Tell me if I am the only cyclist who's seen a hundred articles or blog posts announcing The Death Of The Rim Brake.
I don't call myself a "retrogrouch": At least one other blogger has laid claim to that title. I also do not, however, use the newest and latest stuff just because it's the newest and latest stuff. My bikes have steel frames (Reynolds), downtube shifters (except for my fixie), pedals with toe clips and straps, Brooks saddles, hand-spoked wheels and, yes, rim brakes: dual-pivot side pulls on three of my bikes, single-pivot sidepulls (!) on two others and cantilevers on still another.
The reason I'm not making the switch is that the none of the cycling crashes or other accidents I've experienced had anything to do with braking power, or lack thereof. Then again, I learned a long time ago to keep things in adjustment, replace cables and pads before they seem to need replacing (every year or two, depending on the conditions in which I've been riding) and to clean my rims and brakes after wet or muddy rides. I use high-quality pads (Mathauser Kool Stop) and cables employ good braking technique: I usually anticipate my stops and apply the brakes accordingly.
Now, if I were riding carbon-fiber rims, I might understand the "rim wear" argument. But even on a relatively light rim like the Mavic Open Pro, I manage to ride many, many miles (or kilometers) without significant wear. And there might be other extreme conditions which I have yet to ride, and probably won't at this stage of my life, that could warrant disc brakes.
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| It works! (From Black Mountain Cycle) |
But my dual pivots (Shimano BR- R650 and R451 and Dia Compe BRS 100), single pivots (Campagnolo Record) and cantilevers (Tektro 720) have all given me more than adequate stopping power. Best of all, I can make adjustments or replace parts easily, whether I'm at home or on some backroad in Cambrai or Cambodia, without having to "bleed out" lines or deal with the other complications of disc brakes.
And, as much as I care about my bikes' aesthetics, they're not the reason I'm not using discs. Actually, some of the discs themselves are rather pretty, and I suppose that in carbon or other modern configurations, the cabling and other necessary parts integrate well. But I still like, in addition to their pretty paint jobs, my bikes' clean lines which, in a sort of Bauhausian way, reflect the simplicity and elegance of their function.
Eben Weiss discusses the virtues I've outlined in his most recent Outside article--and how bike companies are squeezing rim brakes, for no good reason, out of the market.
