I don't buy it. Disc brakes even if they can get the weight down, are impractical for road bikes. Mud/dirt/grime isn't an issue road riding vs. mtb, for cyclocross for sure there are benefits same as for an mtb. Road tires are way skinny and contact patch to the ground is minimal. You can have gobs of braking power, but if your tires break traction that braking power is useless and even dangerous

I have to disagree.

The reliability and maintenance of disks compared to a rim brake far out weighs the negatives of added weight. Of course you can skid with rim brakes (you should be using your front more anyways), but after a decently long decent they get spongy and probably need some adjustment to get them back to the tight lever position you started with. Not to mention riding in foul weather, where any moisture on the rim and they just become a messy sludgy mess. Also having to replace your entire rim after a couple seasons even if its perfectly true due to the braking surface being worn.

I've put nearly 1000k on my disk brakes as a dd riding down hills everyday with maybe 20% worn off the pads. When using rim brakes I would go through a set of quality pads in little over a month.

I don't disagree with your points, all depends on the application. As I mentioned for MTB and cyclocross they make absolute sense. For somebody who rides rain or shine and does heavy duty miles, disc brakes certainly make sense from a maintenance and convenience point of view. Performance wise, maybe. I'll give you that one, but IMO the loss of braking power in the wet on a good road caliper is minimal, and not to the extent that one would need disc brakes. My road bike only comes out when there isn't rain, and over 1500k there is still a ton of brake pad left, so like I mentioned all about your personal application and preference.

For the majority of road cyclists who ride in good/decently good weather, this becomes a moot point. Personally I don't think they will catch on with road bikes. But I also thought they wouldn't catch on with MTB's in the late 90's because of weight and complexity of the systems and clearly I was way off base.

I don't know man. In the example OTG-ZR2 posted with the Bianchi, it had a disc brake setup. Next thing you know, it becomes the defacto commodity on all bike builds that come out of shops like Strada Cycles, La Bicicletta and Speed Theory. All the douchebags will need a set to keep up with the Jones'. :troll:

(I'm kidding entirely.)

Finished the ride earlier today. Rode up Naramata road... Rode past over a dozen or two wineries... I stopped counting because it was basically all wineries.

There were some arts and crafts places, places making cheeses. There were some points of interest, places u can hike... the kettle valley trail also runs through the entire route through Naramata

Next year, i'll probably bring my cross bike and ride the trail


my gf really enjoyed the ride. we stopped at Hillside Winery and Bistro | for lunch. stayed for about 2 hrs. the KVR runs through their back yard. it's a winery with a bistro. ate lunch, drank wine. got hammered then rode home

good times

sounds so epic dude. living the life attacking hills and throwing back wine.

It is certainly a debatable point whether disk brakes are necessary for the typical road users, but I personally like the modulation and feel that disk brakes give vs. a typical rim/v-brake setup. It allows me to feel more confident in being able to stop, especially on steep descents or when going fast. Yes, tire traction is the ultimate determinant on stopping power, but I get a bit worried when I squeeze the levers and they don't seem to be doing much on my caliper brakes. The transfer of heat into the rim is also worrying, if I'm going downhill at a fast clip - I'm relatively new to biking, and not used to sustaining high speeds. I tend to ride my brakes down a hill, which I know is a bad idea. Looking up threads about carbon rims, they have even crappier braking performance than the typical aluminium rims which is not reassuring to me...

In muddy or sloppy conditions, the advantages of disk brakes become even more clear... it keeps the braking mechanism away from where the muck is, and slows down the wear of the rim material.

I think whether or not they catch on, in the end it is dependent on whether manufacturers and the ruling bodies in road cycling include them. If the UCI decides that they are legal for competition use, the pro teams will use them and then the brakes will trickle down to the street models... like what is happening with a few Colnagos and Bianchis with disk brakes.

Unless you accidentally squeeze the brake lever when your rotor isn't sitting in there, then it's a b*tch!

Craigslist/Kijiji/Police auctions/me!

What are you looking for? Road, Mountain, Hybrid, Cruiser? Size?

Lol you're not supposed to do that. Hydraulics are where you run into problems, cable you're fine.

Cable discs you lose the modulation and power that a hydraulic can offer, and also more maintenance and weight with mechanicals.

Looking to get a bike repair stand and I've narrowed it down to these two. Does anyone own either and/or can comment on <$200 stands?

Feedback Sports Ultralight:Amazon.com: Feedback Sports Pro-Ultralight Repair Stand (Red): Sports & Outdoors

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31IqmKGAN-L.jpg


Park Tool PCS-10:
Amazon.com: Park Tool PCS-10 Home Mechanic Repair Stand: Sports & Outdoors

http://www.parktool.com/uploads/thum...96_800x700.jpg

I'd go with the Park Tool one

I 2nd that, Park Tool

Is anyone running a rear mount bottle cage? Any reviews on them?

I use the Feedback Sports one. Uhh...it works and it's a stand?

I use my trainer :okay:

I have a question for those who have done a bike fitting. Where did you go and how was your experience? I'm currently looking around at different places and everyshop seems to do a "bike fit". Are they all similar in terms of quality of fit?

Lol thanks guys. I know Park Tools definitely has its name going for it, but I've heard mixed reviews about their consumer line. I just want something thats strong, stable and will last. Just in case anyone else is looking for one, this is what I've found.

Park Tool PCS-10
Pros:
Quick Release
Steel construction (strength/stability)
Most parts replaceable

Cons:
Steel construction (washing, weight)
Plastic parts apparently not very durable
Assembling can be more cumbersome

Feedback Sports Ultralight
Pros:
Slide-lock clamp allows for better modulation of grip on cf/thin alu frames
Compact and easy to collapse with foldable head
Tripod design is more stable, esp for uneven surfaces
Higher quality clamping materials (more metal vs plastic)

Cons:
Tripod design takes up more space
Clamp design doesn't have quick release

Uh...it's 5 star rated with almost 300 reviews. What more do you want?
Posted via RS Mobile

I've already made a decision on the stand. Just posting up detailed information for more critical buyers who don't just look at the # of reviews :)

Edit: Mixed reviews didn't originate from Amazon if that's what you were thinking

This is pretty much it. I sometimes wished that it wasn't a tripod design and yes, it can take up space if you are already in a limited space (i.e. my garage.)

Yes, no quick release but it's not that big of a deal. If you want a quick release, you have to pony up extra $$$$$ for that feature.

All in all, I don't mind this stand. You can easily get one (not the same exact model I don't think) at MEC and if you don't like it, return it. So far, I'm happy with my stand and it has paid off in itself. Very helpful when it comes to tuning up my front/rear derailleurs and making other minute adjustments and especially when washing the bike.

As for reviews - I don't care too much about 5 star reviews and/or number of reviews. I would prefer detailed and critical reviews. I've seen both stands and as reputable as Park Tool is, their stand didn't really "stand out" compared to the Feedback Sports stand. Their tools - yeah, great stuff. But hey, I ain't no baller so whatevs.

Edit: This is the one I bought - http://www.mec.ca/product/5013-302/f...sports%2Bstand

Just go to John at Pacific Multisport. Most of the members used him here, including me, and all had positive reviews.

Ok, sorry for the double post but I received the Rapha Condor-Sharp jersey/bib short kit from AliExpress today.

Fit and finish is better than the Rapha-Focus CX kit I originally got. The material is slightly better in a way where it doesn't "stick" to your skin. There's more of a compression type of fit on the jersey which I personally prefer (not everyone will like this) and the overall fit of the jersey is better than my Rapha-Focus CX one.

All in all, $40 for a full kit. Free delivery with signature and it arrived in a week's time? :notbad:

Don't ask for pix. I am not a male model by any means like 604CEFIRO or dat_steve.

Like OTG-ZR2 mentioned, a few of us here on RS went to see John @ Pacific Multisport. 604CEFIRO went to La Bicicletta. I don't think any of us had a bad experience with a fitting. I think what it boils down to in terms of "quality" is experience of the fitter. There are other shops out there that offer more expensive fits that are designed behind a system or theory of some sort which cost more. Whether they are better than others - I don't know. I do know that fittings really make a difference. You can start by YouTube'ing how to fit yourself (the one by Art's Cyclery is awesome) and go from there.

What biking shorts do you guys recommend?

I've been biking with regular shorts and it gets uncomfortable after some time when riding on gravel.