Why A Bike Fitter Still Chooses To Buy Rim Brake Bikes

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by carlucci1106

I don't know about you, but I hope to be around in 30 years. And riding my steel rim brake bicycles. There are plenty of young people who prefer them. You may be generally correct for the racer boi crowd, but for the spectrum of the industry, I'm dubious of this prediction.

The demographics of steel bike fans is considerably older than the general cycling population. Statistically speaking, most of those people will not be riding 30 years from now. In 30 years the "old guard" will be pining for the bikes they grew up with, which isn't steel.

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by tomato coupe

The demographics of steel bike fans is considerably older than the general cycling population. Statistically speaking, most of those people will not be riding 30 years from now. In 30 years the "old guard" will be pining for the bikes they grew up with, which isn't steel.

Can you also tell us where the stock market is headed while your at it.

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

Can you also tell us where the stock market is headed while your at it.

Sure. In 30 years it will be higher than it is today.

[fignon's barber]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

And these below the very best there is when doing just that....PLUS, HUGE coffee shop points when ya stop for that latte' during the Sunday 25 miler.

LOOK at that tire clearance(and height adjustable to boot....)

Beautiful, in a Rube Goldberg kinda way (some may need to google ref)

[carlucci1106]

Originally Posted by DeBike

It is beyond me why anybody cares what preference of brake types a bike fitter has.

I know, right? Literally has no bearing on fit! That's the genius of this scapegoat excuse to have a good-'ol fashioned, rim/disc brawl. We will get nowhere, say the same stuff, and change nothing. Pretty much a placebo for a political debate (not allowed to have). Could of told you this thread would have nothing to do with bike fit before I clicked into it.

Originally Posted by TheseGoTo11

Things got out of hand the last time the "rim vs disc" horse was beaten.

Here's how it goes. There are three or four types of posts in these threads.

1.) I like rim brakes but you may prefer disc brakes. That's cool. Let's go ride.

2.) I won't stop arguing until you agree my brake choice is THE RIGHT CHOICE! Argument/Rebuttal/Argument/Rebuttal/etc.

3.) Let's parse this out and look at the facts. There may be people who are generally not fully aware of what they are getting, and I have much experience to offer to people in the market faced with this decision.

4.) Is there a conspiracy?!?! Is this to get us to spend money on something pointless?!?!?! Can I believe the marketing/anti-marketing that the forks are stiffer/bikes are heavier/maintenance is not expensive/ rim brakes will cause me to crash/disc brakes will cause me to crash (DurianRider, always a laugh)/bikes are overbuilt?/ are aero claims rubbish?/ Are bike weights pointless?/ (In eyes of bike companies) Is money/value no object??

All this and more can be yours, for the low low price of click on this thread

[hummus_aquinas]

Originally Posted by DeBike

It is beyond me why anybody cares what preference of brake types a bike fitter has.

I think his opinion has some value because of his work with ergonomics on the bike. An example is the observation of hydraulic disc (action at the controls/levers) and hand strength.

[carlucci1106]

^^Great observation. It's a bit of a stretch (pun unintended, honest!), but "fit" is a pretty holistic term. Not sure that one datum necessitates a 7-10 minute video, though.

[fourflys]

Originally Posted by hummus_aquinas

I think his opinion has some value because of his work with ergonomics on the bike. An example is the observation of hydraulic disc (action at the controls/levers) and hand strength.

exactly.. this is a guy who have fit hundreds (thousands?) of folks on a bike and was trained personally by the guy who many experts would say is the best.. so... if he has an opinion on why something may or may not work for a person as it pertains to bikes, its not a bad idea to take a listen.. and for those that actually watched the video, I thought he gave a fairly balanced view..

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by fourflys

exactly.. this is a guy who have fit hundreds (thousands?) of folks on a bike and was trained personally by the guy who many experts would say is the best.. so... if he has an opinion on why something may or may not work for a person as it pertains to bikes, its not a bad idea to take a listen.. and for those that actually watched the video, I thought he gave a fairly balanced view..

I'm not a bike fitter, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night ...

A bike fitter might have some pertinent knowledge about how brakes affect bike fit (or other things that affect bike fit, such as flexibility, strength, etc.), but the bike fitter in this video talked mostly about general cycling issues (maintenance, cost, weight, weather effects, etc.), so I'm not sure his opinions on those matters carry any more weight than others with cycling experience.

On the other hand ...

High end carbon bikes with the latest carbon wheels, electronic shifting and disc brake group sets are mostly ridden by dentists and accountants, so maybe I should consult my dentist before my next bike purchase?

[carlucci1106]

Fourflys, totally agree.

He has a authority to speak on it, but others are annoyed by it, tantamount to taking the opportunity to insert a political stance during a conversation about consumer pricing. I'm not saying he shouldn't talk about it. He absolutely gave a well-balanced discussion on who might benefit the most from each brake system.

People are sensitive, but shouldn't be. I think some are sensitive around the topic of "bigger/stronger/heavier" or "smaller/less wattage/lighter" when it is just a data point he is working with to provide his services. Clearly these influence fit, e.g. touch points and their sizing, frame stiffness/size, and how the biokenetics of the human interact with the bicycle. It plays in my book.

Edit: But I do agree with Mark, despite his tongue-in-cheek pot-shot, that he's no more qualified to talk about maintenance and performance than a seasoned mechanic or product engineer, or what have you.