Additional to yesterday’s submit, I closed out final weekend with a cold Sunday trip on what’s at present my most modern-est highway bike:
Although it occurred to me that it’s actually not trendy in any respect, not even shut. No, this bike is completely “classic” now. As an growing old Fred it looks like solely yesterday to me that stuff like built-in shifting, 1 1/8″ threadless steerers, crabon forks, and double-digit cassettes (10 entire speeds!!!) represented the slicing fringe of racing bike know-how. However other than the odd newer element (the cranks, for instance) the above bike is now nicely over 20 years outdated, and it’s a hoary vintage in comparison with the plastic house bikes the professionals trip at present:
This compelled me to take stock of the present state of rim brakes and highway bikes–not within the extremely subjective “disc brakes are evil” sense, however extra within the dispassionate “I’m outdated and confused, can you continue to even nonetheless purchase a highway bike with rim brakes?” sense.
My “trendy” bike is provided with a Campagnolo File 10-speed drivetrain now. I’ve had newer drivetrains since then (sure, together with Di2, which is what got here on the picket bike), however to me the 10-speed File nonetheless feels just like the unique pro-level stuff it was when it first got here out–partially as a result of I believe mechanical drivetrains haven’t actually modified all that a lot since them other than including a pair extra cogs, and partially as a result of, you recognize, I’m outdated.
There’s actually no motive I, an growing old semi-professional bike blogger, would wish to exchange the functionally good File 10-speed drivetrain on that Litespeed. Additionally, it looks like the older I get the much less I’m in trendy elements, which is why most of my bikes have friction shifting now. However let’s say I used to be a standard particular person, and I did want a brand new drivetrain with built-in shifting and plenty of cogs to swimsuit my racy titanium highway bike. What’s at present obtainable–not obtainable as in “in inventory” or “on eBay,” however obtainable as in “the corporate is definitely nonetheless making it”–in a rim brake drivetrain in 2024?
Nicely, because of the Web, the worldwide financial system, yadda yadda and so forth. and so forth, there are all types of highway bike drivetrains on the market nowadays:
However should you’re looking for a brand new rim brake drivetrain to your cherished traditional, you’re most likely outdated and confused, and due to this fact you’re additionally scared of latest issues. Sure, these scary new issues are most likely made by the identical individuals who make the stuff you discover acquainted and reassuring, however that’s not the purpose. The purpose is you’re not plowing any new furrows at this level in your life, so let’s stick to the Massive Three, which should you’re outdated and confused means Shimano, Campagnolo, and people younger upstarts over at SRAM.
Of these, so far as I can inform, the one firm nonetheless at present providing a rim brake highway bike drivetrain on the increased finish is Campagnolo, and their web site exhibits mechanical rim brake choices from Tremendous File proper on right down to Refrain:
In fact Campagnolo have at all times provided varied drivetrains under Refrain, however I don’t see any of these on their web site, so I don’t know if meaning they don’t make them anymore or what. Clearly Campagnolo have lengthy been overtaken by Shimano and SRAM when it comes to gross sales, so possibly they’ve needed to pare down their choices lately, however I actually do not know. In any case, should you have been an growing old Fred and needed to exchange the outdated File drivetrain in your classic Litespeed with the trendy equal then one thing like that Refrain group can be an apparent selection.
Given this, I used to be curious to study extra in regards to the newest Refrain stuff, and so I learn a overview and was shocked to study there’s nonetheless a notion floating round that Campagnolo is “lovely” as a result of it’s Italian:
I’m positive the newer Campy stuff works nice, but it surely has not been objectively engaging because the 10-speed period, although I’m positive loads of Campyphiles would argue it obtained ugly as quickly as Tullio’s physique was chilly. Both manner, there’s actually nothing lovely about it now. I imply take a look at that shifter, it appears like Cthulu:
I’m not saying I wouldn’t put the most recent Refrain elements on that Litespeed, as a result of I completely would, however I actually wouldn’t do it for aesthetic functions.
I believe each roadie of a sure age hopes Campagnolo will relinquish their place within the professional peloton ceaselessly, preserve providing high-end mechanical rim brake drivetrains indefinitely, and dedicate themselves fully to growing merchandise for mature riders who wish to preserve their traditional highway bikes operating with dignity:
Nonetheless, that’s most likely not a good way to remain in enterprise–although at the very least it’s straightforward to supply a lifetime guarantee when most of your prospects have already reached retirement age.
As for Shimano, it appears like they’re disc brake solely during 105:
Although they nonetheless provide rim brake Tiagra:
It’s slightly unhappy that what’s for all sensible functions Shimano’s high finish highway bike rim brake doesn’t even include cartridge brake pads. This being Shimano I’m positive it really works nice, and actually I’m positive the whole Tiagra drivetrain works nice. Little doubt the one motive to not put it in your outdated Litespeed or comparable is self-importance. On the identical time, it’s fairly apparent that Shimano has reached the purpose the place they’re completed refining something rim brake-related and are as a substitute simply slowly taking away options to chop prices, and in contrast to Campagnolo you’ll be able to’t actually delude themselves that they’re going to be there for you if you wish to preserve your fancy rim brake highway bike operating nicely into your golden years. It’s possible you’ll be simply positive placing Tiagra on that outdated highway bike, however you most likely received’t be positive with no matter their finest rim brake highway group is in 5 or ten years.
And SRAM? Don’t even give it some thought. Neglect rim brakes–if you’d like mechanical you’ll be able to’t even get a entrance derailleur from them:
Hey, I believe the Eagle drivetrain on my Jones is nice. However should you’re speaking about holding a traditional highway bike going, SRAM is just not your buddy.
In fact, there’s no motive for these firms to maintain making rim brake highway bike drivetrains when no firms are placing it on their bikes. (Apart from Campagnolo, who can do what they need, as a result of no firms put Campagnolo on their highway bikes anyway.) Most remaining rim brake highway bikes from the massive firms are funds fashions and are on closeout:
Or out of inventory:
Although I used to be shocked to see Cannondale nonetheless seems to supply an entire vary of rim brake highway bikes:
Principally although, new rim brake highway bikes at present are restricted to heritage fashions:
Or frames from firms like Rivendell and Crust:
Of these, solely the Grasp is a candidate for a full trendy highway bike drivetrain, whereas the Rivendell and the Crust will possible be construct extra esoterically, as with these bikes getting all types of disparate stuff to work collectively is form of the purpose, so it doesn’t actually matter what the Massive Three are doing with their highway drivetrains. In actual fact the Crust doesn’t even take matching brakes:
As for conventional highway bikes, I knew the rim brake was lifeless, however I didn’t fairly recognize simply how lifeless it was till now. That’s to not say they’ll be arduous to come back by or something like that–a brake caliper lasts roughly ceaselessly, and I doubt provide on the used market will come near being exhausted in our lifetime–however it’s to say they’re formally “retro,” and as squarely previously as downtube shifters and toe clips.
Did I name it?
Or did I name it?
