Shifting Gears.
I was talking to Richard about this or that Sunday at the Dome before we got rolling. My bike was leaning against me, and as I shifted to emphasize some meaningful point it fell to the floor, bumping against Richard's very expensive carbon wheels. This was my TSA-proof ti bike, so I was more worried about Richard's TT machine. It wasn't until Yrjö noticed that my brake lever was sticking out funny that I realized that something was wrong with my own bike. One of the tabs that the right brake lever pivots on broke when it hit the concrete. I jammed it back in place as best I could, confirmed it would still shift, and started riding loops. I wasn't going to let a small bit of plastic ruin the fun.
After a few laps of warmup, I jumped behind a small pace-line on the inside lane. The guy in front was on a disc brake bike, then came Yrjö on his brakeless fixie, and then was me. The guy up front would brake slightly for some reason in the turns, Yrjö would apply a little back pressure to the pedals, and the only indication I would have was the sound of Yrjö's chain unloading. Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal, but without a rear brake lever I trusted 100%, the normal peripheral visual indications (brake caliper moving), or a common braking method among the three of us, I wasn't going to risk a up-close visit to the Dome's track. I pulled off and didn't mix it up again, preferring to ride more or less solo to avoid endangering myself and others.
This highlights my only issue with disc brakes- they're just too efficient. In a fast-moving, tightly packed group with mixed braking systems, they can cause problems if the disc brake riders aren't skilled enough or aware of how the differences in braking systems affect those around them. They can brake faster and later in the turn than they could on a caliper brake bike. If I'm on their wheel, I have to let a slight gap open between us to allow for this difference, but I'm assuming that they will let off as they move through the turn. If they don't... well, I'm going to lose. It's just one more thing I have to consider with my anaerobic brain.
Disc brake proponents would say that's my problem, and they're right. I could certainly buy a disc brake road racing bike. Problem is, I have seven caliper brake bikes, and five or six (I've lost count) spare wheelsets for them. Most of these wheelsets don't accept 11 speed cassettes. It's not about one bike. It's about my impressive collection of last-generation technology. To convert the existing wheelsets to 11 speed and disc would likely be almost as expensive as replacing them, and wheels have an expected service life. I'm not there yet. My road racing bikes are not obsolete, and are far more capable than the engine propelling them. They work just fine, so I'm going to use them until they don't. At a certain point, I will upgrade to 11 speed. I may upgrade to disc around the same time if the frames start to show their age. I don't really need to at this moment.
I got on eBay and ordered another New Old Stock SRAM Force 10 speed shifter. The right ones see a lot more use than the left ones, so I can justify going new. I may up that order to two right shifters because for the foreseeable future, I'm going to be the peloton's Luddite.
The titanium disc brake gravel bike is my test bed, and will likely influence how quickly I evolve. I'm not sure it's going to be my favorite ride, based on weight alone, but you never know.
I'm not against progress. I'm just cheap.
After a few laps of warmup, I jumped behind a small pace-line on the inside lane. The guy in front was on a disc brake bike, then came Yrjö on his brakeless fixie, and then was me. The guy up front would brake slightly for some reason in the turns, Yrjö would apply a little back pressure to the pedals, and the only indication I would have was the sound of Yrjö's chain unloading. Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal, but without a rear brake lever I trusted 100%, the normal peripheral visual indications (brake caliper moving), or a common braking method among the three of us, I wasn't going to risk a up-close visit to the Dome's track. I pulled off and didn't mix it up again, preferring to ride more or less solo to avoid endangering myself and others.
This highlights my only issue with disc brakes- they're just too efficient. In a fast-moving, tightly packed group with mixed braking systems, they can cause problems if the disc brake riders aren't skilled enough or aware of how the differences in braking systems affect those around them. They can brake faster and later in the turn than they could on a caliper brake bike. If I'm on their wheel, I have to let a slight gap open between us to allow for this difference, but I'm assuming that they will let off as they move through the turn. If they don't... well, I'm going to lose. It's just one more thing I have to consider with my anaerobic brain.
Disc brake proponents would say that's my problem, and they're right. I could certainly buy a disc brake road racing bike. Problem is, I have seven caliper brake bikes, and five or six (I've lost count) spare wheelsets for them. Most of these wheelsets don't accept 11 speed cassettes. It's not about one bike. It's about my impressive collection of last-generation technology. To convert the existing wheelsets to 11 speed and disc would likely be almost as expensive as replacing them, and wheels have an expected service life. I'm not there yet. My road racing bikes are not obsolete, and are far more capable than the engine propelling them. They work just fine, so I'm going to use them until they don't. At a certain point, I will upgrade to 11 speed. I may upgrade to disc around the same time if the frames start to show their age. I don't really need to at this moment.
I got on eBay and ordered another New Old Stock SRAM Force 10 speed shifter. The right ones see a lot more use than the left ones, so I can justify going new. I may up that order to two right shifters because for the foreseeable future, I'm going to be the peloton's Luddite.
The titanium disc brake gravel bike is my test bed, and will likely influence how quickly I evolve. I'm not sure it's going to be my favorite ride, based on weight alone, but you never know.
I'm not against progress. I'm just cheap.
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