It makes total sense as a marketing strategy for equipment manufacturers.
How else could Shimano convince everyone that 13-sp cassettes are essential to life?
Disagree with this. I found changing pad on a disc brake bike arguably easier.
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Completely, 100% disagree on this.
Even with aluminum rims on flat ground, I noticed a significant difference when commuting at 18mph with disc brakes.
I’d never, ever go back to rim brakes in any circumstance. They’re just safer in every condition. There’s no reason (other than cost…) to even consider rim brakes for any application. And I’m not overlooking weight. For 99.9% of riders, that weight difference is insignificant.
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Hot take - I’d argue american football is incompatible with human safety regardless of rules, the NFL knows this, and is making “safety” changes for the express purpose of maintaining revenue.
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it makes plenty of sense. pro cycling isn’t about the rider. brands pay teams millions for them to win on their machines, and need to innovate for them to win.
if you want to watch homogenous racing, go bet on some japanese keirins
“Pro cycling isnt about the rider” yep exactly my point. These teams barely break even paying riders a pittance of what they help bring in. Its backward
Nothing is ever that simple “they only care about the money.” It is certainly priority #1 but not caring about the people will cost you big time. NFL probably sitting on a multi-billion dollar liability with CTE. They started caring a LOT when they realized that
AKA…money…
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I think part of the problem with this question is that a really well designed frame will be designed around the type of braking system used.
It very well might be that the early disk brake bikes “lost something” compaired to the rim brake versions - but the same would probably be true now if you just somehow stuck rim brakes onto a frame designed for discs.
Disk brakes are objectively better at stopping but i dont find slowing down sexy so dont really care what brakes are fitted. I love my rim brake road bike - campy carbon wheels and brake pads work amazingly well.
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This really kind of sums things up.
Disc brakes functionally are just better. Always. Are they better by a wide enough margin that it’s worth it to seek them out? That’s a bit of a different question, and that is liky going to greatly depend on how one relatively values form vs function (and whether their form ideal aligns with rim brakes).
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Have we?
The UCI bans aero devices like brake farings and has limits on the ratio of tube dimensions. What about an integrated hydration solution? All of those are things that could make bikes better.
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No one in a pro peloton would want an integrated hydration solution. They would exhaust it in 3 gulps unless it is absolutely huge, which they would then hate due to weight.
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Triathletes have integrated hydration solutions, and I bet for some shorter or some very long races they would work great. Especially if they were optional, I don’t see any harm. Plus, it’d be great for amateurs, too.
Could still be integrated and swapable, would simply be more aero…
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Triathletes and pro cyclists are apples and oranges. Even pro triathletes dont all use integrated hydration.
TBH the entire idea is a solution looking for a problem
(Pro) athletes are wearing hydration packs for races such as Unbound. I think some of them would very much like to have that integrated, especially if it is (more) aero. I’m fairly sure I have seen athletes put hydration packs in frame bags and McGyvered a hydration solution.
Once it becomes common in a niche, I bet some pros would want to try it out for at least some races.
Yeah thats true, i was thinking uci teams but other pro riders would like it for stuff like gravel etc. i think Colin Strickland made something like this for his bike a couple of years ago. Looked pretty cool
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My argument is about giving teams options rather than precluding them. And it might take a while. It took many years until riders of the pro peloton have started experimenting with 1x or quasi-1x drivetrains. I think the UCI’s ridiculous stance on disc brakes has delayed their arrival on the mass market by several years. They pretended it was some unproven technology from outer space while there was a proven track record of easily more than a decade on the world of MTB.
From a wet part of the UK with punchy ascents and descents. We shouldn’t overlook the excessive rim wear caused by heavy braking on wet and gritty rims. Which results in more frequent wheel changes. Offset against the increased cost in rotors and brake pads for discs.
But the killer for me is… better clearance for mudguards.
My current winter bike can’t take more than 25mm tyres under mudguards with rim brakes. It just makes me sad.
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