"Nonsense in the cycling industry" article comments

[BikeGremlin]

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Nonsense in the cycling industry​

Yes, I sat down to write an article about the state of the bike industry, but then decided to add a "section" about Artificial Intelligence. It figures, right?

Relja Novović

 

[VlPo]

Based on that, I would say that disc brakes make little sense on road bicycles, but most companies today leave you no alternative – you must go with the more expensive and more complicated option.

I have nothing against disc brakes. Moreover, given the choice, I will choose disk brakes. If we proceed from considerations of expediency only, then yes, disk brakes are not necessary everywhere. But my experience with disk brakes does not cause any negative emotions. Yes, they are more expensive when buying. But their use and maintenance is very simple.

Talking about road bikes, modern brifters (integrated shifter and brake levers) are very expensive, complicated to repair (made not to be repaired), sensitive to impacts and easily damaged.

I have already mentioned, but I repeat — I completely agree with your point of view. And I have already been convinced of the correctness of your words. Therefore, after some thought and conclusions, I decided to switch to MTB components. They are both cheaper and more affordable in my conditions. I had to abandon the dropbar, but with the flatbar you can ride with sufficient comfort. For example, here is my cockpit, and it's really convenient for me in this configuration.

If I haven’t been riding for decades in mountains, mud, rain, and snow with rim brakes and friction shifters, maybe I too would buy into the hype.

Friction shifters is a very interesting topic. Therefore, I have a microSHIFT SL-M12-R in reserve. I know that in case of "trouble" with any MTB manettes, I will still be able to continue operating the bike. Moreover, I can use the microSHIFT SL-M12-R with almost any rear derailleur.

P.S. Of course, my words are just a private opinion. And my opinion does not have to coincide with other opinions

 

[BikeGremlin]

I have nothing against disc brakes. Moreover, given the choice, I will choose disk brakes. If we proceed from considerations of expediency only, then yes, disk brakes are not necessary everywhere. But my experience with disk brakes does not cause any negative emotions. Yes, they are more expensive when buying. But their use and maintenance is very simple.

I have already mentioned, but I repeat — I completely agree with your point of view. And I have already been convinced of the correctness of your words. Therefore, after some thought and conclusions, I decided to switch to MTB components. They are both cheaper and more affordable in my conditions. I had to abandon the dropbar, but with the flatbar you can ride with sufficient comfort. For example, here is my cockpit, and it's really convenient for me in this configuration.
View attachment 90

Friction shifters is a very interesting topic. Therefore, I have a microSHIFT SL-M12-R in reserve. I know that in case of "trouble" with any MTB manettes, I will still be able to continue operating the bike. Moreover, I can use the microSHIFT SL-M12-R with almost any rear derailleur.
View attachment 91

P.S. Of course, my words are just a private opinion. And my opinion does not have to coincide with other opinions

Thank you for taking the time to read, and write your thoughts about this topic.

Regarding disc brakes, I considered two things:

• Objective disc brake pros and cons (compared to rim brakes).
• Personal preference.

Both are important when making a choice.

For many use cases, disc brakes can be considered to be a needless complication (extra price and weight, without harnessing all their benefits). I would like to have a rim-brake option when buying a mid-range quality bicycle, even for off-road, and especially for paved road riding, but that is becoming more and more scarce.

A digression on the disc brake topic:

The way disc brakes are built, with the brake caliper behind the fork, disc brakes are not as reliable with quick-release hubs&forks. If only a manufactuer would make a fork with a front-facing disc brake caliper mount, you could safely use disc brakes with quick-release hubs (since braking torque would be pushing the axle into the dropouts, instead of trying to pull it out - as depicted in picture 9 of the disc brake forks section of my "Bicycle frames" article).

"Thru-axle" hubs and forks are still expensive and a lot more hassle in case of any problems (finding a matching spare "thru axle" for example, at lest in Serbia).

I believe that the original, first, bicycle disc-brake design (when quick-release was the norm, i.e. before the "thru-axle" hubs and forks), was just a visual copy of how that was mounted on motorcycles. Without understanding the underlying mechanics and physics.

To avoid any misunderstanding:
Hydraulic disc brakes are the best-performing brakes that humans have invented so far - especially in terms of brake force modulation in adverse weather conditions (drum brakes can easily outperform them in terms of braking torque, but without good modulation, that is not helpful, but in fact dangerous!). For winter cycling in hilly terrain, for bicycle off-road racing, or for motorcycle racing, I think hydraulic disc brakes are an excellent choice.

So, I have nothing against disc brakes in and of themselves. I just think they are not the optimal choice for all kinds of cycling. They do have their cons, so I'd like to have more rim-brake options when shopping.

Relja RetroGrouch Novović

 

[VlPo]

Relja RetroGrouch Novović

Well, you wrote it... No, you're just a person with your point of view, and a person who can argue his point of view based on his experience. And this, you must admit, is very valuable in the current world

I'm not trying to argue with you, and I really understand your view on these things.

My bike is equipped with a "thru axle". My wife's bike is equipped with a "quick release". But in real life I had no problems with any system.

I must say that I do not use the bike extremely... Maybe that's why I don't run into problems.
But I like the feeling of control over the brakes... And it gives some sense of calmness about the wife

About 30 years ago I rode a bike Старт-Шоссе. No disks and no index ones. And I can't remember that there was any inconvenience because of this
But when I got a Merida with disc brakes (about 25 years ago), I just fell in love with them

And I think that it is not necessary to raise the question from the position of "only one should remain".
You are absolutely right - a person should have a choice when buying a bicycle.

But for some reason it seems to me that an unprepared person, without advice from you, for example, will still buy a disc brake, regardless of whether he needs it or not

I would like to have some old, classic, road bike myself... With a slim silhouette and "old" aesthetics

 

[BikeGremlin]

Well, you wrote it... No, you're just a person with your point of view, and a person who can argue his point of view based on his experience. And this, you must admit, is very valuable in the current world

I'm not trying to argue with you, and I really understand your view on these things.

My bike is equipped with a "thru axle". My wife's bike is equipped with a "quick release". But in real life I had no problems with any system.
View attachment 92

I must say that I do not use the bike extremely... Maybe that's why I don't run into problems.
But I like the feeling of control over the brakes... And it gives some sense of calmness about the wife

About 30 years ago I rode a bike Старт-Шоссе. No disks and no index ones. And I can't remember that there was any inconvenience because of this
But when I got a Merida with disc brakes (about 25 years ago), I just fell in love with them

And I think that it is not necessary to raise the question from the position of "only one should remain".
You are absolutely right - a person should have a choice when buying a bicycle.

But for some reason it seems to me that an unprepared person, without advice from you, for example, will still buy a disc brake, regardless of whether he needs it or not

I would like to have some old, classic, road bike myself... With a slim silhouette and "old" aesthetics

Your comments and thoughts are what I would call high quality. I appreciate that.

Over the past days, I got a lot of feedback privately (via emails and various messengers), and some through a few Facebook groups. Most of it was also high quality - even (or especially) the disagreeable feedback.

Based on that, I thought it's a good idea to write a new section ("6. Instead of a foreword") that addresses the praises and criticisms:

https://bike.bikegremlin.com/17645/cycling-industry-nonsense/#6

Relja

 

[VlPo]

I appreciate that.

Personally, I try to avoid categorical statements. I understand very well that a bicycle is something purely personal, one can say intimate. That is, most often the choice of one or another component for your bike is not from the point of view of practicality, but from the point of view of your own capabilities-likes-bank account and sometimes just from the point of view of "the color is beautiful"
Another such moment ... Without a certain technical training, without service practice, it is quite difficult to understand the variety of components. And most of the potential buyers of bicycles are exactly like that. They look at the "trends" that are "fashionable" in the cycling world and make their choice based on this.
But for the manufacturer of bicycle components, the task is not to make the consumer feel good and comfortable. It's about getting as deep into his pocket as possible.
Unfortunately, this is how the modern world works.

In general, I really like a quote that I found somewhere on the Internet...
"As with everything cycling, there's no absolute right or wrong answer, just what's right for you."

P.S. That there would be no understatement… I subscribed to your videos and then came to this forum precisely for the reason that you have your point of view and not like most bloggers...