Road Cycling

[Roady]

News just in (forgot in my earlier post): Had a bit of a tax rebate! I'd forgotten to check for earlier in the year. 'New' wheels imminent! Mrs can't argue with that expenditure as it's not coming out of my savings/wages before house move!

 

[touch]

Mrs can't argue with that expenditure as it's not coming out of my savings/wages before house move!

That sounds like applying logic to a woman's decision?

Here is a link to some cusions so that you may be able to at least get first choice

 

[Lethal`]

News just in (forgot in my earlier post): Had a bit of a tax rebate! I'd forgotten to check for earlier in the year. 'New' wheels imminent! Mrs can't argue with that expenditure as it's not coming out of my savings/wages before house move!

In that case you should call the tax office now and change your tax code so you'll get an even bigger rebate next year

 

[Dunks]

In that case you should call the tax office now and change your tax code so you'll get an even bigger rebate next year

I like it

 

[Thomas. PLease.]

You asked for a scenario where disc brakes are better, not one where rim brakes dont work?

So you might slow down 0.0001 of a second sooner. When is that useful in a race, when you have a bunch around you.

Just look at the pro reactions on Twitter!

 

[kiteloopy]

Just back from the Roubaix.

I hated it at the time…. but loved it retrospectivity. Same feeling I get post any long distance event that I do. Cobbles weren’t as bad as I was expecting, I powered through the trench like it was nothing but I was on a GF02 with 35’s on. 

Word of warning, Roubaix is a dump! Proper ghetto town. Don’t stay there.

Did some of the Flanders bits on Tuesday which was nice too.

Food and beer over there is superior in everyway.

 

[randomshenans]

I've come to terms with the idea of taking what I can get for now, and then when the kids are in their teens and certainly once they're moved out I'll only be 40odd so years left of riding in me...

Ha I hear you.

The guys here who like Cycling (have no kids), all our Mrs' are off to the alps for the weekend and they're jumping at ear free riding. I have 3 kids to look after, one being 20 months, so that's not going to happen. If I'm lucky I'll get an hour on the trainer while she has a kip!

 

[Bear]

I dont really care for disc brakes as I've never ever felt that rim brakes were not good enough or hard to modulate etc. The only thing going for disc brakes for me, that I remotely care about, is that wheels are no longer sacrificial because of the brake track.

The idea of spending £1400 on a pair of Zipps knowing they will wear out to the point of being non serviceable is a bit of a kicker. That said, the brake blocks are so soft that the blocks are the major sacrificial part really.

 

[touch]

So you might slow down 0.0001 of a second sooner.

Slowing down quicker = better.

 

[BennyC]

I dont really care for disc brakes as I've never ever felt that rim brakes were not good enough or hard to modulate etc. The only thing going for disc brakes for me, that I remotely care about, is that wheels are no longer sacrificial because of the brake track.

The idea of spending £1400 on a pair of Zipps knowing they will wear out to the point of being non serviceable is a bit of a kicker. That said, the brake blocks are so soft that the blocks are the major sacrificial part really.

I share the shame opinion. If I commuted or rode a much higher amount of recreational miles (and in all weather where I might need to performance/capabilities) then they might appeal more.

A set of £1-1.5k wheels with rim brakes won't last as long on 6,7,8000 miles pa as they would on 2,500 miles for instance. Then again after a few years, if they've not been crashed, I expect most people would be looking for a change or to renew anyway so is wear that much of a factor?...

 

[Thomas. PLease.]

Slowing down quicker = better.

Articulate for me a scenario in which it's better during a race.

 

[Bear]

A set of £1-1.5k wheels with rim brakes won't last as long on 6,7,8000 miles pa as they would on 2,500 miles for instance. Then again after a few years, if they've not been crashed, I expect most people would be looking for a change or to renew anyway so is wear that much of a factor?...

You reckon people that spend £1 to 1.5k on a set of wheels will change them every few years

 

[Roady]

That sounds like applying logic to a woman's decision?

Doh! If only HMRC gave an option to redeem as credit @ wiggle/CRC (and she'd never know)!

In that case you should call the tax office now and change your tax code so you'll get an even bigger rebate next year

Doesn't work like that as my rebate is from my separate Self Assessment I fill in and return personally where my normal wages are taxed via PAYE. My SA figures always change (rental income from family joint owned property) and is a relatively small amount so HMRC always sting me (usually a years tax and then 50% of the following years which is then rebated).

Just back from the Roubaix.

I hated it at the time…. but loved it retrospectivity. Same feeling I get post any long distance event that I do. Cobbles weren’t as bad as I was expecting, I powered through the trench like it was nothing but I was on a GF02 with 35’s on. 
<snip>
Did some of the Flanders bits on Tuesday which was nice too.

Gald you enjoyed yourself, brutal stuff! Was speaking to a software contractor here who's doing some work with us and he went over with a load of friends, they rode lots of Flanders and then the Roubaix sportive before watching the race. He said the whole roubaix sportive was a waste of time/effort as there's tons of boring flat before the bergs, he said there was a 'half' sportive of ~50/60 miles which would've been better as it still did all the climbs without the wasted time on the flats?! He only came a cropper ones (on the Patterberg) as there was a patch of it which looked like dirty tarmac between cobbles and was just thick sandy mud! He rode it on his normal roadbike with normal 23mm tyres! But don't think they were pushing particularly hard. Maybe one day, jealous!

I have 3 kids to look after, one being 20 months, so that's not going to happen. If I'm lucky I'll get an hour on the trainer while she has a kip!

I've come to terms with the idea of taking what I can get for now, and then when the kids are in their teens and certainly once they're moved out I'll only be 40odd so years left of riding in me...

See I'm kinda worried about this as I'm soon 36 and kids are planned at some point... But I don't want them to impact on my cycling too much! I think investing in a good smart turbo would be the only way to really continue. Not for the inside riding, but the convenience. You can just 'stop' if required and then jump back on for 20 mins while the dinner is cooking/nappy is changed/kids program is on etc.

 

[PermaBanned]

I've always got much more modulation from calipers than I ever had with discs. Just cheap Tektro brakes and I didn't do anything special with the cables. Got some 10-20 year old alloy wheels too that were used with V brakes and still don't show any signs of wear.

 

[Vonhelmet]

See I'm kinda worried about this as I'm 36 and kids are planned at some point... But I don't want them to impact on my cycling too much! I think investing in a good smart turbo would be the only way to really continue. Not for the inside riding, but the convenience. You can just 'stop' if required and then jump back on for 20 mins while the dinner is cooking/nappy is changed/kids program is on etc.

Heh. By the time I'm 36 my kids will be 12 and 9... They'll be at uni or otherwise moving out by the time I'm in my mid to late 40s!

 

[touch]

Articulate for me a scenario in which it's better during a race.

You really cant think of a situation where better brakes is a good thing?

Ignoring the obvious emergency stop, how about going into the last corner before the line. Whoever gets round the corner first wins the race, so whoever brakes latest wins: do you want disc brakes or rim brakes?

 

[FrenchTart]

I've always got much more modulation from calipers than I ever had with discs. Just cheap Tektro brakes and I didn't do anything special with the cables. Got some 10-20 year old alloy wheels too that were used with V brakes and still don't show any signs of wear.

Unless you had a particularly bad disc setup (in which case the anecdote is incredibly misleading) then I really doubt that. Either that or somehow you've had a different experience to everyone else in the world.

 

[Lethal`]

Doesn't work like that as my rebate is from my separate Self Assessment I fill in and return personally where my normal wages are taxed via PAYE. My SA figures always change (rental income from family joint owned property).

See I'm kinda worried about this as I'm 36 and kids are planned at some point... But I don't want them to impact on my cycling too much! I think investing in a good smart turbo would be the only way to really continue. Not for the inside riding, but the convenience. You can just 'stop' if required and then jump back on for 20 mins while the dinner is cooking/nappy is changed/kids program is on etc.

You can do it with the PAYE wages. My tax code was wrong last year and they asked me what to set it as taking into account P11D benefits... just tell them incorrect value and you'll have a rebate at end of year. Mind you, it would be better to have the money sooner so you can earn interest on it.

Get a child carrier rack?

I'm waiting for a good deal on the Tacx Vortex Smart turbo... seems nice enough.

 

[xdcx]

That sounds like applying logic to a woman's decision?

Here is a link to some cusions so that you may be able to at least get first choice

LOL.
Nearly choked on my sweet potato

 

[One More Solo]

Braking force is not an issue though whether you're on rim or disc brakes though. Even in the wet I've locked up the wheels on my rickety commuter on aging brake pads and early 90s calipers when a driver pulled out in front of me. I get the modulation argument means I may have not locked the wheels in the same situation with discs, but I probably wouldn't have stopped much quicker.

The pros clearly have skills far beyond us mortals to descend a wet col on carbon rims in the bunch. Personally, I've descended in the Alps in the wet and I didn't fancy it on alu rims never mind carbon. However, there has been little to no clamour from riders for disc technology and that should be the guiding factor. I originally thought the risks of disc brake injuries were highly overstated, but given what happened to Ventoso I'm not sure that is the case. Rotors are significantly hotter and more exposed than chainrings, for example. You probably don't need to apply much force to cut skin when the rotor is already so hot.

I can absolutely see the value for commuters or leisure riders, but I don't think they have any place in pro cycling. Even moreso, I think a mixed peloton on rim and disc brakes has the potential to be lethal, especially in the wet. This would be exacerbated if disc brakes filter down to local events where riders are significantly less skilled and crashes are frequent from my experience.

A look at Shimano's share price over the last couple of years will tell you who really benefits from this move.