Road Upgrade.. Lateral? Or disc?

[MudLark]

Bit off topic, but depending on what you weigh you could probably drop those pressures quite a bit. It'll do wonders for the ride quality.

 

Failing that, if your Trek is a size 56 I'll give it a good home

 

I'm a little bit heavier than I should be – typically around 82 kg. It's a size 56 but I don't have anything to replace it with… At least not yet.

Edited August 16, 2020 by MudLark

[NC_lurker]

I'm a little bit heavier than I should be – typically around 82 kg. It's a size 56 but I don't have anything to replace it with… At least not yet.

I'm just under 80kg and am riding gatorskin 25s at around 5 bar which suggests you should be able to drop your 28s, especially the front.

I used to ride much higher pressures but am slowly realising the benefits of reduced pressure.

[MudLark]

I'm just under 80kg and am riding gatorskin 25s at around 5 bar which suggests you should be able to drop your 28s, especially the front.

I used to ride much higher pressures but am slowly realising the benefits of reduced pressure.

Okay, thanks for that. I used to ride higher pressures but found I was getting punctures more often than I was comfortable with. I found reducing the pressure is reduced the punctures. But I will experiment and see if I can drop to pressure a little bit more. Maybe half a bar on each end and see how it goes to start with.

[eddy]

I was in Italy for business and went to Caldonazzo to see a chap called Dario Pegoretti. Unfortunately he died before building my frame. I think he knew a bit about bikes so let me give you his view on the question.

 

He said that builders have had a century to learn about tuning the ride of a rim-brake frame; that moving the braking force away from the top of the fork and rear triangle to the bottom, and asymmetrically at that means you have to beef up the fork and frame and that has a negative effect on compliance and accordingly  comfort.

 

Therefore if you want a stiff, well tuned, comfortable ride, stay with rim brakes unless the bulk of your riding is in on long descents in the rain in which case disks have their place.

Edited August 16, 2020 by eddy

[100Tours]

To render the brakes on your older bike disk-brake sharp buy one of these. (2 bianchi wins this season on rim brakes, so they're not exactly dead yet).

 

https://www.cwcycles.co.za/product/icetoolz-brake-shoe-tuner

 

disk brakes are awesome on a road bike, but if you're on a budget you may do better do go for a good rim brake bike than to put your money into disks. (we do not have many alpine descents around here)

 

I am 82kgs on a 56cm frame and I ride 23mm tyres

Edited August 16, 2020 by 100Tours

[Veebee]

Hi, so there a few comments i wouldve liked to highlight and respond to, i just dont know how to do it... I think the take is... Buy what you want and what is gonna make you happy... I have to be honest, since i AM BUYING WITH THE IDEA that i would like something new, something fresh... (and honestly 17secs over 100km means nothing to me) infact the extra 300g means nothing i could probably lose that in a day... To take total weight to bike plus human = 90kg and not 90.3kg...

Sooo am learning towards disc... Wil i regret it? I dont know.. I wouldn't know what to compare it to either way...

But thanx for all the advice, it is most welcome.

Get in touch with the guys at East City cycles.

They can put together something nice for you.

 

https://eastcitycycles.com/collections/road-bikes

[CAAD4]

I was in Italy for business and went to Caldonazzo to see a chap called Dario Pegoretti. Unfortunately he died before building my frame. I think he knew a bit about bikes so let me give you his view on the question.

 

He said that builders have had a century to learn about tuning the ride of a rim-brake frame; that moving the braking force away from the top of the fork and rear triangle to the bottom, and asymmetrically at that means you have to beef up the fork and frame and that has a negative effect on compliance and accordingly comfort.

 

Therefore if you want a stiff, well tuned, comfortable ride, stay with rim brakes unless the bulk of your riding is in on long descents in the rain in which case disks have their place.

He was a true Master Eddy.

[stringbean]

Had discs( and not bottom end stuff but 150k stuff) and hated it.

gone back to rim.

i know im going to get flamed but just find discs Uncomfortable.

The introduction of thru axles stiffen the bike so much to the point of been uncomfortable.

If you 80 plus kg you might not notice but lighter riders will.

Trend also to “trail”type geometry etc on new disc bikes to accommodate wider tires are absolutely ****.

But then again the manufacturers tell us they are so much better and like sheep we just fall in line.

[stringbean]

Also don’t fall for the “future proofing “argument.

Shimano introduces di2 and everyone said that was the end of mechanical and one day everything would be electric.

That was in 2009 

[Chris_]

Trend also to “trail”type geometry etc on new disc bikes to accommodate wider tires are absolutely ****.

 

I'm so glad someone's said this. I'm sick to death of hearing about enormous tire width clearance on new bikes

[Veebee]

Had discs( and not bottom end stuff but 150k stuff) and hated it.

gone back to rim.

i know im going to get flamed but just find discs Uncomfortable.

The introduction of thru axles stiffen the bike so much to the point of been uncomfortable.

If you 80 plus kg you might not notice but lighter riders will.

Trend also to “trail”type geometry etc on new disc bikes to accommodate wider tires are absolutely ****.

But then again the manufacturers tell us they are so much better and like sheep we just fall in line.

Yeah too many people fall for the marketing...

I built 2 new bikes in the last year, both rim and mechanical. I just prefer simple.

[Eugene]

I'm so glad someone's said this. I'm sick to death of hearing about enormous tire width clearance on new bikes

I mentioned this a few years ago and got flamed for it.

 

More and more people are looking at mtb qualities on a road bike. Wider tyres, bigger cassettes, smaller chain rings, through axles, 1 x drive trains, discs.

 

Now there are people taking it to the next level by buying gravel bikes as a replacement to road bikes.

[splat]

I don't understand the future proofing argument. Will shops stop selling rim brake pads? Rim brakes are simpler, cheaper and more importantly lighter.

If you live in the alps buy a disc bike, if you live in SA get rim brakes

 

The 'Future Proof' comment may have been mine - it was more related to certain manufacturers not making rim brake bikes. Trek, Specialized etc. Giant is only bringing the disc versions in now. They are pushing disc technology as the new standard and rim brakes are now 'old technology'. There are still many brands that offer both and some that haven't moved at all.

 

I am having the discussion now after having just recently buying a beautiful Trek rim brake bike and crashing it again - rim brake frames are in short supply. If they only have disc brake frames in a year or two, it would be a very expensive transition (brakes + wheels) if I were to stick with that brand. So, I am considering trying to make the change to disc when I get the new frame now.

 

I didn't mean to imply that rim brakes are obsolete - they are still very relevant. Certainly lighter and easier to maintain too. I also don't think that disc brakes will stop a bike any quicker as there is only so much grip the tyres can get from the road - that's the limit, not the method of braking. 

[Pure Savage]

But Rim brakes look so much better...

Edited August 17, 2020 by Pure Savage

[TNT1]

PS.. looking at Titan Valerian... Ticks all my boxes...

This is better:

 

https://solomonscycles.co.za/products/giant-tcr-advanced-2-disc-pro-compact-2020/

 

vs

 

https://solomonscycles.co.za/products/titan-valerian-pro-2020/

 

The Giant (even with 105 wins hands down)

 

(With my own ZAR, I'd look at this: https://solomonscycles.co.za/products/bianchi-sprint/)

Edited August 17, 2020 by TNT1

[Duane_Bosch]

This is better:

 

https://solomonscycles.co.za/products/giant-tcr-advanced-2-disc-pro-compact-2020/

 

vs

 

https://solomonscycles.co.za/products/titan-valerian-pro-2020/

 

The Giant (even with 105 wins hands down)

 

(With my own ZAR, I'd look at this: https://solomonscycles.co.za/products/bianchi-sprint/)

You think so?

 

Giant certainly has the cache but those Giant wheels weigh more than my house.