplicity and reliability of rim brakes. Same for narrow tyres. I ride with 23 mm tyres all year round because they’re simply faster. Shame to see the death of the proper road bike as every bike slowly turns into a gravel bike. We even saw this when gravel bike races started being won on ‘road’ bikes… Give the consumer more choice! Now that this has been featured on Twitter I would like to add that disc brakes are a psy op.

Topic

[Rendel Harris]

Whatever floats your boat,

Whatever floats your boat, great, for me “easy to get because nobody wants them” and “they will fit on a bike that’s not designed to take tyres that are more comfortable and will run at the same speed or better” isn’t the most resounding recommendation.

[Creakingcrank]

Two advantages of 23mm tyres

Two advantages of 23mm tyres over wider ones:

1) They are always in stock, and sometimes a bit cheaper, because they are totally uncool.

2) They fit into that old road frame you bought when “close clearances” were a thing.

I like 23mm tyres so much I was going to start a blog about them called “23 and me”, but the angry letters from Californian lawyers soon put a stop to that.

[SimoninSpalding]

*Unless you actually want to
*Unless you actually want to stop.

[hawkinspeter]

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

But at least he’s backed up his opinion with data and research…

Ironically, the question of tyre pressures and speeds is remarkably easy to investigate – just find yourself a suitable decline on a non-windy day and time yourself free-wheeling down it with tyres at various pressures. Repeat until you get bored of cycling back up the hill or there’s a good selection of data.

[Daveyraveygravey]

Rendel Harris wrote:

Oh well, now you’ve typed “fact” in capital letters there is no real point in trying to debate, is there, it’s well known that proves every scientific argument.

 

But at least he’s backed up his opinion with data and research…

[IanMSpencer]

Disk brakes have saved me a

Disk brakes have saved me a fortune in new wheels due to rim wear. They have also allowed me to ride lightweight carbon rims without compromising further on braking performance or longevity. Why would I even want to go back to a system that doesn’t stop properly in the wet, when riding in UK weather?

I am sure there will be a market in the future, but it will be premium – boutique bike frames designed around retro bike parts selling premium rim brakes with premium wheel rims. Road rim brakes will not be cheaper as a low volume product and now disk brakes are commodity.

[perce]

I’m really not bothered.

I’m really not bothered.

[Rendel Harris]

Oh well, now you’ve typed

Oh well, now you’ve typed “fact” in capital letters there is no real point in trying to debate, is there, it’s well known that proves every scientific argument.

[hawkinspeter]

Steve K wrote:

While I agree with that for tyre widths, is it really true for disk vs rim brakes.  I would have thought there were a lot of reasons why rim brakes were better for pro racing (weight and easy of changing wheels in particular) yet all the teams have switched to disk brakes.  Maybe there’s something I’m missing, but it really doesn’t seem to make sense to me (and I say that as someone with a disk brake bike who wouldn’t want to go back to rim brakes).

One factor is that disk brake rims can be more optimised for strength/weight/aerodynamics as they don’t need to include the brake track.

[Steve K]

Rendel Harris wrote:

Chucksneed wrote:

I ride with 23 mm tyres all year round because they’re simply faster

That’s been extensively and conclusively proved to be nonsense, you might imagine they are faster from the feel but they are not. It makes me laugh when people still trot out this myth as if pro cyclists and their teams are absolute idiots, spending millions of pounds every year in windtunnel testing to make their bikes faster but deliberately choosing slower tyres.

While I agree with that for tyre widths, is it really true for disk vs rim brakes.  I would have thought there were a lot of reasons why rim brakes were better for pro racing (weight and easy of changing wheels in particular) yet all the teams have switched to disk brakes.  Maybe there’s something I’m missing, but it really doesn’t seem to make sense to me (and I say that as someone with a disk brake bike who wouldn’t want to go back to rim brakes).

[hawkinspeter]

ChuckSneed wrote:

You’re easily brainwashed by marketing. Thinner tyres at higher pressures are always faster. That’s a FACT.

They’re quicker on perfectly flat ground, but that’s mainly relevant for velodromes.

When the road surface gets bumpier, thin, hard tyres aren’t able to flex enough to absorb the ups and downs and thus the bike and rider get bumped up and down a tiny amount which results in a loss of energy. Having the tyres at a lower pressure can help absorb those bumps and not waste as much energy.

[Anonymous]

You’re easily brainwashed by

You’re easily brainwashed by marketing. Thinner tyres at higher pressures are always faster. That’s a FACT.

[Rendel Harris]

Chucksneed wrote:

Chucksneed wrote:

I ride with 23 mm tyres all year round because they’re simply faster

That’s been extensively and conclusively proved to be nonsense, you might imagine they are faster from the feel but they are not. It makes me laugh when people still trot out this myth as if pro cyclists and their teams are absolute idiots, spending millions of pounds every year in windtunnel testing to make their bikes faster but deliberately choosing slower tyres.

[Reiver2768]

In 5 or 10 years rim brakes

In 5 or 10 years rim brakes will come back as manufactuers start pushing them as the the next big thing – claiming them to be lighter, more aero, easier to maintain and so on.  Everybody will be encouraged to get rid of their disc braked bikes to embrace the advantages of this “new” technology.  It was ever thus.

[Mungecrundle]

There will always be a market
There will always be a market for retro-chique. Nowt wrong with a good rod operated stirrup brake setup in my opinion and very classy on an urban commuter.

[Author]

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