Additional to yesterday’s submit, I closed out final weekend with a cold Sunday journey on what’s at the moment my most modern-est street bike:
Although it occurred to me that it’s actually not trendy in any respect, not even shut. No, this bike is totally “classic” now. As an getting older Fred it looks as if 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 effectively over 20 years previous, and it’s a hoary vintage in comparison with the plastic area bikes the professionals journey as we speak:
This compelled me to take stock of the present state of rim brakes and street bikes–not within the extremely subjective “disc brakes are evil” sense, however extra within the dispassionate “I’m previous and confused, can you continue to even nonetheless purchase a street bike with rim brakes?” sense.
My “trendy” bike is provided with a Campagnolo Document 10-speed drivetrain now. I’ve had newer drivetrains since then (sure, together with Di2, which is what got here on the wood bike), however to me the 10-speed Document 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 previous.
There’s actually no purpose I, an getting older semi-professional bike blogger, would wish to interchange the functionally good Document 10-speed drivetrain on that Litespeed. Additionally, it looks as if the older I get the much less I’m in trendy components, which is why most of my bikes have friction shifting now. However let’s say I used to be a traditional particular person, and I did want a brand new drivetrain with built-in shifting and many cogs to swimsuit my racy titanium street bike. What’s at the moment out there–not out there as in “in inventory” or “on eBay,” however out there as in “the corporate is definitely nonetheless making it”–in a rim brake drivetrain in 2024?
Properly, because of the Web, the worldwide financial system, yadda yadda and so forth. and so forth, there are all types of street bike drivetrains on the market today:
However in the event you’re looking for a brand new rim brake drivetrain on your cherished basic, you’re most likely previous and confused, and due to this fact you’re additionally scared of recent 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 keep on with the Massive Three, which in the event you’re previous 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 the moment providing a rim brake street bike drivetrain on the increased finish is Campagnolo, and their web site exhibits mechanical rim brake choices from Tremendous Document proper on right down to Refrain:
In fact Campagnolo have all the time 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 by way of gross sales, so possibly they’ve needed to pare down their choices lately, however I actually do not know. In any case, in the event you had been an getting older Fred and wished to interchange the previous Document drivetrain in your classic Litespeed with the fashionable 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 evaluate and was stunned to study there’s nonetheless a notion floating round that Campagnolo is “lovely” as a result of it’s Italian:
I’m certain the newer Campy stuff works nice, but it surely has not been objectively enticing because the 10-speed period, although I’m certain loads of Campyphiles would argue it obtained ugly as quickly as Tullio’s physique was chilly. Both method, there’s actually nothing lovely about it now. I imply have a look at that shifter, it seems to be like Cthulu:
I’m not saying I wouldn’t put the newest Refrain components 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 endlessly, maintain providing high-end mechanical rim brake drivetrains indefinitely, and dedicate themselves totally to creating merchandise for mature riders who need to maintain their basic street bikes operating with dignity:
Nonetheless, that’s most likely not a good way to remain in enterprise–although not less than it’s straightforward to supply a lifetime guarantee when most of your prospects have already reached retirement age.
As for Shimano, it seems to be like they’re disc brake solely all through 105:
Although they nonetheless provide rim brake Tiagra:
It’s a bit of unhappy that what’s for all sensible functions Shimano’s prime finish street bike rim brake doesn’t even include cartridge brake pads. This being Shimano I’m certain it really works nice, and actually I’m certain your entire Tiagra drivetrain works nice. Little doubt the one purpose to not put it in your previous Litespeed or related is vainness. 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 possibly can’t actually delude themselves that they’re going to be there for you if you wish to maintain your fancy rim brake street bike operating effectively into your golden years. You might be simply superb placing Tiagra on that previous street bike, however you most likely received’t be superb with no matter their greatest rim brake street group is in 5 or ten years.
And SRAM? Don’t even give it some thought. Overlook rim brakes–in order for you mechanical you possibly can’t even get a entrance derailleur from them:
Hey, I believe the Eagle drivetrain on my Jones is nice. However in the event you’re speaking about conserving a basic street bike going, SRAM is just not your pal.
In fact, there’s no purpose for these firms to maintain making rim brake street bike drivetrains when no firms are placing it on their bikes. (Aside from Campagnolo, who can do what they need, as a result of no firms put Campagnolo on their street bikes anyway.) Most remaining rim brake street bikes from the massive firms are funds fashions and are on closeout:
Or out of inventory:
Although I used to be stunned to see Cannondale nonetheless seems to supply an entire vary of rim brake street bikes:
Largely although, new rim brake street bikes as we speak 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 street bike drivetrain, whereas the Rivendell and the Crust will doubtless be construct extra esoterically, as with these bikes getting all types of disparate stuff to work collectively is sort of the purpose, so it doesn’t actually matter what the Massive Three are doing with their street drivetrains. In actual fact the Crust doesn’t even take matching brakes:
As for conventional street 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 laborious to return by or something like that–a brake caliper lasts roughly endlessly, 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?
