New bike question

[benb]

Originally Posted by mhespenheide

Thanks for that. All of that makes a lot of sense. I have ridden through seven winters in rainy Seattle in the past, but those conditions were just wet, not wet+grit or wet+salt. I've been through one winter in north-central MA, but mostly I switched to running or indoor workouts over the winter. So you've got a lot more experience in riding in bad conditions.

(I did pick up my Avid Ultimates for $80 for the pair secondhand, but I'm glad I haven't had to go through all of the maintenance and upkeep you did.)

I mean to a certain extent the end result is "Why was I doing that?"

It's kind of miserable riding behavior. If you sign up for something early in the season you might be forced to do it here. The other option is endless time on the trainer, which is not something I was ever great at tolerating.

If you can actually just say "I'm not going to ride in the bad weather" you can kind of wave off disc breaks.

The way climate change is going we've had a very california-like fall so far.

[David in Maine]

I chose VO Grand Cru for my custom Seven RedSky. I was happy with them for three years and I love the mid-reach brake road bike concept. I use 30c, 32c, and 35c tires on different wheelsets depending on the riding I'm doing. For some reason I struggled to keep the VO calipers centered--probably my own ineptitude. Also the springs developed a lovely patina of rust. This past season I decided to try the TRP 957 calipers. I must say I prefer the way they feel and look, but the difference is subtle and might be all in my head. Can't go wrong with either IMO.

David

[kiwisimon]

I'm heavy (91kgs) and use TRP 957on my road bike. I've never thought I needed more braking power than they have. I have discs on my all road bike and TBH brakes are brakes. Both bikes stop when I want them to. My trouble is speeding up not slowing down.