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Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out
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So I'm buying a new road bike as a reward for finishing my medical residency in June, or as I like to call it, the 24th grade. I'm going to be ordering a Breadwinner Cycles Lolo custom steel road frame and will build it up with SRAM Etap. I'm having a real hard time deciding on ordering a rim brake or disc brake frame. Here are my thoughts.

-I never intentionally ride in the rain. If the weather is crappy, I'm on the Kickr.
-I live in the South, so riding conditions aren't ever really that treacherous (i.e. snow, ice, etc.)
-I like to work on my own bikes and I like the simplicity of rim brakes.
-I have never felt that rim brake stopping power was inadequate, even riding in the mountains of North Carolina on vacation.

So it appears that I should buy a rim brake frame. BUT, I feel that the industry is heading toward disc brakes and I don't want to buy a "forever" frame with technology that will be near obsolete anytime soon. That would be literally the only reason I would buy a disc frame.

Anybody have any thoughts?
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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If not brakes, another new standard is just around the corner. Choose which you like best now and don't fool yourself into thinking a forever bike is anything more than a pipe dream.
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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Even if you get a disc frame, you can't be sure that other design points won't be obsolete in a few years, like hub spacing. Road/CX discs have already had 135 QR and we're now on 12x142 thru axles. MTB is moving from 12x142 to 12x148.
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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Worst case scenario... everything goes disc brake and you have not only the coolest bike in the group ride, but you also have a bike you like and feel comfortable on (rim brakes). Get what you want. You didn't spend 24 years in school to be told what to do :)

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COROS Sports Science

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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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How about a Lynskey titanium frameset?
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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You are building a steel bike so weight and aero arent huge decision factors. My suggestion would be to talk to your builder and go ride some disc bikes. If you like disc brakes and your frame builder is cool with idea, then I would go that way. You can argue about changing disc standards, but like it or not, rim brakes are on their way out for anything but very specific weight and aero applications.
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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I contacted Breadwinner about a Lolo last January and had the same disc/rim quandary. In the end it was paralysis by analysis.

Ended up with a used Emonda frame for a good price.

My current stance is for a "road" bike I want rim brakes. The thought is that running any tire under 30mm road brakes work just great. I have DA9000 but they are no better than 7800 and I'm sure the SRAM Red rim brakes are just dandy.

Plus the most important thing about that bike is that rim brakes look classy and discs look ugly with skinny tires. And it really is a beautiful bike.

If I wanted a bike to run 32mm+ tires (I do) then discs is the way to go 10/10 times.

Go rim brakes on the lolo and disc on your B-road. You're a doctor now. You should be used to being in debt.

/kj

http://kjmcawesome.tumblr.com/
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [jimatbeyond] [ In reply to ]
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jimatbeyond wrote:
How about a Lynskey titanium frameset?

Breadwinner >>>>> Lynskey

Lynsky is being blown out on Nashbar these days.
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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triguy86 wrote:
So I'm buying a new road bike as a reward for finishing my medical residency in June, or as I like to call it, the 24th grade. I'm going to be ordering a Breadwinner Cycles Lolo custom steel road frame and will build it up with SRAM Etap. I'm having a real hard time deciding on ordering a rim brake or disc brake frame. Here are my thoughts.

This hit way too close to home...never heard it called that! I love it. I treated myself to somethings when I finished a few years ago...

I'll add my two cents: as of now, you can't get eTap with hydro lever for disc, I think that removes one of the significant advantages that disc brakes can provide. My first CX bike had cable actuated discs and they were good, not great, not a ton better than calipers. My current CX bike has hydro discs and they are awesome. For the record, I don't really see the need for discs on a road bike (that is OPINION, not fact, please don't flame throw:-) So if it were me, I'd go calipers, but this is my n=1 of course.

You will love eTap
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [jsoderman] [ In reply to ]
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I wouldn't worry about obsolescence, you can still buy 7-8 speed casettes that were phased out in the 90's. It is still easy to buy 8-9 speed STI shifters. Buy what you want, there will be spare parts around for a long time.
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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BUT, I feel that the industry is heading toward disc brakes and I don't want to buy a "forever" frame with technology that will be near obsolete anytime soon,

Rim brakes, and their parts and accessories will not be going obsolete anytime soon.

I still ride on a Shimano Dura-Ace 10speed drive train. I can still buy 10-speed chains and cassettes and some of the other parts that I need when I need them. I suspect that will be the case for at least a few years more!

The choice is yours on this. Disc Brakes do have some advantages - I've ridden on them on MTB's and test-ridden, on a few long rides some gravel bikes with disc brakes - I can see and feel their advantages. BUT from what you describe as your road riding routine, and needs, you do not NEED disc brakes on the road bike!


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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Based on how you've described the conditions you ride in and where you live, it doesn't seem to make any sense why you would outfit that particular bike with disc brakes.

In terms of obsolesce, there is no way rim brakes are going anywhere for a looong time. No need to be concerned with that.

I just so happened to be finishing my own custom steel bike (it's at paint right now), and I decided to go disc. This bike is designed around having a max of 700x40 and 650b x 50, so discs for sure on this build. My personal opinion is that discs make sense when the intended use of the bike is for mainly off-pavement and using tires bigger than 32mm.

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Last edited by: Bonesbrigade: Mar 21, 17 8:45
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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I am also building a road bike right now, and this was the very first question I had to answer for myself. Two friends got and are getting disc road bikes, and I love the stopping power of disk. However, I decided to go with rim brakes just to keep it simple.

None of my other stuff is disc, so going rim helps keep all of my junk compatible. Plus, disc braking on road and tri bikes is still in its infancy. My hunch is that things will iterate a few more times before discs emerge as the de facto standard for road and tri bikes over the next few years.
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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I'd add that the risk of the current disc brake standard(s) changing is higher than the risk of the current rim brake standard changing.

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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [Bonesbrigade] [ In reply to ]
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Bonesbrigade wrote:
Based on how you've described the conditions you ride in and where you live, it doesn't seem to make any sense why you would outfit that particular bike with disc brakes.

In terms of obsolesce, there is no way rim brakes are going anywhere for a looong time. No need to be concerned with that.

I just so happened to be finishing my own custom steel bike (it's at paint right now), and I decided to go disc. This bike is designed around having a max of 700x40 and 650b x 50, so discs for sure on this build. My personal opinion is that discs make sense when the intended use of the bike is for mainly off-pavement and using tires bigger than 32mm.

^^This^^

If you plan on making the custom bike something along the lines of a "Monster Cross", or "All-road" type of configuration, then by all means spec the discs. This allows you to easily mix/match wheel and tires sizes so that the resulting outer diameter stays relatively similar, and thus the handling of the bike stays consistent (wheel/tire ACTUAL diameter has an effect on steering geometry and overall CG).

Otherwise, if it's a pure road bike...just go with rim brakes and spec some wheels like any of the Hed Black models with the Turbine brake track, or have wheels built around the new Mavic Open Pro with Exalith treatment. You will NOT be left wanting for braking performance, in all conditions.

Just my 2 centavos...

http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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The issues with the current disc brakes for road may not be issues IMHO:

1. disc brakes are pretty much all standardized on flat-mount front 160mm rear 140mm setups, so I wouldn't too concerned about the standard

2. hub spacing of 100mm front 142mm rear thru-axle is pretty common, and I think most will adopt to that. Again, i wouldn't be too concerned that

On top of that, disc brakes allows you to get light weight carbon aero wheels without having to worry about the brake track issue. In a sense, you can invest in wheels for a longer term

I think hydraulic disc is definitely a game changer, and will only get better. I will only be matter of time before it's available on eTap shifters.
Last edited by: dalava: Mar 21, 17 12:23
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [dalava] [ In reply to ]
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dalava wrote:
The issues with the current disc brakes for road may not be issues IMHO:

1. disc brakes are pretty much all standardized on flat-mount front 160mm rear 140mm setups, so I wouldn't too concerned about the standard

2. hub spacing of 100mm front 142mm rear thru-axle is pretty common, and I think most will adopt to that. Again, i wouldn't be too concerned that

On top of that, disc brakes allows you to get light weight carbon aero wheels without having to worry about the brake track issue. In a sense, you can invest in wheels for a longer term

I think hydraulic disc is definitely a game changer, and will only get better. I will only be matter of time before it's available on eTap shifters.

But the thread is about this guy's bike, how he rides and where he lives...

1. I'll bet the current rim brake standard is around longer than the current disk brake standard - hell, I'd argue there isn't even a standard yet.

2. Again, the dust hasn't even settled yet - yeah those are the current common spacing, but there is certainly no indication it will be like this long term.

You can get lighter AND more aero wheels that are rim brake! This guy lives in Florida and rides his trainer when it rains, so I don't think there is any concern about keeping a nice set of wheels long term.

Most of my bikes have discs, but I wouldn't call them "game changers".

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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [Bonesbrigade] [ In reply to ]
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Bonesbrigade wrote:
I'd add that the risk of the current disc brake standard(s) changing is higher than the risk of the current rim brake standard changing.
I agree with this. Think about it. What do you need to forever service your bike with rim brakes? Answer is new brake pads and a rear hub with 130mm spacing. That standard was around so long that I'm 100% sure you will be able to buy them in 20 years. The same cannot be said for discs.

Another reason I haven't switched, besides that I do not feel any need for discs, is that I have a bunch of bikes, and if I switch I can't interchange wheels, which would suck.

Food for thought: can you think of anything stupider than a HED H3 with disc brakes?
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [Bonesbrigade] [ In reply to ]
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I was responding to the posts about disc brakes being non-standardized. In fact, there isn't a rim brake standard, so bike industry has not always evolve around the establishment of standards.

Ultimately, as the OP correctly identified, this is not about the advantage of disc brakes over rim disc (which is clear in terms of braking performance) but rather about rim brakes being slowly phased out (again, that's the reality). At this juncture, if you are investing a lot of hard earn money on a bike you intend to keep for a long time with a custom frameset, I would say disc brake is definitely a better option, sort of future-proof yourself.
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [dalava] [ In reply to ]
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dalava wrote:
I was responding to the posts about disc brakes being non-standardized. In fact, there isn't a rim brake standard, so bike industry has not always evolve around the establishment of standards.

Ultimately, as the OP correctly identified, this is not about the advantage of disc brakes over rim disc (which is clear in terms of braking performance) but rather about rim brakes being slowly phased out (again, that's the reality). At this juncture, if you are investing a lot of hard earn money on a bike you intend to keep for a long time with a custom frameset, I would say disc brake is definitely a better option, sort of future-proof yourself.

Do you really think this? History is the best predictor of the future. I'll give you an example of what has happened over the last 10 or so years of mtn bike discs. It started with IS disc mounts (international standard) with QR hubs, then they changed to PM brakes(Post mount), then the hubs went to TA (through axle) 12mm and 15mm, then the hub spacing went to 142mm rear, then FM brakes (flat mount) brakes came, now the hubs are "boost" 148mm rear 110mm front, the front axles are now 20mm, and so on, it just keeps going.

In contrast, all my wheels from the late 80s still fit on all my rim brake bikes. What are the odds that the current disc brake standard will be "future proof"? I'm thinking very low.

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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [Bonesbrigade] [ In reply to ]
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All good points, but lot of the current disc hubs are designed with that uncertainty in mind so they can be "converted later" to different hub spacing and TA diameter.

With regards to the history of MTB, certainly the changes are enormous over the last a few decades, but that's because a) it's a relatively new sports vis-a-vis road so things are still being constantly optimized, and b) disc technology improved along with application change (down hill vs XC vs Enduro vs whatever is next).

I am not saying disc brakes for road is as mature as rim brakes; on the other hand, all the uncertainties for the most part are about hubs spacing, TA diameter, and mount-types, not about the technology itself. I would rather "future-proof" myself with where the technology is moving first, and then figure out how to do so with the most upgradeable setup.
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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If you don't ride in the rain or on steep grades, rim brakes are fine. I'd use them if I lived in a flatter or drier locale. Discs also provide better braking and/or safety and peace of mind if you want to run carbon clinchers on hilly routes. Of course the industry sure seems to be going to disc, and even if rim brakes/rims will be available for years to come, why put yourself behind at the start?

I'd say go with what you prefer.

The breadwinner though - I know custom is in the eye of the beholder, but I've heard just enough grumblings about one of the two involved to steer clear. That said, the Lolo is a very nice looking bike.
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [lanierb] [ In reply to ]
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lanierb wrote:
Bonesbrigade wrote:
I'd add that the risk of the current disc brake standard(s) changing is higher than the risk of the current rim brake standard changing.

I agree with this. Think about it. What do you need to forever service your bike with rim brakes? Answer is new brake pads and a rear hub with 130mm spacing. That standard was around so long that I'm 100% sure you will be able to buy them in 20 years. The same cannot be said for discs.

Another reason I haven't switched, besides that I do not feel any need for discs, is that I have a bunch of bikes, and if I switch I can't interchange wheels, which would suck.

Food for thought: can you think of anything stupider than a HED H3 with disc brakes?



http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [dalava] [ In reply to ]
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dalava wrote:
I was responding to the posts about disc brakes being non-standardized. In fact, there isn't a rim brake standard, so bike industry has not always evolve around the establishment of standards.

Ultimately, as the OP correctly identified, this is not about the advantage of disc brakes over rim disc (which is clear in terms of braking performance) but rather about rim brakes being slowly phased out (again, that's the reality). At this juncture, if you are investing a lot of hard earn money on a bike you intend to keep for a long time with a custom frameset, I would say disc brake is definitely a better option, sort of future-proof yourself.

Just because you repeat that, it doesn't mean it's true....

http://bikeblather.blogspot.com/
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Re: Buying new road bike: need disc vs rim brake advice. I know this subject has been beaten to death but hear me out [triguy86] [ In reply to ]
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Forever bike. LOL. good one, you almost got me with that one.
I remember when ti came in and everyone came up with the forever bike concept.
Hell, why would anyone want a forever bike? I mean we live in a technologically galloping time. Improvements we can't even imagine, are just around the corner. Disc or rim brakes are the current question, but next week it will be some other upgrade or advancement and you, along with the rest of us, will be clamouring for it.
Your new bike will be a 5 year bike at best. Get used to that. Buy whatever suits your needs, ride it for 5 years, then put it on the Kickr and buy a new bike for the road. Repeat as necessary.

TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"
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