Nostalgic for rim-brakes - why?

[d_douglas]

Seeing the ad for the OG Ritchey Swisscross is making be nostalgic for rim brakes. I have been using discs on my CX bike for over a decade now (I have one of the earlier disc braked frames in production) and somehow I think itd be so cool to get a beautiful rim-braked, big clearance handmade cyclocross gem.

I was looking at photos of old Ritcheys, Stinners, Hunters, Rock Lobsters, etc. and thinking just how great they look with 'traditional' cantilever hardware ;). Hell, I saw a rim-braked carbon Ibis Hakka last week on the road and I was drooling over that as well!

Is there something wrong with me?

[AngryScientist]

Is there something wrong with me?

nope. rim brakes rule. :)

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VKdOuLsOhTg/XLub4xozs5I/AAAAAAAADMo/1KN-M3ipTZQ1Tk44BPnoQuOr3BHsZ1P9ACLcBGAs/s1140/IMG_3557.JPG

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WgohI-R7MQ0/WdtyopIM28I/AAAAAAAAC6Q/n-VjuL1bU0giGS3LeNSQlbVe62O2LZWTgCLcBGAs/s840/IMG_1432.JPG

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ONQM_4oz-e8/Wmz823hNIGI/AAAAAAAAC98/a-y_Lo8_H6cax3PjuvZOj8u6UHCW7dtKwCLcBGAs/s900/IMG_1982.JPG

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mn6pRnj9GI4/WV5jubXhhfI/AAAAAAAAC14/mS-pGFgqRZgawu_aTG4rOvDB43JNIvCagCLcBGAs/s940/IMG_0947.JPG

[palincss]

My new bike:

https://farm1.static.flickr.com/890/41469476365_718f450434_b.jpg

[mwynne]

One of us!

[Clean39T]

Right there with you..

.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190430/2aca97426cd4686b925ae0fe58ea20cf.jpg

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[d_douglas]

Aaarrgh, so pretty. I think it was that Stinner Mudfoot of Gothbrooks fame that kept me coming back. I have grown so used to discs that I prefer the performance of them over my rim-braked road bike (works great for the purpose) BUT

I think that trying a set of Pauls Minimotos would likely yield equivalent braking power to anything short of nice hydro brakes. That said, they probably cost the same amount (but that is not really the point ;)!! )

Dan, that Black Mountain is absolutely gorgeous.

[Clean39T]

It's a bummer that clearances are generally limited on older cross framesets though...

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[bicycletricycle]

Your deep inner wisdom is sending you a message. Rim brakes are better :)

More seriously, brakes are brakes, they all stop the bicycle. As long as you like riding the bicycle than it has good brakes on it.

Seeing the ad for the OG Ritchey Swisscross is making be nostalgic for rim brakes. I have been using discs on my CX bike for over a decade now (I have one of the earlier disc braked frames in production) and somehow I think itd be so cool to get a beautiful rim-braked, big clearance handmade cyclocross gem.

I was looking at photos of old Ritcheys, Stinners, Hunters, Rock Lobsters, etc. and thinking just how great they look with 'traditional' cantilever hardware ;). Hell, I saw a rim-braked carbon Ibis Hakka last week on the road and I was drooling over that as well!

Is there something wrong with me?

[AngryScientist]

It's a bummer that clearances are generally limited on older cross framesets though...

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

nahh, it's a good reminder that before it was popular to put mtb tires on cross bikes, we all rode the same roads on 33's :)

[Clean39T]

https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/marketplace/listing/used-2016-ritchey-swisscross/12142

So tempting. Signed by the previous incarnation of M VdP.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Clean39T]

nahh, it's a good reminder that before it was popular to put mtb tires on cross bikes, we all rode the same roads on 33's :)As long as we agree to ride the same speed and not take our cross bikes on mtb trails, I'm down.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[prototoast]

My attempts to find a new home for my Carl Strong rim brake cyclocross bike have led me to conclude that most people aren't nostalgic for rim brake off-road bikes. And I can't blame them. I love how this bike rides, I love how it handles, but when I'm going downhill on dirt, I much prefer the control of my new disc brake gravel bike. I also love that my rims aren't being destroyed in the process.

Too bad. I love everything else about this bike.

[GOTHBROOKS]

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4616/38838419175_61ca93c68f_b.jpg
“goth brooks fame” haha

[d_douglas]

ahhhh, so soothing.

There it is. I am one that likes fat tire clearances on these bikes.

[simonov]

I have a pile of bikes, all of them rim with one exception, a disc "gravel" bike. The disc bike is the only one on which I regret the brake selection.

[AngryScientist]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a_nZfEJP4GI/VWuD6GOlRrI/AAAAAAAACEE/9ohJVe71a_U/s1200/P1080474.JPG

[spacemen3]

Rim brakes aren't the problem, carbon rims are. :p

https://www.pedalroom.com/p/serotta-fierte-cross-03-17929_10.jpg

[donevwil]

Why, because they work.

1697978400

[benb]

I have no desire to be on a road bike with discs anytime soon.. the standard road brakes are fine in 99% of situations for me. Only place discs would be better for me would be a handful of extremely sketchy > 12% average grade descents. New England has a few.. descents that are multiple miles with switchbacks, grades up to 20%, and lots of frost heaves and such. Scary stuff. Some of these are irrelevant. Mt. Washington for example. You're never getting to ride down it so no big deal.

I rarely get to ride down those descents.. I did once last season. It is a hell of a lot more fun & faster on hydraulic discs. The rest of the time no big deal.

Gravel bike is almost certainly getting discs next time I need a new bike though. Cantis & Mini-Vs are just a PITA compared to regular road rim brakes or Discs. MTB has been hydro disc for for 13 years now, and I will never buy a rim brake MTB or mechanical disc MTB again I think.

[GOTHBROOKS]

disc brakes are ugly.

[d_douglas]

disc brakes are ugly.

Personally, I think the brand new Ultegra looks beautiful - they levers don't look much different than rim brake levers and the calipers have always been pretty elegant looking (to me).

SRAM hydros are really ugly looking, but apparently work great.

Campy looks pretty good to me, though could improve.



But anyways, let's get back to the beauty of your Stinner :)

[rain dogs]

Ok, I'll bite.

I honestly do not want to start any big flame war, but I was saying the other day that outside of a performance road-only, road bike....

I would never buy another bike without disc brakes.

So, am I clueless? I've had one disc brake bike, for a couple years and I cannot fathom why I would ever want to futz around with rim brake bikes. My wife currently has a canti cross bike and I am basically begging her to get rid of it and get a disc bike instead.

Setting that thing up for what all the kids are calling "adventures" is absolutely brutal.

I cannot imagine I will ever be in the OP's position.... longing for the canti return??? :confused:

Tell me why I'm not nostalgic for rim-brakes. .... or just ignore me if I'm also missing the point of the thread.... hahaha.

[redir]

My next cyclocross bike will be disk for sure. And actually it might be hard outside of custom to even get one that isn't now. But disk for cyclocross is far superior. Period. As for road? Meh I will never need disk for road but I suggest y'all get disk for road and then sell me all your old Zipps and Leightweights for a song ;)

[Jaybee]

Ok, I'll bite.

I honestly do not want to start any big flame war, but I was saying the other day that outside of a performance road-only, road bike....

I would never buy another bike without disc brakes.

So, am I clueless? I've had one disc brake bike, for a couple years and I cannot fathom why I would ever want to futz around with rim brake bikes. My wife currently has a canti cross bike and I am basically begging her to get rid of it and get a disc bike instead.

Setting that thing up for what all the kids are calling "adventures" is absolutely brutal.

I cannot imagine I will ever be in the OP's position.... longing for the canti return??? :confused:

Tell me why I'm not nostalgic for rim-brakes. .... or just ignore me if I'm also missing the point of the thread.... hahaha.

I'm in the same spot you are.

A bunch of the bikes in this thread, (and some others that are not) are some of my favorite machines here. They do have a certain elegance to them, and I often remember the good times I had on an old 853 cross bike (Voodoo Wazoo, maybe?) that didn't quite fit and think about building one up to recreate that. Then I realize that I'd almost never choose to ride that bike over my disc bike, how badly my forearms were pumped after gnarly descents on cantis or mini-Vs, and the urge for another bike passes. But I've been real close. Even opened up a PM window about prototoast's Strong up there. It's just not where I should be spending my bike dollars these days.

[sparky33]

Is there something wrong with me?

Nope, we get it. Canti brakes have more mojo than disc brakes. Embrace all of it.

Remember to brake early.

[thermalattorney]

I'm reminded of the phrase "Things were better when things were worse."

Just this past Sunday I was doing some gentle singletrack on a friend's carbon Hakkalugi with SRAM/CX8.4s. That's a great lever/brake combo on a bada$$ frame. Yeah, it sucked when things got muddy but I still had a blast.

Would my friend go rim brakes on a new build? Nope, but he's also not going to go through the hassle of selling such a sweet ride just to move to discs.

[vincenz]

They can pry rim brakes out of my cold dead hands.

I only do road so all this gravel and adventure bike stuff doesn’t affect me. I don’t care how aero disc brakes are or how well they stop. I have never longed for better braking with rim brakes, especially with the newer grooved brake tracks on carbon rims. I just don’t like how disc brakes look and how they are heavier as well.

[vqdriver]

I love my rim braked road bike. Have hydro, don't want it on the road.

Buuuuuuttttt. Not all rim brakes were created equal. Never will I return to cantis. Or deltas or U brakes for that matter.
V brakes or calipers for me.

[d_douglas]

To be clear, I would not buy a new bike with cantis - but if I was offered an amazing used Canti bike at a good price, I might bite.

I still thunk about that Kirk touring bike I borrowed from Gothard years ago. He sold it and I passed on the chance to buy it, Paul’s brakes and all :)

[AngryScientist]

rim brakes keep it classy.

https://instagram.fewr1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/vp/1167a3121ca9e53ce59a936d5246b2b5/5D781AD7/t51.2885-15/e35/33728634_166478850868365_4261496096171229184_n.jpg ?_nc_ht=instagram.fewr1-1.fna.fbcdn.net

[jp!]

Rim brakes paired with aluminum rims featuring a turbine brake surface are the way to go. Like a cross between rim and and disc in terms of performance they stop in the wet with no trouble at all. Also they make a cool whistling noise when stopping. The downside these are not cheap or commonly available and any metal debris in the pads can wear the surface.

https://www.excelsports.com/assets/gallery/106444-3.jpg

[mtechnica]

I have no problem with rim brakes but in genera canti brakes and single pivot caliper brakes are trash compared to v brakes and dual pivot brakes in particular, pitting cantis against disc brakes is a pretty sad comparison imho, I just can’t see anyone that has ridden disc brakes being satisfied with canti or single pivot brakes lol...

[v531xc]

My new bike:

https://farm1.static.flickr.com/890/41469476365_718f450434_b.jpg

uh, do you have a thread about this bike? you should!

and yeah, rim brakes are cool. keeps the bike simple. sometimes complexity and disc brake stopping power are worth it, though. just have both!

[XXtwindad]

AKA The Paceline version of the "Sneetches."

I like the aesthetics of rim brake bikes much better. But for steep (10% and up) descents, (and I live on one such hill) I like the functionality of disc brakes much better. I am not a confident descender on steep pitches, and they offer (for me) much better modulation and control.

[notsew]

AKA The Paceline version of the "Sneetches."

I like the aesthetics of rim brake bikes much better. But for steep (10% and up) descents, (and I live on one such hill) I like the functionality of disc brakes much better. I am not a confident descender on steep pitches, and they offer (for me) much better modulation and control.

Agreed, I've got mini-vees on my cross bike and its just fine (who needs to brake in a cross race anyways??), but coming down 10%+ loose gravel logging roads in the winter - as so many gravel options around these parts provide - can be pretty terrifying. But for more mild inclines and racing #rimbrakes4life

[Burning Pines]

Discs are better but that doesn’t mean rim brake bikes are any worse than they were before.

[ERK55]

uh, do you have a thread about this bike? you should!

and yeah, rim brakes are cool. keeps the bike simple. sometimes complexity and disc brake stopping power are worth it, though. just have both!

Agreed.
Can we see a side view. Looks gorgeous.

[colker]

My new bike:

https://farm1.static.flickr.com/890/41469476365_718f450434_b.jpg

Ooooohh. Weigle?

[colker]

rim brake forks and seatstays can me made slender and more compliant= better ride quality.

[R3awak3n]

http://i64.tinypic.com/33emw6r.jpg

as a big disc brake fan, I agree with goth brooks, disc brakes are UGLY. They do work well.

A big nod to the EE brakes they are wacky cool and work extremely well and are super light. what is not to like?

[d_douglas]

http://i64.tinypic.com/33emw6r.jpg

as a big disc brake fan, I agree with goth brooks, disc brakes are UGLY. They do work well.

A big nod to the EE brakes they are wacky cool and work extremely well and are super light. what is not to like?

The rear triangle on that English looks so fragile. I know he’s an engineer, so it likely wouldn’t, but damn, those are ski-knee!

[dmurphey]

I like hydraulic discs on bad weather/gravel bike. They need a stiff fork to take the front disc load, 4x stiffer than a rim brake fork. My gravel steed has a lefty fork in front that takes that disk load on the one fork leg and has a bit of suspension travel to make it comfy. For the road I want a fork w compliance and a disc brake solid fork is not it. Give me rim brakes for the road with a thin wall steel fork for cushy feel. Paul center pills preferred.

[cinema]

probably alone on this here but Hydro disc > V Brake > mechanical disc

I prefer the stopping power, function and feel of a well adjusted V brake over basic mechanical discs on MTBs and cx. Cantis should be illegal. Hydro disc takes the cake of course.

[weisan]

It's a bummer that clearances are generally limited on older cross framesets though...

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Which is my only gripe, a small one, with my coveted Merlin Cyclocross bike. The biggest tire it will fit is 38mm, which for cyclocross application is more than adequate, if not, pretty standard. It's currently loaned out to a friend who uses it as a "road bike" and is more than happy with the plushness of 28mm tires it currently runs on.

http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1697893500&stc=1&d=1421167291

[R3awak3n]

The rear triangle on that English looks so fragile. I know he’s an engineer, so it likely wouldn’t, but damn, those are ski-knee!

they are just there to hold the brake :hello::p

[palincss]

Ooooohh. Weigle?

Yes. The one called "Shrinko" that he was riding last year.

[Spaghetti Legs]

What’s the axiom for brakes and cross bikes? “If you’re using brakes you’re not racing hard enough”?

To paraphrase Lorenzo Llamas as paraphrased by Billy Crystal “It is better to look good than to brake good”

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40782850363_a58bc2cabf_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/258QLyt)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40782849023_bb8af6d7ab_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/258QLan)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47696561592_942f0b1989_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fEMm3d)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40782847993_bb9ef7a342_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/258QKRB)