UPDATE: I bought a bike! Road Bike Situation. Stay with older bike and upgrade parts or go brand new. Disc or No Disc?

Triathlon Forum
1

Stuck in a rut and looking for some opinions about my 1st world situation.

Current Bike: 2006 Specialized Allez
10 SPD. Right rear brake is in need of a newer cable, it is either stuck or needs to be replaced. No powermeter (but I have a quarq that I think would work with it). I have 2 sets of wheels, but both are 23 mm. I would love to get a 25 wide set and put on 25 or 28 tires. I’m currently using my Trek Speed concepts stock 25 wheels, but no aero benefits really.

Bike is super light and nimble and I think still looks great. I have a willing wife that is allowing me to upgrade. But I’m starting to wonder if the hype with the disc brakes etc. is worth buying a whole new bike.

I have been looking at 2020/21 Trek Domane SL5 and 6. The tubes seems super wide. Kinda hard to imagine it’s more aero than what I already have. Yes, the cabling is all internal. But the bikes are much heavier (5+ pounds it seems).

I love the paint of the Emonda 2021 SL5 in silver or blue. Probably the most attractive package. Problem is I haven’t been able to find one to ride yet.

Q1: Should I just keep my current 14/15 year old bike and upgrade to new 11 SPD and get new wheels ( 50ish deep like the Bontrager aeolus 50s) and spend 1k to 1500 total?

Q2: Should I ditch the Allez and keep the rim brakes to be able to swap wheels and get another bike like it in carbon or aluminum (specialized again or an older used 2019 Emonda rim brake)?

Q3: Balls to the wall and go full in for a disc brake bike. I love the look of the specialized tarmac, trek emomda 2021 SL5 OR 6, or stretch and get a cervelo S3 or R3? Or, go with the “comfy” Domane SL5 or 6 (black/red version or all black)?

To offset some costs, I would be selling 2 wheelsets (mavic cosmic carbones, and Flo 30s, both rim brake) and my quarq powermeter. I figure around 1200ish total for all 3. That’s debatable though.

I haven’t had a new road bike since I bought this. I would love a new bike, but I don’t NEED it. I guess we never do! I bought and sold my dream bike (Trek SC) and one reason I am wondering about staying with rim brakes is because I likely won’t feel like I can fix the disc brakes. Rim brakes are an easy fix.

Sorry for the ramble. I’ve been spending waaay too much time fixating on the situation and wondering what you bike pros think.

I’m 44 and have lost 25 pounds since March. I haven’t been running or biking much this past month due to vacation and getting a wart removal on foot, and a vasectomy last week. Probably why I’m going crazy wanting to upgrade or look into it.

Thanks!

2

I have an SWORKS Tarmac SL4, just over 6 years old now.

Have already replaced the entire running gear and wheels once. I see them as consumables ~ about 20,000km (or 12,000 miles). Once you replace these items - feels like a new bike.

Have no current plans to upgrade. But if I did, would definitely be looking at disc brakes.

My Tri Bike (Specialized Transition Pro) is nearly 10 years old and I expect to upgrade it within the next couple of years. Will definitely be looking at disc brakes for the new TriBike, which will of course make it incompatible with my road bike wheels. This may trigger a new road bike purchase once my current road bike wheels wear out.

3

I had the Transition Pro as well (black and red) and it was my favorite tri bike. I loved the storage on the Trek SC, and it was fast on a straight line, but I did not like it in turns etc. The transition was awesome!

4

Q1: No don’t upgrade to 11 spd. The only think you would notice with this alteration is that you need to change chains more often. If you want wheels I would buy used. Any 11 spd wheel can accept a 10spd cassette and people are dumping rim brake wheels as they move disc so its definitely a buyers market for high end rim brake wheels.

Q2: In the dry on the road rim brakes are good and direct mount rim brakes (which I think are the 2019 Emonda) are really really good. Its in the wet and rough stuff that discs begin to shine. Personally I can never see myself going back to rim brakes on my commuter bikes but I am in no rush to move to discs on my road bike. Part of that equation is that I commute in all weather but am too soft to go for a training ride in bad weather. Where your riding fits on the spectrum will determine the best approach.

Oddly enough I also have Specialized Tranisition as my TT bike and it provides an example to think about. The braking on Transitions is mediocre at best and downright sketchy in the wet. This is ok most of the time and I have done tons of races with issues. The problem is you can’t control the weather on race day. Two years ago I did a 70.3 in very wet conditions after heavy rain had washed a lot of debris onto the back roads. I really wished I had a different bike as there were a lot of round abouts to navigate and I had to be extremely cautious

Q3: I haven’t had a chance to ride many of the bikes you mentioned but I am sure they are all good options. One thing to keep in mind is that all the bikes are a significant step up from the Allez as you have skipped over bikes like the Allez Sprint disc and Emonda ALR 5. My brother just bought a Allez sprint and was able to upgrade the wheels with the LBS as part of the deal. Its a a really bike for the the money and the top end alloy frames are every bit as good as entry level carbon.

In terms of maintenance disc brakes aren’t scary. All the bikes you mentioned are hydraulic and this is the way I would go. They require minimal maintenance and you can quickly learn the skills required. Its true that if you use fancy high end organic pads you can tear through them quickly but that is no different than using fancy high end carbon specific rim brake pads. Mechanical discs require more frequent attention and this adds up to more time in the long term relative to hydros.

5

I am not a promoter of the disc bike revolution but it is where the industry is headed and I can’t see the wisdom in buying a new rim brake bike. The road scene has been behind the innovation of mountain bikes for years and I bet you can’t even buy a rim brake MTB, other than maybe at Walmart. Heck from the sound of your post I bet you are’t using tubeless tires.

I would sell your old bike and wheels and sink the cash into something new.

6

I built a Lightspeed T3 disc and love the braking in the wet. My Blue AC1 brakes well enough in the wet but you do need to pre-brake to dry the rims so the brake grabs. Disc is slightly heavier, My AC-1 is 13.1 lbs verses my T3 at 14.6 lbs but to be honest I live where its flat so it makes zero difference. I do love the road feel of titanium over carbon for a frame. I feel more connected to the pavement on the T3. My cross/gravel bike is carbon and also anti so I just ordered a Lynskey GR Race with a Force mechanical group and Stan’s wheels. The AC-1 is fast but I just love the ride of titanium better. I do like the disc brakes over the standard brake too. I have one finger braking on both but the discs are just more responsive with less finger pressure.

7

Go for disc brakes. I was a sceptic until a couple of years ago - then I needed to replace my winter commuter and went with disc brakes and it was really a revelation. This spring I got a new road bike and again went disc brake. Sure they are infinitely better in the wet, but also noticeably better in the dry too, especially if you are riding hills and/or with carbon rims…

8

My son repairs and rebuilds bikes as a hobby and to earn a little (actually quite a lot) of pocket money

Recently seen more people wanting to rebuild existing bikes on new drivetrain. His most recent was a 2011 Trek Madone 5.2, fitted SRAM Force AXS 12 speed, 10-33 cassette with 35-48 chain set gives a massive gear range (bottom gear is equivalent to an 32 cassette and 34 ring, top gear is equivalent to an 11 cassette and 53 ring). Electronic shifting is brilliant. Also included in build was profile design aero drops with clip on aero bars. Total cost was $1800

I built a gravel bike with latest Shimano GRX drivetrain on a 1991 titanium frame

I also have a 2011 Cervelo R5ca with SRAM Red ETAP

I also own a 2018 Canyon Ultimate with Disc Brakes and Di2

I also own a 2019 Cervelo R5 with rim brakes and Di2

When I got my first disc brake road bike I loved it. Swiss mountains and rim brakes scared the life out of me. However, I am now a much better descender, and even though I do still prefer discs on a big descent, I am more than capable of descending just as fast on a well setup rim brake bike. I am just about to sell my Canyon, as the 2019 Cervelo R5 is simply a better bike.

I also hate noises, squeeks and rattles. All discs are noisy to some extent, its much easier to detup a rim brake bike to be quiet

One member of my cycling club is just switching to disc brakes, after melting his 3rd set of carbon rims. He is 80kg and drags the brakes on long descents, so for him it makes perfect sense to switch to discs (although I suspect he will eat pads and will probably overheat his discs). I tend to roll descents and brake hard into bends, which means the rims don’t over heat.

A new bike is lovely, but an old bike with new drivetrain and updated parts can also be superb: A $2000 update could give you a bike that is 99% of a $10,000 superbike

9

I have a 2014 Jamis Ventura Race. I upgraded to 11spd primarily as I didn’t like the shifter cables coming out of the side of the shifters. The bike fits me well and is fun to ride. I bought used shimano 105 group set.

Disc brakes for my gravel bike are fine as I seem to need more stopping power on that bike and I’m more likely to be riding in mud and wet crud. But honestly I find disc brakes annoying. rotors and pads are far more expensive than rim brake pads and disc brakes seem to be far more likely to be noisy. For me, I just don’t have a huge need for disc brakes on my road bike. If I was buying a new road bike I doubt a hesitate to buy a bike with rim brakes. I know manufacturers are moving to disc brakes but it’s not like rim brakes will stop working.

10

I am not a promoter of the disc bike revolution but it is where the industry is headed and I can’t see the wisdom in buying a new rim brake bike. The road scene has been behind the innovation of mountain bikes for years and I bet you can’t even buy a rim brake MTB, other than maybe at Walmart. Heck from the sound of your post I bet you are’t using tubeless tires.

I would sell your old bike and wheels and sink the cash into something new.

I think disc brakes are far more critical for mountain biking. depending on your typical riding conditions I just don’t see there’s a huge downside to rim brakes just because the industry is heading to disc brakes. It’s not like rim brakes down work. They work fine.

11

I Really appreciate your detailed response. I was kinda hoping someone would respond to all my thoughts. Especially as I wrote it at 1.30 am!

I won’t be riding in wet weather, unless it springs up on me. So, I don’t necessarily need disc brakes to stop me in bad weather. I like doing hills and often like to punish myself (when in great bike shape) by doing hill repeats. I will hopefully be going out to Shenandoah soon to do a ride out there.

I’m just torn and don’t want to drop a lot of coin and have buyers remorse if the bike isn’t as snappy and quick as my current oldie.

Thanks to the other who replied as well. Keep the thoughts coming.

12

The other thing to consider is that you are indicating that you want wider rims and tires. Not sure your old bike will even accept them (and that’s a mark against rim brakes, particularly ones with standard road calipers. Your clearance is going to be limited.

for a road bike, buying a new one I wouldn’t bother with rim brakes anymore. The latest disc brake bikes are so clean that I can’t fathom actually wanting rim brakes instead.

13

It was raining this morning when I left for work. I needed to ride as I have an Ultra tri this weekend, and done some last minute changes to the bike, so wanted to make sure I gave it a proper ride (its 20 miles to work). First time I hit the brake, not much there, but after a second, pads have cleared water from rim and brakes work fine. Rest of ride absolutely fine just break a second or so earlier and no drama. In an emergency situation or pushing the limit, a disc would be better, but rim brakes still work, we didn’t all die every time it rained in the past.

I get why manufacturers only want one system, I wouldn’t consider a new bike without DB, however, when considering a used bike or an upgrade, DB would be pretty far down my list of wishes

14

I am not a promoter of the disc bike revolution but it is where the industry is headed and I can’t see the wisdom in buying a new rim brake bike. The road scene has been behind the innovation of mountain bikes for years and I bet you can’t even buy a rim brake MTB, other than maybe at Walmart. Heck from the sound of your post I bet you are’t using tubeless tires.

I would sell your old bike and wheels and sink the cash into something new.

X2

This is the really sensible option

15

It sounds like your bike just needs some maintenance so maybe get yourself some new cables and deal with that back brake. at the same time you might want to look at your driveline and make sure your chain is okay.

New wheels might make a nice upgrade for you.

Other than that I personally wouldn’t spend money upgrading to disc brakes for a road bike. I think they would be nice on a cyclocross bike because you are riding in some pretty dreadful conditions and I think they would be nice on something like a touring bike where you are riding around with an extra 50 lb of crap. For conventional road use they work better in the rain but you can still stop the bike with rim brakes in any kind of conditions.

I think shops are having a difficulty finding wholesale 9 and 10-speed stuff now but you can get whatever you need on the retail level from someplace like eBay. 10 speed is really nice mature technology that is easy to maintain and find spare parts for.

16

It sounds like you are in the DC/Baltimore area, which to me means that disc brakes aren’t really necessary for road riding (even on the steeps in VA/MD, properly set up rim brakes are just fine). I would first try new tires (Conti GP 5000s or their equivalent, 25c /28c if they’ll clear your brakes) and new cables (brake and shifter), and see how it all feels. Oh, and new handlebar tape makes a world of difference too. That will set you back a few $100s, but it’ll be a huge difference in ride feel.

17

Just rode the Emonda and Domane today. I was shockingly impressed with the Domane. I also rode a 2020 specialized roubaix. It was the lower spec. Thinking of maybe getting that, upgrading components to ultegra and selling stock tiagra stuff.

So, it’s either Domane SL6 in black or the roubaix in a matter blue…if they can find it in a 56…

Glad.i checked the ride between the Emonda and Domane together. I wanted the Emonda do bad, (looks), but I gotta go by feel on this .

18

Almost the exact same predicament. My road bike is a 2004 Trek 1500 that I jazzed up a little last year with wheels, tape, chain, etc. to buy me a year. It worked but now I am also looking at a Domane. Good to know you liked it. Also struggling with the “I like to race 2% of the time so I should have a race bike (currently my TT bike)” but realizing that the Domane is probably the most logical bike given its versatility.

19

Looks like you’ve made up your mind but I am in a similar position with my road setup, 05 components on an 09 frame. Also have a 2018 gravel bike with discs and more importantly, tubeless tires. I have switched to tubeless on the old road bike as well (with the stock wheels that came on my 2014 Speed Concept) and I love it but I won’t be upgrading it any further than that. Next road bike will be disc, tubeless, internal cable routing, and hopefully by then, integrated lights. My old bike just looks, well, OLD. Feel like I’m riding around in a car with chrome bumpers and a vinyl roof. Time to move on.

20

I may have missed it, but to be clear Littlefoot, have you ever actually ridden a bike with discs? If not, give it a try. While I’ll skip repeating the info about them that everyone else has shared, I will say: riding discs on a road/tt bike after a lifetime of rim brakes is, at the least, very different. It’s up to you to decide how much you like/value them, but the delta is almost shocking. It was more than I expected it to be.