The retro effect on the bike scene

[Rampage]

Then there is the servicing - ever bled some Avid Juicy 3 or 5's?

Spent 9 hours bleeding a rear once, gave up and bought new brakes.

 

[taffy]

So once the seals etc. need replacing, they're fit for the bin.
Not great :evil:

But that is the way Shimano want it! (probably)



Otherwise a load of out luddite out there would just keep on using the old stuff they've had for ages cos it work and can be maintained and serviced - oh like us!

It wasn't till the late 80's that Shimano got into the habit of yearly updates to gruppos (like the motor trade) and changed the cycling scene from a user driven market to a manufacturers drive market.

 

[Andy R]

but the simple fact is that disc brakes work and are consistently reliable. Using rim brakes for period authenticity's sake is one thing but to build up a "modern" bike with less efficient components - well, I just don't get it.
Name one aspect of V brakes that is superior to disc brakes, because I can't think of a single one.

Lighter.

Not as fugly.

Don't require compromises to the hubs.

I'm not suggesting there's no upside to disks - far from it - but you only asked for one upside - I've given you three.

I'm not a big fan of Vs, prefer cantis, but have to say, Vs are easy to setup and service, too.

Quite possibly the most optimal brake for a bike.

Have you compared the weight of a Shimano M970 V brake with a Magura Marta SL?

I happen to think that disc brakes look better than rim brakes (and collect less crap) but, as we're talking about a braking system, shouldn't function come before form anyway?

The compromises to the wheel build are no greater than those required to accomodate gears. I don't see many wheels failing because of it .

In my opinion ( for what little that's worth) disc brakes have transformed all off-road vehicles - that's mountain bikes, trials bikes, enduro bikes, 4x4's, anything that's used in wet, hostile conditions.
I mean hostile to braking systems, of course.

 

[Neil]

but the simple fact is that disc brakes work and are consistently reliable. Using rim brakes for period authenticity's sake is one thing but to build up a "modern" bike with less efficient components - well, I just don't get it.
Name one aspect of V brakes that is superior to disc brakes, because I can't think of a single one.

Lighter.

Not as fugly.

Don't require compromises to the hubs.

I'm not suggesting there's no upside to disks - far from it - but you only asked for one upside - I've given you three.

I'm not a big fan of Vs, prefer cantis, but have to say, Vs are easy to setup and service, too.

Quite possibly the most optimal brake for a bike.

Have you compared the weight of a Shimano M970 V brake with a Magura Marta SL?

No - I don't bother with arguments at the extremes. As a generalism, Vs are lighter than disks - I stand by that...

I happen to think that disc brakes look better than rim brakes (and collect less crap)

It takes all sorts, I suppose.

but, as we're talking about a braking system, shouldn't function come before form anyway?

At Retrobike?

Anyways, Vs are no slouches - and I don't even really like them. Cantis are the brakes of the gods...

The compromises to the wheel build are no greater than those required to accomodate gears.

Um, it compromises both wheels.

I don't see many wheels failing because of it .

How many have you sampled? ;-)

In my opinion ( for what little that's worth) disc brakes have transformed all off-road vehicles - that's mountain bikes, trials bikes, enduro bikes, 4x4's, anything that's used in wet, hostile conditions.
I mean hostile to braking systems, of course.

Super... smashing... great... now, back to Retrobike.

 

[beavis]

Best thead I've read in ages.

Disc brakes. They have their place, but like many things in my opinion, not always necessary. Certainly from a design point of view, why go to the trouble and expense of adding a new braking surface (rotor) when there is already a perfectly good one there (i.e the rim)? Doesn't it take less effort to stop a wheel at its outer edge than the centre anyway?

29ers - don't knock it until you've tried it. Again, not completely necessary but huge fun and makes an interesting change.

Cars. If I stopped spending money on bikes I'd love to buy an old series Landrover complete with drums all round and a starting handle. My mates probably think I'm bonkers and would urge me to choose a later Discovery or something but with all the lecky gizmos on them its like the car takes you off road, not the other way round. Same can be said for mtbs, I think I'm also rapidly loosing the understanding of why I need suspension on an mtb. I like to be able to feel the trail and it makes me work harder to keep on track and then get a greater sense of accomplishment at the end of it (especially if you've just had no trouble riding the same course as some other guys hauling round big rig sussers who think they need them to go off-road).

At the end of the day though anything that gets you out of the house and into the beyond can't be bad no matter how it rides. A bike's a bike, as long as you like it - right?

 

[perry]

Dammit Neil do you have to quote each individual sentence .

They're all coming from the same place , just quote the lot

Gotta love rim brakes . Getting something stuck in the pad and ruining a rim , or the getting to rebuild a hub onto a new rim after the winter wore it out . You get plenty of practice with the spoke key keeping it perfectly straight so the brake works . yeah we don't need discs .

 

[Mr Chicken]

i borrowed a friends GT which had cheap Tektro cable operated disk brakes which seemed far superior to my XTR vees, after pissing about with bleeding brakes on my motorcycle the last thing i wanted was to do the same on a bicycle.

are they a social faux pas?

 

[SilverSurfer]

Retro biking for me is all about a shift in thinking.

Full carbon Taiwanese bikes are the way forward, apparently. Yet an old 531 framed fixed was way more fun. But a bit niche.

Modern MTBs are probably better than old bikes, yet when I go into a bike shop I just want to turn around and walk out. Nothing grabs me, it all seems like 'produce' on a marketing treadmill.

Then I see an old 7 speed steel thing and I start thinking of what I can do with it.

I dunno. I think I prefer simplicity over market-driven technological advancement.

But when Avid BB7s become undesirable old kit, that is when I'll be snapping them up.

 

[Agency_Scum]

Let's face it, eventually EVERYTHING becomes retro.

 

[SilverSurfer]

Maybe its about being selective with hindsight. You now know what actually was good and what was bollocks. And now you can afford it as well.