It’s official, the bike industry has lost its way.

[bigbill]

I would have loved to have disc brakes when I commuted in the PNW. The Avid cantilevers I had were terrible in the wet and would wake up every dog in the county when dry. My Coconino DRR has hydraulic disc that I set up in 2017 and have remained perfect. It's just not that big of a deal.

[berserk87]

Originally Posted by dpdan93

Give it a rest already... These disc bashing threads are getting old

Then don't read them. And quit trying to shut other people down. It's a discussion forum. Let folks discuss. If you don't like the topic, move to one that you do enjoy.

[YesNdeed]

It's been a long time time coming. I remember perusing a bike shop in San Francisco, circa 2004. A heavyset, die hard commuter type guy told me to make the investment in disc brakes because they perform far better in the rain, making hard stops after steep urban descents. Truth is, he's right. Necessary for your average commute or beach cruise? No. But like it or not, the consumer dollar controls much of the market, not my opinion.

The "cool" factor alone sells bikes. Admittedly, the 90s era Fuji Finest I bought for $100 in February of 2009 could have served me longer than it did, but I don't regret upgrading to a CAAD8 R5000 shortly thereafter in May of that year. It's been one upgrade after the other since then. And still, not giving up my rim brakes.

[rkhatibi]

In the case of the Quick there are EIGHT versions from $1400 to $450. https://www.cannondale.com/en/USA/Pr...9-b13aff601fab

Can't say I see any over investment in engineering when it's mostly the same frame with component changes across the line to address different customers.

[JSL]

Originally Posted by tourmalet

There's a good case to be made for disc brakes on commuters. I hate the initial ineffectiveness of rim brakes in wet weather, and I've had a few close calls because of it.

If you want discs, then the thru-axle is a no-brainer to guarantee disc-to-caliper alignment. Hydraulic vs. cable on the other hand is a luxury, but if you're willing to pay $1K for a commuter, it's a reasonable upgrade.

This sums it up.

Phased out my rim brakes on my around town/commuter bikes over the years and don't regret it at all.

[FlashUNC]

Discs make more sense on commuters than high zoot road bikes.

[Pegoready]

The auto industry has lost its way. The average driver doesn't need power steering, anti lock brakes, and automatic transmissions. Get off my lawn!

[sonicCows]

My guess: discs are a very comprehensible upgrade feature for beginner cyclists–an easy way for bike manufacturers and shops to justify a premium in the product lines they are selling at full retail. If a new cyclist is telling their normie friends they spent $600-1000 on a new bike, at least they can say they got discs/hydraulic discs over the rim/Vs on normie bikes. Now I personally don't think hydro discs make sense/are necessary for most cyclists but it's also the next upgrade up from cable discs. Plus, it'll lead to more labor costs for bike shops to capture.

[mt2u77]

You’re overthinking. It doesn’t have to make sense, it has to sell a bike.

[ChainNoise]

Originally Posted by mt2u77

You’re overthinking. It doesn’t have to make sense, it has to sell a bike.

This x100000

Why do you think most manufacturers keep changing **** and try to make a new standard? So they can pry money from your hands into their pockets. That's what it's all about.

[rain dogs]

Originally Posted by flashunc

discs make more sense on commuters than high zoot road bikes.

this.

[ernmony]

Originally Posted by Pegoready

The auto industry has lost its way. The average driver doesn't need power steering, anti lock brakes, and automatic transmissions. Get off my lawn!

...plus no fuel!

[oldpotatoe]

"They" said the same thing about rear ders, index shifting, clipless pedals, mtb suspension, and now disc brakes. My granddaughters $600 Cleary has wet disc brakes....like the guy in the shimano booth said, 'it's for selling'...
I'm glad as a former bike shop lizard I don't have to-
-Work on 'em
-Sell 'em
-Use 'em

But they are here, for good or ill. I remember when a price point MTB had a pretty decent front fork and then crappy everything else to get to that price point. I suspect low end bikes with wet discs are no different...
BUT, like when Campag couldn't sell a square taper crank and went all in on external BB cranks in 2007, rim brakes still work but that's not what the buying public wants, for whatever reason....
oh well...

[Heisenberg]

what a curiously tiny hill to choose to die on, re: the industry losing its way.

[Burnette]

Originally Posted by Clancy

I saw a 2020 Cannondale Quick today, a typical flat bar, upright, hybrid bike. Price tag of $1,000. It had flat mount hydraulic disc brakes and a front thur axle.

I saw a 2020 Electra Townie today, a typical ballon tire beach cruiser. It had hydraulic disc brakes. (With a Shimano Tourney derailleur)

I am struggling to find the right words to express the absurdity. No argument that hydraulic disc brakes offer better performance but these are two bike models that absolutely do not need discs and will only complicate the maintenance for the end user not to mention the added costs to the bike, added maintenance costs and although minimal, impact on the environment. To what end?

The engineering and development costs surely could have been put to better use by the companies involved.

I just don’t get it.

I'll explain it. See, when it gets cold, the skies turn grey and when people spend more time indoors than out, their demeanor changes.

Small insignificant things that they don't agree with or like become irritants. And that thing that is just silly and small becomes rather large, it consumes thoughts, time and energy.

And recreational sports are good fodder for this angst. It's easy to throw stones at equipment like Golf clubs, bullets and shoes.

The funny thing is that we don't turn around and look back at ourselves in the mirror. You're standing there with an egg shaped blob in your head, a risque outfit of spandex and clown shoes. Hardly a person to take serious about judging someone else's buying habits.

This thread is early, meaning it will probably be a rough winter.