Much market for rim braked road bikes?

lunge

Posts: 13330

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Topic starter

the time has come for me to consider if it’s time to offload my old road bike. But, they are both 5 or 6 years old, both XL in size and both rim brakes.
Am I right in saying that’s a pretty niche market and is unlikely to get much return, irrelevant of how nice the bikes are?

Posted : 10/02/2023 5:35 pm

bensales

Posts: 1130

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You’d be surprised. The road world has much greater Luddite tendencies than the off-road world. My Dad recently parted out a 15 year old bike and got hundreds for the Campag Record group. Brakes alone went for 100 quid.

Posted : 10/02/2023 5:36 pm

zerocool reacted

footflaps

Posts: 13594

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Thanks to Zwift etc we seem to have more fair weather riders now, so rim brakes aren't such a disadvantage.

Having said that, I only know one person who has bought a rim brake road bike in the last few years.

Posted : 10/02/2023 5:41 pm

Duggan

Posts: 1862

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I only road ride now and personally would happily buy rim brakes now or in the future, can’t be the only one

Posted : 10/02/2023 6:18 pm

AD

Posts: 1573

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I ride a rim braked Kinesis Aithein in the Lakes - plenty of shit roads and steep hills. Don't feel the need for disc brakes... But I'm a fair weather luddite... 🤣

Having said that I wouldn't want rim brakes on my mountain or cross bikes!!!

Posted : 10/02/2023 6:23 pm

Mincer reacted

Yetiman

Posts: 190

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I see plenty of rim brake road bikes at my local cafe so I would assume there is still a healthy market for them.

Posted : 10/02/2023 6:50 pm

MoreCashThanDash

Posts: 32265

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There's a lot of rim braked bikes out on our club rides still, and a lot of folks fiercely defending their Luddite tendencies.

Someone I know has just built up a recent pro-tour team frame with rim brakes and I'd switch (back).

Posted : 10/02/2023 7:17 pm

winston

Posts: 4027

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I ride a carbon framed road bike that has alloy wheels with rim brakes. They are campag and absolutely fantastic, beautiful modulation, light and look nice. Easy to fettle, and cheap as chips. If I lived in the alps I might be more inclined to buy disc but here in the South east there is absolutely no need. Carbon wheels probably need discs as do gravel bikes and commuters.

Posted : 10/02/2023 7:29 pm

13thfloormonk

Posts: 11522

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Luddite

I think people misunderstand the roots of this term, if anything my disc braked bikes CREATE work for my local mechanic as I can't get the ****ing things to stop squealing in the wet. Mr Ludd would approve 👍

Posted : 10/02/2023 8:15 pm

Bregante reacted

sandboy

Posts: 1166

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I have a disc braked road bike which doesn’t get used as much as my rim braked bikes simply because of noise. I have to constantly keep the discs clean to avoid contamination and the resultant brake squeal. Living in the flatlands makes owning a disc brake road bike difficult, I rarely encounter a descent long enough to generate enough heat to clean my pads/discs. A bit of a nightmare but a reality for me.

Posted : 10/02/2023 8:32 pm

Bregante reacted

13thfloormonk

Posts: 11522

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OP - I"d polish them up, replace any knackered bits now, then store them as an investment for when manufacturers abandon rim brakes altogether. I bet you'll get more for them in 5yrs time than you'd get for them now...

Posted : 10/02/2023 8:44 pm

tonyg2003

Posts: 3826

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Yep sold a rim brake road bike yesterday. I have rim and disc road bikes. I can’t say that I’m ever had an accident not being able to stop on a rim road bike in years of road riding (including many years racing).

id agree that there is still a lot of love for rim brake (simple, light, easy to maintain, easy to modulate) amongst roadies.

Posted : 11/02/2023 8:11 am

Daffy

Posts: 10539

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I wouldn’t buy one these days. Calliper brakes are pretty much all tyre limited to 28 max and a lot are 25. This would put me off.

Posted : 11/02/2023 8:16 am

shermer75

Posts: 13601

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I think people misunderstand the roots of this term, if anything my disc braked bikes CREATE work for my local mechanic as I can’t get the **** things to stop squealing in the wet. Mr Ludd would approve

 

Good point! No need to start throwing our clogs at them yet lol

Posted : 11/02/2023 8:22 am

scaredypants

Posts: 25815

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damn right, shermer ! 🤣

Posted : 11/02/2023 8:36 am

jamiemcf reacted

Kryton57

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My rim brake bike in the classifieds hasn’t had a sniff of an offer for it, great bike too.

Posted : 11/02/2023 8:37 am

ayjaydoubleyou

Posts: 4656

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Got to treat them like the 26 ain’t dead crowd

For most people liking the old tech and feeling that the newest latest and greatest doesn’t constitute a meaningful improvement is a valid opinion but usually means ‘I like my current bike, won’t be buying a new one’

not so good if you are selling.

Posted : 11/02/2023 8:43 am

robola

Posts: 1000

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It is a tough sell 2nd hand. I have a nice, 2015 vintage, carbon road bike. It is barely used since I got a gravel bike. Every time I think of selling it I do a rough depreciation calc/look at what they are going for and decide it isn’t worth it.

As others have said, if I was in the market for another road bike I would want the extra tyre clearance that disc offers rather than improved braking.

Posted : 11/02/2023 9:03 am

BigJohn

Posts: 10567

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Yes, hard to disagree with what Shermer wrote.

Posted : 11/02/2023 9:27 am

poah

Posts: 6494

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have to price it correctly and I'm sure it will sell. For the record my discs don't squeal or rub.

Posted : 11/02/2023 11:48 am

Much market for rim braked road bikes?

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