Try This Before Changing To Disc Brakes! | Maintenance Monday

[@gcntech]

Have you made the switch to disc brakes? Let us know down below!👇

[@AdonisIllust3420]

I use Drum Brakes through downhill, its as effective as rim brakes✨

[@irishmiguelflores6576]

I have, from a Giant TCR Sl0 to 2021 TCR disc. Now im looking back memory lane, should’ve just kept my rim brake.

[@asicdathens]

I have Sram Hydro rim brakes. The best of both worlds. Unfortunately routing hydraulic cables and gear cables through internal routing is a nightmare. It took me 4 afternoons to make it work properly.

[@danc1829]

I did I brought a 2018 TCR disc... after 12 months decided to sell it. 3 years on now on a tcr rim and never looked back 🙈😂

[@steva_nolimits]

Why are some pros running 180mm disc on the front? 🤔🤭

[@whatwhenhowwhytho]

Long live rim brakes. Always love your maintenance videos.

[@gcntech]

Glad you like them!

[@LegSpinna]

We will never surrender the rim brake. Never!

[@gcntech]

#SavetheRimBrake

[@djarvils]

Just bought very nice carbon bike - I was desperate to get one with rim brakes. So happy I got one!

[@goodeggnogg7038]

yup never!...Just a far more elegant design solution for a light weight road bike.

[@kerbodynamicx472]

We will never surrender mechanical shifting!

[@jason200912]

I hate that I can't install fenders because of these damn things

[@julesselmes]

Oli really has the perfect delivery for tech videos like this. It’s been great watching him grow into his role; Cycling Weekly’s loss has been our gain. Keep him GCN!

[@bengt_axle]

TiP: when cutting the outer cable (AKA, housing), place a piece of the old cable inside it so that the cutting blades do not crush the outer housing. After making the cut, you will have to shake the remnant of the inner cable out, or poke it out with an old or new inner cable. Then remove 1mm of the outer plastic and file the coiled brake outer to perfectly straight end. Finally, expand the end with an ice pick or nail. Same procedure for gear shift cables. It's also very useful to pre-shape the cable outers by bending or coiling them so that they relax to smooth bends once they are on the bike frame. The first 2cm of outer entering or emerging from a cable stop should always be straight and kink free, so size them by testing with full handlebar movement. This can be tricky for a small frame.

[@chrisnumnuts8671]

thanks I will remember that the next time I have to cut cable

[@djkhmor4538]

or you could use an angle grinder, makes perfect cuts with no distortion

[@petesmitt]

@@djkhmor4538 you don't need a perfect cut.. that's just obsessive.

[@Exgrmbl]

@@djkhmor4538 yeah, or a cut off wheel with a dremel, then touch up on a grinding wheel.

[@marvinschaefer3973]

I never cut my cables until I have run them through the housing.

[@59chaos]

Let's hope the consumer always gets to choose and not the supplier. I love my rim brakes (on my road bike) and ever since I retired with no more stop-start commute mileage, any rim wear is really minimal, even with 5K average annual mileage. Bikes should be simple and easy maintenance. Long live choice.

[@gcntech]

Absolutely, it's all about having the choice! Disc brakes/rim brakes aren't for everyone!

[@billkallas1762]

You have to search to find a good quality rim brake frame.

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

Remember to buy the tool so you can cut the wire

[@Koen030NL]

the only thing i dont like about my brakes is that they will eventually eat away my rim. And replacing a rim is a lot more expensive than a couple of brake rotors

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

@@Koen030NL as long as you keep your bike clean it will last. I still ride rims from 2000

[@SignorLuigi]

Instead of a card I use a rubber band wrapped around the brake pad to set toe-in. The rubber band provides more friction and prevents the pad from rotating as you tighten the pad to the brake arm. Also, I do like to have the gap between my front brake pads a little bigger than my rears so that my rear brakes engage first. No fun having the front wheels lock first and launching yourself over the handlebars...especially in an emergency stop. I have found find that on alloy rims the performance of Kool Stop Dual Surface Brake Pads never cease to delight. Most Kool Stop brake pads have a feature called a "Plow Tip" which substantially reduces the grit that can get trapped between the pads and rims. This effectively removes a common objection to rim brakes...that they contribute to premature wear of your rims. The plow tip can also be used to set the proper amount of toe-in. I bow to the engineers who invented this feature! Long live clever engineers!!! 🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️

[@gcntech]

Great hack, Mr.Luigi!

[@chrisprice5895]

My Kool stop pads have a little raised point and one end and 'automatically toein'

[@Exgrmbl]

@@chrisprice5895 that's a nice and clever feature. I always looked past kool stop though because they are expensive, admittedly.

[@SignorLuigi]

@@chrisprice5895 Hi Chris, Yes, that is a great feature. It's often called the "Plow Tip." Here is what Sheldon Brown says of the feature. Plow Tip The plow tip is a small wedge-shaped projection at the rear end of most Kool Stop models. It acts as a squeegie to clear water and grit from the rim, so that they don't get caught between the braking surface and the rim. Setting conventional flat-surfaced brake shoes so that they provide toe in creates the risk of trapping grit and sand between the brake shoe and the rim. This grit then gets embedded into the surface of the brake shoe, where it grinds away at the rim every time the brake is applied. This causes premature wear to the braking surface of the rim, a serious problem on bicycles ridden in muddy/sandy conditions. It also provides a built-in guide to ensure correct "toe in" of the shoes.

[@chrisprice5895]

@@SignorLuigi nice

[@Adam_Antium]

There is another past-wear-indicator-pre-braking-surface-screw-thread-machining-alarm-device build into the brake shoe. It is a plastic screw underneeth the pad intended to rub on the rim thus creating a "notifing noise", usually without damaging the rim and setting in before the shoe mounting screw brings early death to a hoop. Thanks for the informative video! Myself, still rubbin' da rim. 😎😉

[@peters8504]

Had too many problems with rubbing. Drove me crazy. I’m sticking with rim brakes for now. Great tips - thanks.

[@anotheryoutuber_]

kool-stop salmon pads will reduce wheel wear, grab smoothly, predictably, and strongly.

[@gregknipe8772]

using the card as a shim to toe in breaks is so simple and glad to see this solution. thank you.

[@gcntech]

Glad it helped!

[@billkallas1762]

Back in the Stone Age, you couldn't pivot the brake shoe. You had to slightly bend the caliper to make the front of the shoe contact the rim first. (or you could place some tape on the shoe to cause the front to tough first) It wasn't until the late 80's that you could pivot the shoe.

[@okantichrist]

Always done this.

[@BixbyConsequence]

@@billkallas1762 On the other hand, once the caliper took a set, you didn't have to fiddle with the seemingly 8-dimensional adjustment with each new set of pads 😄.

[@budbud2509]

@@gcntech I must say I use 2 thicknesses of masking tape and stick it to the rim leaving both hands free to adjust the brake shoe and make sure it sits perfectly parallel with the rim surface .

[@Mincher]

This is why rim brakes are ideal for the average consumer. At home maintenance is so easy and affordable.

[@lovenottheworld5723]

The average consumer is fat and needs the extra power of disc brakes.

[@mihalis1010]

Maintenance is not complicated. With Shimano brakes, all you need is the bleed cup and some mineral oil. Pretty simple process.

[@joanofarc3319]

Rim brakes are fine but disc brakes really aren't that complex, they can be worked on at home just as easily.

[@mididoctors]

External cables are a must for everyone unless they intend to race cat1 or better

[@coreygolphenee9633]

@@lovenottheworld5723 I mean you can use your eyeballs and stop 3 seconds sooner discs were too much for road riding for me

[@glennlbs9931]

I love my rim brakes on carbon wheels mostly just for the sound it makes. Sounds like a fighter jet.

[@steve.o33]

Ive got some tri spoke carbon rims for my track bike, and they sound like helicopter blades.

[@GOLTEB]

Just replaced my aluminum to carbon wheels, at first i was like "wtf is that sound?" 😅

[@Skankhunt00]

My aunt has rim breaks on her old road bike. It sounded like a supersonic jet breaking the speed of sound. They stopped making that sound after they were adjusted😢

[@danc1829]

rim brakes for me. I had 2 2019 tcrs one rim the other disc. For me I prefer rim brakes the ease of set up and maintenance. You'll get the keyboard warriors stating about rim wear but this literally takes years (unless u decide to use your best carbon wheels in winter on gritted roads of course which is then user error imo). Wheels have also come a long way and resin temps are much much improved. I use a set of boras and shamals and find the braking on my carbon boras just as good as my shamals. I totally get disc if you ride in the wet a lot but if it's hammering it down I'll just use the turbo 😂

[@biamarconchi]

Been on disc brakes for the last few years, I restored an older frame with new Campi rim calipers and I fell in love with rim brakes again.

[@truthseeker8483]

A rim brake is a disc brake with 700mm diameter disc! 😀

[@petesmitt]

@@truthseeker8483 and it's covered with rubber to prevent nasty cuts if you crash..

[@balikolaci1]

Great video! I use both disc and rim brakes but I prefer the latter one. Matching the pad to the rim can also make a difference. The black anodized (Campa Shamal Mille/Fulcrum Zero Nite) alu rims with their dedicated pads (blue) brake fantastically good. My mate told me the same about Mavic Exalith and its due pads, albeit a bit noisier.

[@michaelfisher9760]

I upgraded my Giant Defy rim brakes from the Giant home brand to Ultegras. Far superior braking and it’s nice to have a bit of ultegra bling 😊

[@djkhmor4538]

Ultegra ain't no bling. U need Dura Ace for that... 😉

[@TheOBOM]

@@djkhmor4538 ... and waste a lot of dough on something that isn't worth it. Ultegra is just as good as DA for an average biker, really.

[@GregorMima]

Still riding my old MTB with original Magura Bartman from the 90ies. Hydraulic rim brakes. Brutal grip. Hard to beat. Just updated the pads.

[@rolfaalto]

Have converted several 90's hardtails to high performance monstercross. It's usually simple to upgrade the fronts to discs with a fork replacement, but for the rears have had good luck sourcing high-end rim brakes -- still powerful enough for the rear.

[@hoopdoggydogg]

Compressionless outer housing has significantly improved my rim brake stopping power. No more spongy feel anymore. And they're lighter weight than standard housing. Highly recommend this to upgrade your braking performance - I'm actually surprised it wasnt mentioned in the video

[@shawnrosenthal1069]

Was just about to say this. Totally agree.

[@abedfo88]

I did this last summer. I had some off cuts from my gravel bike, so I stuck them on the road bike. What a difference!

[@hendrixinfinity3992]

RJ the bike guy taught me to cut cables at various points before removing since it's extremely unlikely that a fray is inside an outer, so cutting the line allows you to remove the cable without damaging an outer. I would also strongly advise Shimano cables for Shimano systems. Especially true for gear cables which wear out easier. The more expensive, heavier duty wire is more resilient and smoother through the outer. The barrel adjuster is not only the way you work through the pad, but your indication that they need replacing.

[@allanransom8518]

Glad to see some love for rim brakes. Admittedly I am biased as I enjoy riding 90's MTB's. On really dirty aluminum wheels I often use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser followed with a wipe of isopropyl alcohol which does the job.

[@boatman222345]

Great tips! As far as brke pad maintainence I use a sandpaper style fingernail file (not the metal style) to scuff up the surface of glazed pads. For aluminum rim cleaning is use a rag dampened with denaured alcohol.

[@raparee100]

Right I think I know a thing or 2 about bike maintenance. I'm riding road bikes since 1986 when I was very young. Worked in a bike shop as a mechanic too. Reffering to brake pad toe-in. This is an old traditional brake hack. This was necessary way back in the past, up to 1980s because rim brakes were not the best. The brakes would flex through aggressive braking and you wouldn't get an even connection from brake pad to the rim. On modern rim brakes , well quality ones like Shimano Ultegra R8000 or Dura Ace, on most of the quality rim brakes - calipers don't flex so toe-in is not necessary. I have toed in Ultegra R8000 rim brakes as an experiment and it resulted in the front of the brake pad wearing faster than the back. This toe-in may work on new pads, but after a few months the front will look more worn than the back and the pad will take on a triangular appearance when viewing the top of the pad. After a certain amount of time the the whole pad will contact the rim evenly. So, to sum up, pad toe-in is Not necessarily on quality rim brakes, I stress quality . Probably necessary on cheap calipers like Tektro. On good quality brakes it will result in wearing the front of the pad faster than the back.

[@tempusfugit3635]

This is good. I am keeping my rim bike and upgrading the calipers. I like the braking confidence I have in the wet with my disc bike, but the rim bike looks fly and climbs like a champ. Good tip on calipers not returning to full open after lever release. Will try servicing the old ones.

[@gcntech]

Glad we could help you, Blake!

[@chrisbrimo4618]

Rim brakes are still the Best. Easy to repair and lighter. And if you live in a flat area the are enough.

[@joskoevoet9569]

I've done 100.000 meters of elevation last year and never felt the need for disc brakes on my road bike.

[@PolyglotBikepacker]

I have assembled a rim brake bike last week and did a 172 km ride with 1200 m of elevation gain. After 5 years of only disc riding, this was phenomenal. No disc rub, lighter and just simpler. Disc for commuting and gravel, rim for all day road bike rides

[@Rocky4719]

My town is hilly and even the stock rim brake setup stops me just fine down the other side

[@SecwetGwiwer]

I live in the Welsh mountains, weigh 80kg and they’re still plenty good enough.

[@truthseeker8483]

A rim brake is a disc brake with 700mm diameter disc! 😀

[@DiabloManiacz]

You could have talked more about the difference between brake pads. They make a gigantic difference, especially if you are riding with extreme weight and really need more stopping power.

[@abu.nahiyan]

as a 220 lb rider myself, this is very relatable. every braking system is much less effective when you're moving nearly twice as much mass as their target market.

[@realitybites02]

Whilst Oli discussed in details about braking and all, you also have to make sure that your Rims are properly trued. Otherwise it will just cause rubbing, uneven braking, etc..

[@tflspitfire]

wait no product ads...Ollie even said campagnolo ... is this 2018?? awesome video. this is why we watch gcn, much closer to the live of the average cyclist than comparing 10.000€ bikes and top spec wheels

[@matt_acton-varian]

Built up my summer bike late last year with 105 R7000 groupset but picked up a set of Ultegra R8010 direct mount calipers dirt cheap. Great upgrade that saved quite a lot of money. Still yet to test their limits as we have not had good enough weather in the UK.

[@skulengu6854]

I am completely content with rim brakes. My favorite ride is a 1997 Serotta Atlanta with Ultegra rim brakes. It has always had enough stopping power for me, without needing the frame to be beefed up near the dropouts. There was a long shallow hill that tilted back towards home as I would do my final sprint. There was a stop sign two blocks before my place. Even on my first road bike, the Rocky Mountain Oxygen 30AC with Techtro brakes, I could get it hovering on the front wheel as I came to a stop there. Now, if I endo with my belly pressed against the seat with my arms stretched out like Superman (I make no claims at being a superhero). Then I think that is all the braking I will ever need. I don't know if I am able to squeeze harder than most people, but I can't imagine needing more than that. Perhaps it is that I am riding a 62cm frame (on my Serotta, the RM was a 60) and I am just too far off the ground to benefit from stronger braking without flipping over the handlebars. Which would be temporarily doing an even better impression of the 'Man of Steel' when he takes flight.

[@a1white]

Upgrading to cartridge/pads on your rim brakes from the stock blocks they come with is such a worthwhile upgrade.

[@merttt1923]

To which brand?

[@peterwillson1355]

​@@merttt1923Fibrax. And sooo cheap!

[@acharyajamesoermannspeaker6563]

What an excellent break down of these brakes.

[@luckyirvin]

Former bike shop mechanic over here with thousands and thousands of overhauls and tuneups. For great brake performance, shorten the brake cable housings (outers) to the bare minimum length. Rotate the handle bars to full stop and trim the housing length to no slack. Lubricate the full cable length with grease, then squirt Tri-Flow down the length of the housings. Lubricate every thread and pivot point on the calipers. Then adjust the caliper arms to absolute minimum of free play on their pivots. Then y'all can open the can of worms that is brake pad alignment.

[@jffydavy5509]

Oli, this is a great video with fabulous real world technical information. One thing about rubber brake pads is the dry out with time. They may not look worn down much at all, but if you push your fingernail into the flat part that contacts the rim you discover it feels like a formica countertop. It's time to replace the pads. I replace mine every year to get the best predictable speed control. I have disc brakes on my commuter bike but not my road bikes. I tried disc brakes on a road bike I had but I didn't like the feel. I like the feedback I get from the pad on the rim via the steel cable. I don't need outrageous stopping power, I want control of my speed.

[@gcntech]

Great tip, Jeff - it's always best to replace your brakes if you feel they're not performing as you want them to be!

[@mikegleim5241]

Simply adored that they left the audio of the bolt hitting the floor in the edit!! 😎👁️😆

[@RVJunke1]

Cannot figure why the movement is to have to “charge” you’re bike to ride and now have fluid to stop bike. I’m for old school for life! Campy Super Record 11 or 12 mechanical and rim!

[@eximusic]

There was no problem with rim brakes. I still have rim brakes on my road bikes. I have disc brakes on my mountain bikes and generally hate them, aside from being able to ride through streams without getting sand on rim brakes and scratching the rims. But descending at high speeds on hard pack dirt trails and fireroads, the tendency to lock up the wheel is way higher with disc brakes regardless of the play setting.

[@MicheleGardini]

I like to have the brake lever really close to the bar when I brake, this gives me more control when I go downhill. And it works as a limit in sudden brake and that saved me from more than a bad fall. When you brakes for a sudden danger you haven't time to measure your force, and that can make you stop the wheel, and crash is inevitable. Bar works as a limit to excessive force in uncontrolled braking, while when you are in control it you can simply pull the lever a little outside and you have all the force you need.

[@thomaskeenan2208]

Good guidance. Worn rims might need replacing as well especially if do not follow your good maintenance tips;(

[@christopheracat7089]

Thanks for this video that does justice to rim brakes. Because indeed they are very efficient despite the commercials that claim that disc brakes are better...

[@od1koneod171]

GCN, please do a video on carbon rim break wear and safety. Particularly if there's any way to know when the rim has worn beyond safe use. Alloy rims have those punch depth marks that disappear when rim width is worn past safe spec. I think any cyclist has known someone or known of someone who has had a carbon wheel fail on a descent. I don't know why manufacturers can't fabricate in a layer of yellow material that is exposed when wheel brake track depth is compromised. This is the only thing keeping me from a sweet carbon wheel upgrade!

[@robest334]

I use a heat shrink tube instead of ferrules. No fraying experienced yet for a number of years. Also easier to remove the brake cable when changing handlebars.

[@gcntech]

Great little hack!

[@jasonpinkerton5786]

I’ll never switch to disc brakes on my road bike. So much easier to adjust and they work great! Direct mount are even more superior.

[@GregFredrickson]

The newer rim coatings that seem to only be on aluminum rims make a huge difference on performance. Similar to the old ceramic coated mavic rims from the 90's. DT Swiss Dicut rims, latest Boyd Altamonte rims are just amazing performance. I've kept my rim brake frames for this reason.

[@andrei-desu5361]

Discs on a road bike is overkill, rim brakes do the job really well given its not wet. My sora brakes do a goob job descending steep hills without problems. my bike weighs around 12kgs and im 70kgs, bit heavy but can still stop at ease

[@mihalis1010]

They're not overkill where I live. My bike weighs 7.5kg, and I weigh 73kg. Back when I had my rim brake bike, stopping at the intersection at the bottom of the road from the mountain was a process that involved a lot of praying, cramps in my forearm from squeezing the life out of my brake levers, and the smell of burned brake material. In the wet, you could more or less forget about it. With disks, I can ride faster, and stop much easier.

[@okantichrist]

@@mihalis1010 maybe you weren’t keeping pads and rims clean if it took that much effort to stop.Or cheapo pads🤔

[@truthseeker8483]

A rim brake is a disc brake with 700mm diameter disc! 😀

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

@@truthseeker8483 it really isn't.

[@andrei-desu5361]

@@mihalis1010 i agree discs are better, i also own a gravel bike with hydraulic calipers. But my rim brakes don't feel inferior to the discs. I literally crashed cause i had to do a sudden stop and the rim brakes were strong enough to lift the back wheel lol, but to each their own. Discs will always be better than rim brakes

[@ianstewart8301]

Love this. Agree, new cables are a great fix. I love my rim brake bikes ( but do so want a disc brake bike)

[@tornagawn]

Goretex cables & SwissStop pads worked wonders on my alloy Allez rims.

[@not-a-raccoon]

I'm a heavier rider (200 lbs, not obese by any stretch) and I couldn't keep my stock Allez rims true. I switched to vision team 35s and they've been dead straight ever since.

[@billkallas1762]

I've never had problems with stock Shimano pads, cables, and housings.

[@dantemalla3753]

Thank you dual pivots & direct mounts. You saved the true classic.

[@konakingkahuna]

Rim brakes on road bike here, at least by now. And even a defender of good quality and professionally adjusted rim brakes in front of first generations of MTB disk brakes. I mean, in my opinion and opposite to what looks to be the general opinion nowadays, any disk brake not necessarily exceeds the overall performance of a quality rim one, but at the same time it's obvious that in very wet conditions things can get harder for a rim brake, and that with rim brakes the lifespan of the rim can be shorter. As others have said, it's getting difficult to find rim brake bikes or components when industry wants you to buy what they have developed (or still on it...). For that reason I find videos like these are nothing but more and more interesting. Thank you for the adjustment & maintenance tips, GCN. By the way, can't quit feeling curiosity about the brake configuration in the CANYON showed (front-right, rear-left). Is it just a personal matter or is it something common there? As a child I learned to ride a bike with this setup. As a teenager I had to take the other form all the way into adulthood, finding that setup again on a second-hand '90s MTB bought in the US, which I left unchanged as an added experience every time I ride it, and because I would dare to say that the frame (internal cabling) was designed with this brake setup in mind - the other way produces exaggerated bends around the steering tube, resulting in more friction.

[@markbooth6745]

Great video ollie. Rim brakes, are so easy to maintain. For a road bike, the best.😃👍

[@gcntech]

Glad you enjoyed the video, Mark!

[@s2pacific]

Awesome!!! Rim for the win 😊

[@eddiefogg1856]

Thanks for the advice and talking about rim brakes👍🚲🤗

[@robertl376]

Rock and Roll will never die. So is Rimbrake. I have a Dogma F 12 and Dogma F Both Rimbrake. I love both of mine Rimbrake Bike. Don't have to keep on changing Brake pads 😉 Do bleeding or top up Dise brake oil. No sounds. And Braking is fine on Rim Brakes. Can stop any where you want.

[@montrose252]

I am an old-school rim brake partisan! Long live rim brakes for cost, weight and ease-of-maintenace! I have a super bike, but it's one of the last rim brake models...

[@truthseeker8483]

A rim brake is a disc brake with 700mm diameter disc! 😀

[@BixbyConsequence]

My only real complaint of rim brakes is the rim wear. One day I might get a bike with discs. Or, more likely it will be forced upon me by the bike industry which increasingly favors unnecessary complexity (electronic shifting, really?) and expensive components over the simplicity and elegant economy which endeared me to cycling to begin with.

[@dan_lazaro]

Ayo don't sleep on electronic groupsets before you try them lol. Sure they're heavier than cabled gears and I can admit that they're more vanity than performance as I love the sound it makes when shifting. But not having to care about changing cables every 6 months is something I envy from my more well off/sponsored friends. I admit too that it is way overpriced though.

[@montrose252]

I recently bought a super-bike, but with mechanical group and rim brakes. It feels like the last of the dinosaurs!

[@sci-fyguy7767]

@@montrose252 Same here! Carbon fiber & full Ultegra 🔥

[@marcdaniels9079]

@@dan_lazaro Changing cables every 6 months !!?? How many hours a week are you riding…. Are these cables made of chewing gum ? 🤣

[@dan_lazaro]

@@marcdaniels9079 250km a week

[@andreal1647]

Nice one! Absolutely love my rimbrakes. Would never ever change them for discs on roadbikes!

[@observingrogue7652]

I have switched to disk brakes and I love them. Only buying disc brake frames & forks from now on. I found this video trying to salvage any hope for my rim-brake road & mountain bikes, and now, I don't care anymore. I'm a heavy person, big & tall, and worse, for fun and more, I build ebikes & engine-kit bikes that are as fast & quick as possible. My pads & rims keep getting glassed over, and I end up squeezing my rim brakes hard enough to snap cables. For my rimbrake frames & forks. Maybe dual hub motor Regenerative Braking can save them from the garbage or being sold off. But as for my normal & boosted bikes, I'm done with rim brakes. It is extremely frustrating, and dangerous, not being able to stop, and not being able to go as fast as I want or can, because the rim brakes are so weak. I'm done with rim brakes. I'm sick of them. Even just coasting down hill, on a normal bike, have lead to many close-calls & crashes. The weight & speeds of an engine or electric system, just makes that situation more frequent, even on flat ground. I'm only using disc Brakes and Regenerative-Braking from now on. Basic organic pads, then upgrading to metallic pads with bigger rotors meant for them, then maybe hydraulic lines. And one day, I hope to have metal teeth, directly holding the tire tread for parking, and exclusively using powerful, analog signal RegenBraking for stopping, and finally be done with all the maintenance, costs, and noise of traditional brakes entirely. There are motorcycles like Buell/EBR, that have the brake rotor at the rim, instead of the axle. But for certain, bicycle style rim brakes are dead to me. Using the last set of rim pads I have, will begin my Metal teeth, RegenBraking project.

[@clarkpd1]

Got rim brakes on my Merida scultura, work fine for me.

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

Best brakes I've ever had. Weinman 500 with natural rubber blocks on alloy rims. Second best. Mafac Racer.

[@grahamaustin9085]

Do you still use them? Have you compared them recently with modern brakes? When I did l'Eroica on my 40 year old bike the first thing I noticed was the lack of braking power; and yet they were a revelation when I bought the bike in 1978.

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

@@grahamaustin9085 I have discs on a Whyte road bike. They are pretty well next to useless. The Weinmanns are on a 1951 Claud Butler Super Velo Single speed.

[@grahamaustin9085]

Sorry to hear about your discs. Are they hydraulic? All the people I know with mechanical disc brakes complain about them. But I was comparing my old centre pulls with modern rim brakes.

[@andygarwood6712]

My Dura Ace 9100 caliper brakes when setup correctly, and thats really easy peazy, are amazing. Stopping power is def up there with my sram force on gravel bike. Have got cheap chinese carbon wheels with swiss stop pads and there is very very minimal wear on either. This is after 2 seasons living in the peak district. A small amount of maintenance is all thats required. Everytime maintenance is required on the gravel I tend to put it off due to the fiddlyness and time required. Rims everytime for me.

[@richaw6689]

So many people Ollie.. so many!! Good advice.. to help most people.. good work sir! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@stuffhappens5681]

I’ve got Campy Record rim brakes on my Colnago. They are amazing. Very solid lever feel with very little travel and terrific stopping power. The hydraulic disc brakes on my Cervelo or my wife’s Specialized do not have the same solid lever feel, there’s more travel but they stop fine. The only advantage discs have that I can tell is in wet braking. So unless you’re mountain biking in mud or riding a lot in rainy weather personally I don’t see the need for discs. Just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

[@aveedub7403]

You cant beat ceramic coated rims, the difference is light and day. Just had a retro set of wheels built on dura ace 7700 hubs, and mavic rims I had knocking about!

[@madrabbit64]

I’ve got a 2007 Felt F2 with Dura Ace components, it sat in a climate controlled garage since 2009/10 untouched. So when I purchased it in November of 2021 the bike was practically still new. I sanded and cleaned the brake pads and it felt so new and fresh after seeing that they had a glassy dirty look and feel. They stop amazingly well and do it quietly now….once rim brakes are dialed in they work just fine. Besides, I’m more worried about the go than I am about the whoa!

[@mrsmith4662]

Good solid stuff. I like the bit about a preference to having very little clearance to the rims, unfortunately, not many of my wheels run that true and a greater clearance is needed to stop that nuicance rubbing as you're riding along.

[@abedfo88]

Amen haha

[@pinoyeh]

Been using rim brakes since I started riding sometime in '86. I have not experienced misfortunes using them. My 2011 Specialized Allez (already have more then 20k KMS.) have rim brakes, as of now, I already own 4 sets of rim brake rims for my bike, no need to get a new disc brake bike.

[@r.a.8407]

I love rim brakes but wheelsets are becoming more limited due to demand of disc

[@petesmitt]

True.. I get my wheelsets custom made.

[@MicheleGardini]

but you can find used high specs cheap.

[@sustainf]

Bought a couple rim brake bikes just for this reason.

[@abedfo88]

Ali express my friend. Elite wheels.

[@kalenderquantentunnel9411]

I love rim-brakes from a practical point of view. Nothing easier to set up and maintain. As long as there are Campi Zondas available as wheels I'm fine. They may not look the newest and coolest and aren't aero but lightweight, stiff and do the job as a break-surface just perfectly. Carbonwheels? I'd go for disks...

[@Jayneflakes]

I have just restored a 40yr old road bike, going from disks to that was a brown trousers moment! It came with old diacomp calipers with Weinman levers, the new Shimano STI levers help a bit, but old tech just doesn't have the precision of my disks. I still love it though. 😀

[@truthseeker8483]

Modern double pivot calipers are much much better

[@robincooney1263]

I kept my decent rim brake bike - very pleased I did now that my road disc brake levers have died - and new levers are unobtainable.

[@billkallas1762]

I never plan to ride in the mountains, so why should I use disc brakes? I've been riding for almost 40 years, and have never crashed because I couldn't stop in time. (and that includes 32 years of racing)....My pads last for 10's of thousands of miles.

[@okantichrist]

Well said👍🏻

[@thomassciaroni6942]

I ride a 2006 Bianchi Volpe with XTR V brakes and servo wave LX levers and got a nice compliment from the owner of the cool LBS.

[@fede1275]

I so love my Canyon Ultimate rim brake that I bought a second identical one 😄

[@Whitehawkvisionfilms]

Great info! I am going to go clean my rims now! And make it a top list routine! Thanks!

[@eduardomoreno9791]

Nice video. Here in spain the front brake is in the left shifter, and the back brake is at the right.

[@davidhenry5925]

I'm still using rim brakes. Thank you for the tip to tow in the pads. I hate noisy brakes!

[@kennethmcdonald4807]

Bicycles used to be one area where marketing and hype were thankfully absent. A set of Record components was considered a lifetime investment and bikes were the basic and affordable-by-the-masses machines they were intended to be. In the current age of through axels, disc brakes and electronic shifting and exotic materials I say BULLSHIT. It's your legs that make it go, always has been. I've averaged over 3000 miles per year for the past 38 years, all on steel, all with rim brakes. That insecure old man on the $10K bike with the shaved legs will never be me.

[@Exgrmbl]

Good. The longevity on some older stuff is astounding. One of my bikes from the earlier 90s still has its original square taper bottom bracket in it and as of now it still looks like new and shows no signs of wear.

[@tengamangapiu]

Rim brakes are great but the quick release has to go. No need for it since the rear derailleur was perfected. Also, thru axles bring higher safety for riders. However, they aren't stardadized yet and that could be a problem until consensus is reached as thoroughly as possible. Also, direct mount (2 mounting point) rim brakes are the superior design. Mainly because the brake itself won't move around compared to just 1 mounting point.

[@OTBTBDA]

THANKS for the shoe toeing hack!!!!! You have made my day!!

[@recumbentrocks2929]

On my gravel bike I added a Magura hydraulic front rim brake to the tri bar and switched the old front brake to the back. So I have twin rear brakes. I just never felt safe bombing along with my hands out front miles away front my brakes! I know it has added weight but I just feel safer and more confident now.

[@sylvainbernaers]

external cables and rimbrakes for easy maintenance rule

[@GauGaut]

To me, no point upgrading calipers. I've built bikes with Ultegra 6600 or Dura ace 7400 calipers that perform extremely well. Some of them had more than 50 000 km and worked as new. And these are from 2005 or 1984 ! Their design is excellent, and not very different from the most recent ones. They only need to be cleaned and their pivots lubricated. Same goes for entry level brakes. Shimano Sora brakes are plenty good enough, you can upgrade them with cartridge style brake pads and they will match higher end calipers.

[@Rocky4719]

I was going to get Claris calipers to replace the tektro on my bike, just to match the rest of groupset, and while I still plan to do it for the homogeny, I’m glad to know that budget brake calipers are sufficient

[@gilesdunk7416]

Disc brakes are great but for commuting I definitely prefer rim brakes because of the simplicity and speed that you can take the wheel off if you get a puncture.

[@roderickw519]

Right lever - front brake is common on bikes where you ride on the left hand side of the road - So UK and countries of the UK tradition - Australia etc. However, Right hand / Front brake was once the traditional Italian way of setting up a bike - Look at the photos of Coppi and Bartali and quite often you will see them set up that way. Having the (more commonly) stronger and more dexterous hand controlling the front brake is considered by some to be better practice in general.

[@OLICIT]

I’m really impressed by the Campag Chorus rim brakes on one of my bikes, but in many situations I have really appreciated having Hydraulic Ultegra Disks on my other bike, especially in unexpected downpours in the sun tropical climate I live in

[@noobcyclist1017]

Finally found the answer to my problem. I have my wheels rub on my brakes and i thought i would replace my wheelset. So it does happen when the brakes are close. Thanks ollie

[@gcntech]

Yes, this can be the root of the problem for sure - we're glad we could help!

[@blurglide]

Disc brakes make sense on a mountain bike. They don't get muddy, and on MTB you have longer, steeper descents more bent rims, and more sudden stops required for corners and such. For a road bike though, they only really make sense if you're riding in the mountains.

[@johnstrac]

Liking this one as well. I would say that if you're undoing the grub screw to change pads you don't have to take the shoes out, therefore keeping brake position the same. I have been guilty of rounding off grub screws though.

[@gcntech]

Glad you enjoyed it, John! It's an easy mistake to make - we've all rounded screws at some point!

[@jameswitte5676]

Next time use some anti-seize on the threads. It might help.

[@frazergoodwin4945]

My rim brake bike stops really well now I've made some key changes to it - the bike its on is now only on the indoor trainer and so stopping it before it crashes into things is now easier than its ever been!

[@dickieblench5001]

Ah the simplistic perfection of the rim brake

[@pablomarquez4431]

I really hope the bike industry get their heads together and bring it back. So many reasons to keep rim brakes. Im really frustrated with not having any options to get a few bike.

[@mitzij]

If you are not a pro and you’re not racing in any competition i think there is no use for disc brakes. Rim brakes are perfect. Simple to use, easy maintenance and servicing. And also for me it feels much better when i use rim brakes. The ride feels much more satisfying. Everyone should understand that bicycles should remain as simple as possible. No internal cables in the handlebar and headset, no wireless or electric shifters.

[@avenpace]

If I am going to build proper climbing bike, I would like to have a rim brake choice for a super light bike, I love my disc brakes on my Endurance and Gravel bike etc.

[@truthseeker8483]

A rim brake is a disc brake with 700mm diameter disc! 😀

[@IainBakerplus]

I've seen the Disc/Rim thing play out, as a Skateboarder, in the 1990's. Companies changed the mounting bolt pattern on the decks, almost overnight. An entire generation of products, now obsolete. Plus, the deck shape changed to a "popsicle". For a while, anything old school was forgotten, but then it crept back. Firstly, as a retro aesthetic choice, but eventually, the tech came back as a parallel choice. It's not as big as it was, but it's a healthy market. This will happen with cycling - we'll all be forced into the world of Discs, and electronic groupsets, but within a decade, you'll be able to get brand new mechanical shifting, and rim brake setups. Older cyclists will drive it, at first, but it'll take hold. It might take a while, but it'll happen.

[@craigdoriety9798]

I'm converting my old Trek 4300 to disc on the front because that won't be difficult to do and should be good to go for my e conversion.

[@mrichards55]

Replacing consumable parts on a bike is a more important skill than riding the bike itself.

[@gcntech]

It also saves you money!

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

Go become a mechanic!.

[@87togabito]

You know what’s a more important skill than that? Being able to earn enough money to make it pocket change to just throw the bike to a mechanic for any maintenance.

[@HarryTzianakisTheGodOfSpeed]

@@87togabito I understand to learn how to fix a flat, use a chain tool in case chain snaps. I am very handy. I can fix basically anything. But when it comes to my bikes I don't want to stress myself out. Not with the stuff I'm having fun with. I don't want it to be some project. Some people like it . I don't ha ha ha I fix things for a living I'm not doing it for fun ha ha ha 🤣 I hang out in bike shops so I know how to fix anything on the bike plus you have KZbin to show you how.

[@shekofriends]

Until today me switching to disc brakes wasn’t what I expected at all. Thank you for this video. I reckon 3-4 hours in the making… Light up the backdrop a bit... The opening statement(S)should be inserted to all opening scenes of ANY disc brakes reviews in the future.

[@danoakes4071]

I use my 30 year old steely for hybrid bike-packing; with a gross weight around 300 lbs. I was thinking about going to a new full suspension, full disk, aluminum frame bike for better stopping, but I'll try your suggestions on my old bike first. I have a 5 year old full suspension bike, but it maxes out at 280, and I would have to retrofit the disk brakes. Is the added stopping power of disk brakes worth the extra weight?

[@chrisbinch800]

Rim for the win!

[@dh9033]

Please would you advise on a good inner/outer cutter to get? Which one are you using here? Thanks

[@docpewpew]

Oli the typa guy to wash all his friends bikes for free with a smile on his face 😁 good friend to have