Change comes hard in the cycling community

[rydabent]

There has been at least 3 big advances in bicycles., in the last 30 plus years. They are clipless pedals, click shifting, and now disc brakes. Im old enough to have been around when they all first came out. And all 3 had a huge push back at first. I observed this push back during the mid 80s, at the Coors Classic bike races. And with disc brakes, I was roundly dismissed on several bike forums in the last 3 or 4 years. As a 50 year technician, I immediately saw the logic and common sense of all three.

[TomC]

Most people tend to fall into one of two camps, those who support change for change's sake and those who resist change. The people who evaluate each change based on its individual benefits and drawbacks are much less common.

Personally I like to think I am one of the people who examines each change objectively, but I recognize that as I age I have been less and less willing to adopt changes that don't bring me some specific advantage.

Most changes have teething problems. "Click shifting" certainly did. In general, I am rarely an "early adopter" -- usually preferring the hypothetical version 2.1 rather than 1.0 or even 2.0

On the other hand, having broken both my tibia and fibula in an accident caused by barely wet rim brakes in 1970, I am an absolute believer in disc brakes.

[meamoantonio]

I would have loved to see the debates on Index Shifters vs Friction shifters during that time, were they as heated as the whole disc vs rim brake debates today? I personally love disc brakes but I do see the charm with riding a rim brake bike, its super easy to maintain at home versus having to bleed brakes every once in a while

[GirishH]

I am one of those who resists change until it's absolutely necessary. I never got onto the clipless pedals primarily because they don't suit my "cycle" style, especially when I use my running/hiking shoes to ride bike because then I can go running or hiking.

I am also a late adapter to the disc-brakes wagon and that too because my bike came with them. Fortunately, they are mere mechanical brakes and I have learned to fix them because i am touring foreign lands. And, fortunately mechanical disc breaks are easier than hydraulic.

One gripe about disc brakes vs rim brakes is the ease of finding, fixing rim brakes while personally it's been harder/rarer for me find disc-brake pads during touring..

(10-03-2024, 12:29 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  I would have loved to see the debates on Index Shifters vs Friction shifters during that time, were they as heated as the whole disc vs rim brake debates today? I personally love disc brakes but I do see the charm with riding a rim brake bike, its super easy to maintain at home versus having to bleed brakes every once in a while

[rydabent]

(10-03-2024, 12:29 AM)meamoantonio Wrote:  I would have loved to see the debates on Index Shifters vs Friction shifters during that time, were they as heated as the whole disc vs rim brake debates today? I personally love disc brakes but I do see the charm with riding a rim brake bike, its super easy to maintain at home versus having to bleed brakes every once in a while

I was at the Coors Classic in Boulder, when click shifting came out. There was a tent where they had several bikes on roller for people to try the click shifting. I was there when several of the racers were trying it, and they were not impressed at all. They all said they were better and more accurate with their friction shifting.

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As for disc brakes, you just cant get around the fact that rim brakes scab up high priced rims. I have also read reports from cross country riders where sand and water had worn down their rims so bad, they broke.

Lastly bikes with disc brakes can be fitted with rims that are more aero, lighter, and stronger.