They're here....

Do you say "SKIP the pre-race waffle!!??"...That's it, you are dead to me!! 😀

PS-I run the brakes on my bike so loose they barely touch the rim when I squeeze the lever to the bar, they're only there for show. TRIPOD turns and Grifos at 25psi!! No need for brakes :getsome:

PPS-I autocrossed a Rabbit. The logic mentioned above holds true for that as well, including the TRIPOD!!

-Jim.
 
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BiknBen said:
That wear is only seen when using cantis. V-Brakes don't do that. It is the arching motion of the canti arms that cause the pad to dig into the rim.
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So why haven't you been running v-brakes on you cross bike all these years?
 
stb222 said:
So why haven't you been running v-brakes on you cross bike all these years?
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I did for a while. This was when I had a SS/Fixed Surly Cross-Check. The cable pull of road brake levers is not compatible with v-brakes. I used specific brake-only levers on the SS/Fixed bike. Didn't have to worry about shifters.

When I went to gears, I also went back to cantis. There is a converter to use road levers with v-brakes but it is a hassle too. There are pros and cons to everything.
 
Hey Ben. I saw somewhere a pair of mini-vees that don't use a linear pull lever. I think they come stock on the Specialized Tri-Cross? They're like Tektro or something but they seemed to set up well and feel nice. If you're into that kinda thing you should check them out.

-Jim.
 
AnthonyC said:
I'm going to suggest a Tshirt for Jim:

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No wonder; Avid Shorty 4's....

Only issue I had with canti's not stopping in CX was at West Point last year. Then they made the downhill turn greater than 1m wide and all was well.

It'll be a while before I adopt disc's for CX. I really can't say I "wished" I had them in any given race. I have wished for electric shifting, but not discs.
 
2005 model, that is one sharp looking bike.

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This reminds me of all the new technical gear for hikers and backpackers. One tends to lose one's survival instinct when everything is solved by new technology. Cross and cycling needs to stay more about the rider than the technology. Technology to cover the event and bring it to the public is good. Too much is bad. Take the Grand Tours - de France, Giro, and Vuelta. Cars cars cars motocycles, every little need catered to all the time - it is way overboard. Cross is dirty and technical and requires great skill even when everything is covered in mud, or snow or sand - anything. This is the sport. More cowbell.
nipper
 
I've read every post. Jim, Ben and Jason all make good points. I'm all for disc brakes for CX bike or a road bike the pros out weigh the cons. It is just a matter of time ...
 
Once Sram/Avid, TRP, Shimano and Campy (probably in that order) figure out how to build reliable and light-enough disc levers and calipers AND the standards are set, I have a feeling that disc brakes will be one of those things that we look back on and wonder how we lived without them. Sort of like the way I don't need to have the entire internet in my smahtphone but I can't imagine not being able to shop for a new toaster while I'm doing 80 on the highway. And though we may look back on them with nostalgia for the bygone good old days of cross, they will seem like an antiquated vestige. Eventually, Canti's will "rule" in the same way that cross bikes without bottle bosses rule: it become a question of style and tradition rather than one of utility.

In the mean time I think we are going to see a whole lot of kludgey crap on the market. Like all the homebrew cable to hydraulic converters. This seems to happen every time there is a major technological shift. I'm thinking hydraulic canti brakes (which i was shocked to discover Magura still makes). And this little 1990's gem: The Bike Control Shockster!
6-schockster.jpg


Re: Exploding rims. I don't remember much from engineering school but I seem to recall hearing that it is generally not a good idea to design critical structural components as wear items.

What I most look forward to about the profusion of disc brakes is watching Cat 4 starts. Hilarity (and possibly injury) will ensue as everybody locks up their discs heading into the first corner. I will however miss the cacophony of cowbells and squealing brakes on crisp fall mornings.
 
See, clearly you don't mountain bike with disc brakes enough. While there may not be quite as much squealing, there's still plenty.

Bonus points for the use of kludgey, or any form of kludge for that matter.

Personally, I never feel like I need disc brakes when using a cross bike in a cross race, or cross practice. It's really only when I'm riding it on the road in the rain going downhill. Otherwise I really have no complaints. But that 1 use case is probably really rather important when it comes down to it.

But I suspect you're right. As more and more public websites get blocked at work, I really can't imagine how I used to survive without the entire Internet in my pocket or, like you say, while doing 80 in rush hour traffic on route 78.
 
Delish said:
What I most look forward to about the profusion of disc brakes is watching Cat 4 starts. Hilarity (and possibly injury) will ensue as everybody locks up their discs heading into the first corner. I will however miss the cacophony of cowbells and squealing brakes on crisp fall mornings.
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Delish, your contempt for Cat 4 starts has me doing some math to calculate how long ago it was that YOU upgraded from those Cat 4 starts... 9 months, has it been?
 
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