The LAST High-End Rim Brake Bike?

Former BikeRadar man of all things video, Joe Norledge, has built himself a new bike. But what’s this? Rim brakes? In 2024, Joe?
Joe shows us his beautiful Giant TCR Advanced SL with Campagnolo Super Record mechanical shifting and Bora Ultra wheels.
He also tries to explain why he’s built a rim-brake bike when the market is moving firmly towards discs.
00:00 Intro
00:32 Joe Returns!
01:20 Why Rim Brakes?
04:59 Looks
06:34 Groupset
07:33 Wheelset
08:47 Liam’s Verdict
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#cycling #bike #bikes #giant #campagnolo #italian
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[@bikeradar]

We're getting worryingly close to 10k likes

[@lazyac_]

Nice to hear someone with a realistic lifestyle, not a cycling fanatic but just a bike lover who have a life.

[@thelakeman5207]

I'll second that!!!!! Tired of hearing people saying they ride thousands of miles per week and paid $10K for the most advanced bike ever! Most people are recreational riders, not racers.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@thelakeman5207 most people spending +$10k on a bike are recreational riders. The same can be said for people that have +$150k sports cars. Most aren't taking them to the track to race or to the track at all.

[@thelakeman5207]

@@veganpotterthevegan For $150 dollars, I can go the same places a $10K rider can go.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@@thelakeman5207 ok? I don't really think they care. That said, you can get to those same places faster on a $10k bike if you cared. You'd be more comfortable too

[@thelakeman5207]

@@veganpotterthevegan Thanks, I'm good.

[@bikeradar]

Are you a fan of Joe's build?

[@zzhughesd]

Not in a homo way but yes in a fast physical way. However I ride crap on the flat as I’m light too. I’d prefer more weight and power. Being light I’ve less than incredible power. The wind and lack of power pushes me back on flats. The pros can be light and strong. But they’re one-offs. I’m just a one trick pony. Ok uphill. Very meh on TT or fast flats.

[@jonathanzappala]

I’m a fan of Joe’s cameo!

[@spaceburge]

Without a doubt, yes. This is utterly gorgeous.

[@verdeboyo]

Absolutely love the build. I just absolutely love Campagnolo. Ive got a high end Bianchi I built with Campy 11 Super Rec with rim brakes that I absolutely love, but just bought a 2023 Bianchi Oltre Comp with Shimano Ultegra 12 R8100 disc bike as is outa the box and altho I am loving the electronic shift tech, I won't be letting my 'old' Bianchi sit in the garage gathering dust. No way!

[@molgur]

for shure no

[@sidmonty13]

Still loving my 2022 rim brake TCR. So disappointing that you can’t find a mid tier rim brake bike anymore. Save mechanical shifting and rim brakes, love the simplicity and don’t need anymore batteries and chargers in my life.

[@bradcomis1066]

Huge cost savings as well

[@dangurtler7177]

Easier to maintain the rim brakes too. And I don't ride in the rain anyway (on the road), so braking performance won't suffer.

[@vladhristev481]

​@@bradcomis1066prices have simply skyrocketed for bikes since discs appeared. Now even more expensive with electronic shifting and less and less cheap(good) options

[@ozmaachowski3227]

Standert?

[@pj9375]

Yup 2021 advanced pro 1 owner here. There’s something cool owning the last and finest iteration of mechanical groupset and rim brakes 🎉

[@davidkennedy4845]

I agree rim brakes look better than discs. I have never had an issue with rim brakes in over 50 years of cycling. Some rim brake calipers are works of art. It will be rim brakes for me till the day I stop riding... which will be a day or two before they pop me in a box!

[@dorseykindler9544]

You’re my spirit animal!

[@SurpriseMeJT]

Same here. I'll never go disc on the road bike. I started using disc brakes on the MTB in 2005 and never believed it was remotely needed on a road bike. I'll go one step further and say I'll never go carbon on my road bike either. Steel or ti forever.

[@perpetualgrin5804]

Same here.😅

[@mitchreeves1]

Disc on MTB's make a huge difference. Not sure about road bikes, rim brakes should definitely be better in terms of aerodynamics and weight.

[@cecilecorpuz5735]

I've been using rim brakes for well over 45 years and they have served me well, bombing down a big down hill run doing nearly 50 mph my rim brakes has never let me down. Rim Brakes! They are easy to set up and self serviceable, hell I've been servicing my Campagnolo NR/SR brake calipers for well over 40 years, new pads and springs here and there and they are ready to go and they just look right, just my 2 cent worth.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Happily hit the mid 60s on rim and disc brakes. With disks, you can brake significantly later for switchbacks from a high speed.

[@MP-wt1lh]

Amen.

[@robbiek4400]

Sure you can make campy rum brakes last forever, but do yourself a favor and try a modern bike with disc. You’ll lose your old man ego and never go back to rim, disc really is that much better. I know this because I was like you until 2 months ago.

[@guyboycecam1636]

could not agree more. I have never struggled to brake despite cycling most of the mountains in France etc and doing the Haute Route

[@NikeonaBike]

boomer comment lmao

[@matkrek]

So weird how people are frowned upon for having rim brakes, the marketing teams working overtime

[@jayobannon5359]

Easy to be a rebel

[@sloprun]

I thoroughly enjoy the fully mechanic groupset and have no desire for batteries and chargers injected onto my bike. Super Record and Record are fantastic products. I even have Shamal Ultras that seem to spin forever. I left Dura Ace and Ultegra behind.

[@herbj4969]

Who cares what people think, I say do you, be you and enjoy!

[@N2TheOcean]

Rim brakes weigh less than disc.

[@Vaasmios]

I'm just fed up with the stigma of how bad rim brakes are . They work just fine and people need to learn how to use them properly in different conditions .

[@Livlifetaistdeth]

I'm 6'3" and have riden rim breaks on my road bikes for 25 years and never had problems. There's no reason to ever get disc. Absolutely beautiful bike!

[@marccarter1350]

32mm road tyers are a thing, and there great!

[@chaosengine3772]

@@marccarter1350 Squishy and slow for the beach cruiser, soft bottom crowd.

[@marccarter1350]

@@chaosengine3772 Not really. 23mm are there for you lol 😂

[@thelakeman5207]

Have you tried disc?

[@marccarter1350]

@@thelakeman5207 yeah, my Condor steel frame is disc. You can run larger tyres, which I do. There not slower at all. There a smooth ride.

[@FaiscaaaH]

A rim brake bike, with mechanical gears, 25mm tyres, with a few cables integrated... Hey it's a dream bike. I am using durace 9000 11 speed and I would change to super record but it's super hipper mega expensive.

[@banjo7127]

You should look at Record or Chorus. Very little between them, less so than equivalent Dura Ace down to 105. Chorus is more like something between Dura Ace and Ultegra. Both lesser Campagnolo groups have the same carbon bits especially the forged lay cranks. Only more exotic materials separate the top 3. The down shift feel is much more positive and satisfying, like hitting a bolt release catch on an assault rifle. Shimano feels effeminate and dainty in comparison.

[@hughstultz7849]

My kind of bike and almost certainly timeless

[@sloprun]

Have you shopped at Bike24? Super Record groupset is very reasonably priced. I switched from Dura Ace 9000 once I tested Super Record 11 speed second generation.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Super Record is most definitely not an upgrade😅

[@banjo7127]

@@veganpottertheveganwhat was so bad about yours?

[@viborabr]

I have never serviced the rim breaks of any bike I have ever had for the last 20 years. Except to exchange pads, or line them up with my hands back in the time.

[@DopeTorre]

Well that is called service.

[@davidide1525]

Big fan of Joe and his bike. Agree with everything he says. Take note bike industry, a lot of road bike rim brake fans are not buying new disc bikes. And Joe, please do some more presenting . Jack and Joe were some of the best videos made !

[@alexharbron]

One of the nicest bikes I've seen in a long time and the better for being rim brake, cable actuated and free of a power meter. The spec is perfect. Lucky Joe :)

[@jaykeehan5813]

I’ve road bikes my entire adult life. The past four decades of this life have dovetailed with an astounding amount of innovation that truly did make cycling better (cage-less pedals, clinchers that can go thousands of miles wo flatting, apparel to fit every need, an so on). However I just don’t see the advantage of disks on a road bike running narrow (28m) tires. About the only real advantage I can think of is that (disks) might alleviate unease I have where I worry about overheating a rim. But that’s a pretty rate occurrence. I really hate giving up the mechanical advantage represented by rim brakes, their simplicity, and the fact that don’t make your front wheel asymmetrical (I still really like the looks of my DA 7700 hubs). I have disks on one bike, but they are way oversold on road bikes.

[@MarkJones-bc5vx]

Joe, I think your bike looks fantastic. Very humble as well.

[@techboy86]

A real road cyclists bike, rim brakes (that never let you down), no expensive proprietary integrated cockpit, mechanical shifting. As he said , 0.001% less aero than an overpriced aero bike, easy to maintain and no incessantly annoying disk rub and constant disk brake maintenance. Love it! Don't get me wrong I have disk brakes on my winter CX where stopping in cold wet makes difference, but why would I need disk on my fair weather road bike! Common industry, must do better, the customer is always right, its not one size fits all!

[@brockjennings]

It's so much easier to travel with a rim brake bike with mechanical shifters. No batteries or fluid to worry about and the fear of bending rotors while in transit.

[@ciclirossetto6262]

I agree--take it a step further and build another bicycle with down tube shifters and aero brake levers. Use it for traveling as well as locally which is even easier than dealing with Ergo and STI cables/housing. Best

[@IainBakerplus]

I have literally just built the same bike - but mine has mechanical 9100, and Roval CLX 32/50. Without pedals it's 6.25. Total cost - about £3.5k. I know that's still a significant chunk of change, but it's a lot better than spending ten grand, on something that'll be over a kilo heavier.

[@cristianpauldanet3724]

the disc shit will be at least 1 kg heavier. My rim brake AX road bike weights 5,4 kg.

[@borano2031]

@@cristianpauldanet3724 Mine is 5,9 with 11sp SR EPS in 58cm. Rgr

[@eto2352]

Joe is back!! Boy do we miss those hillclimb video days! Great build and perfectly describes the reason many choose rim brake builds. Liam's build is the "modern version" of Joe's. Great to have them both in this video!

[@bikeradar]

Thanks for watching!

[@ChrisJarvis-rd5yp]

Thank god someone has some sense on choosing a bike with sensible components Campagnolo Mechanical is superb and having rim brakes that work superbly is all you need as are external cables, well done for being your own person and not a sheep like most people these days

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Some people used to say more than one gear was unnecessary too. Things can improve and there's nothing wrong with wanting better

[@seanmccuen6970]

mechanical is inferior to electronic shifting, that's the only place he blew it.

[@mindfreebodyfree5770]

Don't hate people that find rim brakes an outdated technology. You can be a vegan but don't militantly expect everybody to follow. You have found your fetish and that's fine. I don't get why some people believe their way of living is the only right one and everybody else is a dumb sheep. That's arrogant and very narrow minded. You love vintage bikes and that's ok. Others love innovation and progress. Fine too. Just enjoy your vintage bike and be happy and leave others alone. Many people love things of the past. One collects tape recorders, others vinyl records and you are into vintage bikes. Don't think that this is "normal" and everybody else is "not normal". It looks like most find the modern bike aesthetics more appealing. Sometimes there is free will involved. Not everything that deviates from the perception of a minority is a conspiracy. There is and will always be the mainstream. You are part of it too and you know that or are you a Mormon? Don't lie to yourself and pretend to be a revolutionary freethinker and honorable rebel.

[@mindfreebodyfree5770]

I'm sure he uses a modern flat screen and recorded the video using a digital camera. I b et he owns a smartphone and not a late 80s mobile phone... What a sheep.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@mindfreebodyfree5770 where did I tell everyone to follow me potato? I'm just being rational. Nothing is wrong with using what you have into perpetuity. Not recognizing that there's better is pure delusion though. I have over $70k in cycling gear. But I drive a $3k, 2004 Subaru. It would be delusional for me to think my car is better than a new car. It's certainly enough car, but it's not remotely close to being as good as what's available now

[@MrChippinator]

I absolutely love Joe's build and mentality. No power meter, no computer, amazing!

[@garyeanes4747]

My 2012 Fuji Altamira Di2 Ultegra is still one heck of a light rocket-ship: 15.25lbs (6.9kg) with 50mm deep carbon wheels, Ultegra pedals and Arundel carbon cages in a size M/L. I absolutely LOVE riding it to this very day (owned it since brand new nearly 15 years ago). First gen Ultegra Di2 still works flawlessly and the battery lasts forever (recharge every 2000 miles). Other than brake pads, chains, occasional brake cable replacement, tires and bar tape...the bike has required zero additional replacement parts. I have numerous "modern" disc brake equipped bikes. And I do really enjoy them thoroughly. But my rim brake equipped bikes are stupid easy to work on, cheap to maintain, lighter by miles than my equivalent disc bikes at a fraction of the cost (it would cost me $10,000+ to have a disc bike Ultegra Di2 at the same 15.25lbs as my Altamira).

[@fernandodisola6675]

Nice to see a proper bike❤

[@apv1]

Running a rim brake Time Scylon in 2024. It’s just amazing and love the lack of sound when braking compared to my disc brake counterparts

[@apv1]

@theeverlastingspiral9617you new to cycling? 😂

[@Yosser70]

@@apv1Not as new as you apparently, because he’s spot on. Learn to use your gear before criticising it ;)

[@apv1]

@@Yosser70🤣

[@yesmate78]

​@@Yosser70rotors can warp and scrape

[@Yosser70]

@@yesmate78 not as easily as wheel rims and much easier to sort out.

[@JSC131]

I still ride my Look 765 RS rim brake bike why change they work perfectly who needs disc. Joe is spot on great to see him back.

[@worldender_tv]

Makes perfect sense that changing a rotor is much more economical than changing wheels. But i'd still prefer rim brakes over disc brakes.

[@qwertyazerty2137]

​​​​​​@@worldender_tv if you have alloy rims and ride mostly in dry conditions, and you care for them, then such rims can serve you a lot of years before they wear out, especially if you pay extra and get swissstop bxp pads for wet conditions which wear out very slowly both themselves and the rim at the same time, while still offering strong stopping power although their modulation is a bit like on/off. Maintaining hydraulic discs over the same time my outcost the price of a new rim brake wheelset if you consider yearly brake fluid changes which is not that cheap, brake pads which are in general more expensive than rim brake pads. Also, if you don't have a bleed kot, you have to account for bleeding service at the bike shop which adds extra money and time loss.

[@markehrlich7534]

If you own a couple of rim brake bikes, and split your yearly mileage between them... You might never have to do any maintenance at all(except just adjusting them) until it's finally time to change the pads!!

[@DaveCM]

I much prefer disc brakes. They just work better and are way more consistent when going down mountains

[@qwertyazerty2137]

​@@DaveCM for sure discs are superior in regard to stopping power (especially 4-pots) and modulation, but in case of road bikes, rim brakes are still a valid and viable option.

[@charlyvanbuuren2947]

In winter i ride my 18 year old Giant TCR carbon bike. Still a great bike!

[@amitkumar-wj8gn]

So happy to see Joe doing well. Loved him during his time at Bike radar. I started watching this channel when Joe and Rueben Baxter Doyes were still part of the group and Jack was still rising in ranks. :) Happy times.

[@jayobannon5359]

In the last 3 years I have had two custom bikes built with rim brakes. Rim brakes are a preference and manufacturers are the ones losing out.

[@mindfreebodyfree5770]

I think it's worth those two sold rim break sets (1.5 per year) to maintain a complete production line and marketing department and logistics.

[@oliveredwards7112]

Great to see Joe, more guest appearances please! and what a bike!!

[@rvoykin]

I still like high-end carbon wheels with rim brakes, and non-electric shifting

[@nbartlett6538]

You like carbon wheels with rim brakes... I like a bike that stops when I pull the brake lever. Tomato/tomayto 🤣

[@robfrench3379]

I love rim brakes and mechanical shifting: it works well and is easy to look after

[@JamisDuanne]

Durianrider liked this video

[@banjo7127]

Rim for road, disc for dirt. IYKYK 😂

[@juanhidalgo7043]

I love my pinarello f12, 2023, rim brake. I ride it all the time and no regrets. Disk brake for mountain makes sense and for pro racers. I love the giant too. Nice looking bike!

[@erich8258]

It makes sense "for mountain" as long as you're going up

[@guyroebuck8510]

That is my feeling. Fisc brakes for muddy off road and racers. Most people don't need that. I have always got my rim brakes to do the job. V brakes are excellent for touring and old mtb I have. And dual pivot are plenty enough for road 😊

[@maniastrat]

Agreed 101% This TCR is Beautiful ! I have also ridden decades & have no plan to ever ride disc on the road. For all the reasons mentioned here but also we travel Internationally with the bikes & we don't want to deal with fluids or batteries either for that matter ;) So yeah Mechanical shifting Rim Brakes for us too!

[@pierrex3226]

Very sensible arguments! As someone who's built 8 disc brake bikes with full cable integration, I do love rim brakes and external routing. But I'm 85kg and not being afraid anymore of melting the resin in my carbon rims is great for my peace of mind. Aligning discs though, :/

[@paulwixman8151]

Joe, your logic behind all the component selections on your Giant cannot be argued.! Well done.....Cheers, Pjw

[@ejacosta174]

I absolutely love Joe’s build. I have a Colnago C59 and a C60. Both have that old school lugged frame look. Both are equipped with Campa Record 11v mechanical group set and rim brakes. They are a joy to ride. Keep up the good work Joe. More climbing videos!

[@trel3574]

Me too with art deco color on C59 & C60✨✨✨

[@wendelljeong4734]

I have two rim brake bikes. One is a trek 6.5 full Dura ace bike. I will never buy a disk brake road bike. They are over priced and heavy. The bike industry is misleading the cycling public telling them that they need disk brakes on a road bike . They need them as much as they need electronic shifting. Your TCR looks great. My other road bike is a Giant Defy. I've recently bought ICAN arero wheel sets for both bikes. Even with these carbon wheels, the brake performance is very good. I also believe that bike weight is the most important spec for a road bike. Thanks for the video.

[@neilgardner2583]

Totally agree I have a Colnago with Dura Ace mechanical why would I want to change that?

[@sbleistein]

I agree with Joe. Perhaps I am a Luddite too! I made a similar decision, although with a Trek Émonda SLR frameset. I love riding it! Love the way it looks. No regrets. No desire for a disk brake bike.

[@jeshely]

I don't ride in bad weather, not even wet weather, so, good rim brakes are good enough for me. Love their simplicity.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Imagine brakes that self adjust as they wear? Brakes that rarely need their surfaces cleaned? That's simplicity. The engineers did their job with disc brakes to make them simpler for the user.

[@Kf1rr]

Beautiful bike!!! Big fan of this TCR...killing Rim brakes is big mistake in my opinion, both systems rim and disk brakes have some advantages and disadvantages (i have CAAD 13 R7000 105 disc and CAAD Optimo 2020 R7000 105 Rim so i ride and know both) for road bike i still think rim brakes are better solution, they are lighter cheaper and much easier to maintain i dont see big difference in braking performance if any between the two either, but i guess that disc brakes are better with carbon wheels and if you wanna use wider tires like 30c+.

[@cup_and_cone]

There's nothing stopping bike makers from making rim brake bikes that can accept 32 or 34c tires...except hubris.

[@samward4361]

Yep, as a middle aged dad who got a rim braked TCR advanced pro a few years back, I'm all over this and agree with Joe. Lovely bike.

[@928nanotech]

Leonardo Da Vinci famously said: “simplicity is the ultimate in sophistication”.

[@jayobannon5359]

Evolution makes the same argument

[@rolfaalto]

Gone full mullet on several of my bikes -- discs in the front where it matters and weighs much less (short hydraulic tube), rims in the back where you don't need the power and want to minimize weight for the tubing run. Ultimately switched to ceramic rims, so the stopping power in the wet is still incredible.

[@baldomantova8466]

Great choice! I bought a dogma F rim break in 2023. I haven’t regret it for one second, by the way, same groupset!😉

[@cyclist2906]

stunning bike, and very practical. who needs disc brakes on the road anyway... ;-)

[@mallorcacyclingnetwork]

Looks stunning, a brilliant feature and benefit argument conversation and no click bait. Love it, a breath of fresh air watch. Thank you

[@craigcarlson4022]

I too have a soft spot for rim brakes, and simplicity of maintenance. And the wheels look awesome.

[@billyearwood4648]

Agree 100%. While I have been forced by market to have a Scott Addict RC Ultimate and a Vielo R+1, my favourite bike is my 2015 BMC SLR 01 Team Machine with Campy Super Record on Bora rims and tubs. It weighs in at an illegal 14.6 lbs ready to ride. It leaps into action and stops better than my Scott, but I must admit the Scott allows me to pull at the front for longer (on the flats). BTW I’m 71 and still able to win the odd sprint with the 50s. I keep telling them it’s all about the bike and good timing.

[@juicytones]

Rim brake bikes definitely look better than the disc counterparts! 👌🏼 Love this build

[@jaredpurdy2164]

I bought a Colnago C60 in the fall of 2021, and it was intentional. I don't need or want disc brakes as I don't race and I don't ride in the rain. It's fitted with Record 11 speed mechanical (also intentional) and BORA WTO 45's. And yes, mechanical is more reliable, and rim brakes are effortless to work on. Setting up internally routed cables is a pain in the ass. Aesthetically, rim brakes win 100%.

[@worldender_tv]

Really really cool looking bike.... there's something about rimbrake bikes that make them have a better appeal than a discbrake one. Probably because they don't have a dish on both wheels 😅.

[@911norman]

They also have less spokes than disc brake bikes.

[@dickieblench5001]

Pizza cutters you mean

[@guyroebuck8510]

Once you get them working to your liking. Rim brakes have a more variable (alive) feel than car like discs

[@dickieblench5001]

I took out a new TCR with discs for a test drive. I really wanted to like it but the brakes had no progression at all. They felt worse than my carbon rim brakes.

[@allhill]

Well done Joe's! Rim Brake is beauty!

[@user-nt8dy4xw9r]

I’m with this guy. Never used a power meter and garmin, probably never will. I don’t want to be bothered by numbers on a bike. Old school build is also good. No need to care for the latest techs.

[@SurpriseMeJT]

A bike that is a joy to ride is one that you'll ride more and riding more is better!

[@SamuelBlackMetalRider]

I’m building a superlight sub 6 rim brakes bike SRAM22 on a 2016 FUJI SL so of course I like that bike! TCR ADVANCED SL is said to be awesome

[@dickieblench5001]

I'll let you know. I've just bought this frameset

[@walcottav]

Great to have you back Joe. Love that bike and build. Enjoy it!

[@aidanmoore3711]

Great to see a new rim brake bike.

[@evanbybee8953]

My like counts for 9,999, just fyi. As a fellow mechanical Campag user (Record though, let’s face it Super Record is just bourgeois) i can attest that nearly any level of mechanical Campagnolo is just better! Love the build, enjoyed the video. Muchas gracias!

[@finintuk]

I’ve come back to cycling after years off. Commute every day. Bought a gravel bike which is very comfy for urban kerb hopping but crap on UK trails (MTB territory) and between the tubes, discs and spokes it’s horrible in a crosswind (I’m on the coast) despite being heavy. Bought an old rim brake CAAD and it’s a weapon by comparison. Preferred choice for everything. Just put some quality pads in the callipers and anticipate your braking a bit more and it’s a great bike. Modern bikes aren’t any better, at least not for my situation.

[@bryanwittenburg7171]

I absolutely love my 2022 TCR Advanced 2 105 rim brake bike

[@DrJRMCFC]

Campagnolo brakes callipers, once set up, never need touching apart from very occasionally changing the break pads. No rubbing, work perfectly.

[@deenbe]

campag should stop chasing after electronic shifting and just stick to classic lightweight mechanical. this looks awesome!

[@jayobannon5359]

Yeah, I tried an electronic groupset and after a couple of years went back to mechanical. I live in a very wet area and there were issues.

[@songofyesterday]

I love rim brake. Easier to self adjust. Disc brakes I can’t see and the rubbing is more difficult to fix.

[@dewindoethdwl2798]

I love the feel of rim brakes and the clean look of non-disc wheels. For dry winter riding or spring/ summer I ride rim brakes. The occasional rain isn’t too big an issue with good blocks. My winter hack has mechanical discs and it stops better in heavy rain or slop. As I’m not a mad-fast rider looking for late braking on bends, a more planned out approach avoids scary moments. Love hydraulic discs on my MTB, it’s where they belong. Basically, ride what you enjoy.

[@megavolt2008]

I ride a fifteen year-old road bike, so of course it has rim brakes and mechanical shifting (Dura-Ace). As a result, I love the choices that were made in this video. My wheels were starting to fail, so - new wheels or new bike? Since the frame was a Litespeed titanium, I went with new wheels. All my tools for maintenance still work, so that’s nice. My only quibble with the bike as shown was the carbon fiber braking surface for the rim brakes. Since weight didn’t seem to be an issue, an aluminum rim seems a more logical choice.

[@maxlloyd3740]

Looks lovely and not really a fan of Campag but that thing just ticks all the boxes! Miss the Jack and Joe vids! 😥

[@oreocarlton3343]

Radial front wheels look so nice, I miss their look on road bikes!

[@carlosdeno]

That bike looks absolutely beautiful. I’ve tried disc brakes owned a Colnago C64 sold it after three rides. Rim breaks on both my bikes, with respect us mere mortals don’t need disc brakes. I honestly can’t believe the presenter said disc brakes are not as hard to maintain as rim breaks! Unbelievable.

[@craigtayntor489]

💯 simply AMAZING.... Sad to misinform woth folks hard earned $ 💯 AGRREE if your not a pro or competitor in clubs, or ebikes with incredibly speeds, only some with extra money. Well status. Kind of you to inform some.....

[@MrHeenock]

Still ride my Canyon CF SL rim brake from 2019, amazing bike

[@DiscoStu1970]

Not a fan of the bike but Joe rocks. Bring him back … we want to see Bike Radar Diaries again!!!!

[@haroldocantanhede]

There is no such thing as a 'wise buy'... Only riders will understand the pleasure of riding a mechanical setup on a road bike. Is Joe happy? Well, so am I and I wish you the most pleasure with your lovely Giant bike. Cheers!

[@josiahlomas2111]

What a Beautiful Giant TCR.. Great knowledge the builder has to have put together such a BAD ASS BIKE

[@KuriReevel]

Cool bike, smart owner.

[@mrrodriguezHLP]

Here's the thing, if you live in a dry place, like Southern California, you don't need disc brakes. Good well tuned rim brakes, with good pads and track will still save your life.

[@matthewlewis2072]

Joe lives in the UK

[@eto2352]

Mt. Wilson, Mt. Palomar, Santa Monica mountains, Socal also has some of the most legendary descents. Disc brakes can save your life.

[@TypeVertigo]

Great seeing Joe again. Loved his videos.

[@x3631]

nice build! refreshing to see such simple nice buikd in this year and age , kudos!

[@stephen6685]

Absolutely stunning looking bike . I am very much against disc brakes on road bikes as I dont think they're needed and spoil the look . I feel the bike industry is also trying to coerce us into buying this more expensive system . I am not a fan of rim brakes on carbon wheels though.

[@jw-gx1ic]

Rim Brakes Rule !!

[@HasanIbrahim147]

What a stunner.... beautiful beautiful build! Love the meticulous attention to detail. Looks like a dream build even without being told. That campy SC.....🤤 Enjoy it mate. Well bloody deserved 👏🏼

[@jeremiefournier971]

Great to see Joe back on!

[@denisspratt926]

It might be the last massproduced high-end rim brake roadbike. But as long as bespoke brands like Passion, Sarto, Stelbel, Victoire exist then there will be high end rim brake bikes for a long time still. Nice bike though.

[@jayobannon5359]

I agree, I have a Calfee, rim and mechanical

[@FaiscaaaH]

I would take that bike over all the new bikes 😉

[@borano2031]

Especially if you splash out yourself! Rgr

[@FaiscaaaH]

lets all go disc brake bikes, why ? because they brake better !!! LOOOOOOL @@borano2031

[@mikecortes8481]

Amen Brother! Ill never go to heavy disc brake bikes!. Gorgeous Bike! Yas Keep your Batteries!

[@easterguts]

Totally agree that rim brake bikes look so much cleaner than disc. Nice build. Great choice!

[@cyclonutterd7075]

Rim for the win. They do also look better.

[@matthewlewis2072]

And stop worse.

[@81caasi]

Marginally. Unless you ride in the rain all time, or a big rider, they're probably not worth it. @@matthewlewis2072

[@cyclonutterd7075]

@matthewlewis2072 I have raced for 35 years without needing more stopping power, so I don't get your point. I think disc brakes are more grippy and too powerful for racing tyre widths, causing back wheels to slide out when it's dusty or wet - I think this is the main reason for going wider and wider on tyres. There seem to be a lot more crashes due to slipping out these days imo.

[@yukiko_5051]

​@@cyclonutterd7075Don't bother with new cyclist. They're cattles of marketing

[@cup_and_cone]

​@@matthewlewis2072This is the same mentality as arguing 34T cassettes and compact cranks are better...it's always the most extreme from biased perspective. Not everyone is ripping down an Alpine descent in the wet.

[@OM-sb2bd]

Gorgeous perfect bike! ❤️🔥❤️🔥 Far superior to the disc brake pain-in-the-ass, proprietary parts, hard-to-service crap bikes dominating the market these days.

[@CL-dh2mf]

So refreshing to see Joe!❤ And he looks so happy!😊 Sunday mornings are way to go for Dads, arent they? All the best to you from Germany!✌️

[@joelecho]

Discs are great, but you get more for your money with rim brakes, and the easy maintenance is a great bonus too. My dream road bike is still a mechanical shifting rim brake bike.

[@jonathanellis1842]

When Richey Road Logic rim brake arrived a few weeks back, this is the sort of build that went through my brain. Campy Supper Record - Campy Shamal Ultral C17 - Clincher tyres, not tubeless. Steel - Mechanical group set - shallow alloy wheelset, no discs areo or carbon when not needed, yes please.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

There's a reason they stopped making that the first time and it'll be true again

[@ian_pedalz]

Got the same frame I built up on my channel. Amazing bike!

[@ian_pedalz]

@@veganpottertheveganI see you still got your training wheels on trashing people’s new builds. Got eat a steak, cheer up 😂

[@veganpotterthevegan]

@@ian_pedalz says the clown that's afraid of progress😎

[@ian_pedalz]

@@veganpotterthevegan soy boy thinks disc brakes on road bikes is “progress” 🤣

[@baxteroh1822]

I do agree on his point as I ride , the brakes works as well as disc … so I do prefer rim more than disc

[@stickymiky123]

If you love them fair enough. I resisted for years but I have just bought a disc brake bike and there is no comparison. Descending into corners just knowing you will slow down enough has made me faster. I still ride my rim brake bike and boy how bad they really are in comparison. Now you can buy a disc brake bike that is 300g lighter than your old rim brake there is no reason not to. (7.3kg vs 7.6) I'm a boomer and spending my money before the kids spend it for me)

[@mindfreebodyfree5770]

@@stickymiky123 They are just vintage lovers. They don't know it yet as they don't consider rim brakes vintage at this point in time. But they are. We are at the turning point where one vintage technology gets replaced by some modern technology as the result of innovation. They will learn to accept that rim brakes have no place in the market other than for nostalgic reasons. So, like cars they will have to create their own vintage community in order to get vintage bike parts. Some people just like the aesthetics of vintage cars and even fewer, the hardcore fetishists, actually want to ride one, because they like the rough experience and the smell of gasoline inside the car. Those rim brake lovers are not ready to accept that they love vintage technology. They have a conservative mindset. Rim brakes are like the tube TV or the Walkman. In the world of HD, 4K or 8K nobody uses an analogue camera to record video. Analoge video cameras are just vintage tech. Some love them and they were not bad and high tech in their time. But technology continued to evolve the way the analogue VC replaced the flicker book, which once was also considered high-tech. For them it's like accepting that they are old and that the things they love and grew up with have now become obsolete. Acknowledging that their beloved tech is vintage is like having to accept that they themselves are vintage material too (although this is not true as technology evolves very fast these days). I just find it funny how aggressively some are fighting to sell that they are not vintage yet.

[@lupitlupitan]

I don't think so. I came from rim brakes and now ride on discs. I can descend much faster and more aggressively on disc brakes than on rims. Cornering on descends are much easier. And believe it or not, I have broken my PRs on the hills/mountains with my heavier and more aerodynamic disc bike than my lighter rim brake bike. Don't get me started with the rain. But I would still be buying a rim brake bike for commuting for easier maintenance.

[@_MrSnrub]

Dude that build is sick and I totally agree rim brakes look better.

[@johnmes6967]

Happy to see a video with joe again. Top bike!

[@savagepro9060]

Aesthetics wise, rim brakes are better looking than disc. This is not a joke and absolutely bereft of bias!

[@philadams9254]

More hill climb diaries and Joe please ❤

[@ianforber]

For the last bike I bought several years ago, I chose Campagnolo Chorus 11 speed mechanical rim brakes. I don’t need anything else, especially not another battery. The shop I bought it from moaned that the problem started with inexperienced cyclists buying carbon wheels (which very few people need anyway) and then braking too often and for too long and delaminating the carbon rims. Still, bike companies need to sell bikes so maybe the fashion will swing back to rim brakes once most people have discs

[@guyelliott1286]

I’ve got several bikes but my Colnago C40 with Ultegra mechanical groupset and rim brakes is still my absolute favourite running Conti GP5000 25’s

[@oliverjacobs8594]

dice are Heavier and less aerodynamic. The only advantage they have is wet weather braking performance. As a lighter rider myself I see absolutely no reason to disadvantage myself by going disc brake.

[@WerdnaLiten]

Wider tyres......far better on rubbish UK roads.

[@81caasi]

I can fit 28mm on all my rim brake bikes, unless you want to go bigger.@@WerdnaLiten

[@oliverjacobs8594]

@@WerdnaLiten thankfully I don’t live there!

[@aniketjagtap5745]

Chapter 2bikes also still one of the brands selling rim brake bikes in market

[@ariffau]

Stupidly limited sizes and colours available though

[@WhaJMc]

Not anymore. All their current frames have disc brakes.

[@ariffau]

We are only left with Winspace SLC 2.0. Which I wonder why can’t they just beat the weight of an Aethos but do it on a rim brake frame. 😅

[@wsbygt]

Great looking build, congrats and enjoy that sweet TCR Sl!

[@SecwetGwiwer]

I agree, it looks much nicer than Liam’s Aethos 😉

[@All3cannons]

Great bike