New bike - would you choose disc or rim brake ?

[foz]

And why?

Where I live it is hot, dry, and rains very little. So there is little to no advantage to be had by going to discs. I would like to stay with rim brakes and mechanical shifting, the only concern I have is that everything seems to be moving towards discs and although rim brakes (hopefully) will not disappear completely, parts availability and compatibility could become an issue in a few years.
So, do I stockpile parts and hope I have enough for a long time to come, or give up and move to discs?
The only valid reason I have for choosing discs over rim brakes is long term parts availability.
Anyone else in the same dilemma?

 

[widowmaker]

I had the same issue when choosing a road bike last year. I opted for rim brakes on my Giant, purely for simplicity, the fact that for the speed and riding I do they stop fine, and the comparable cable discs felt no better in stopping power. I like the look of rim brakes too.

All the reviews bang on about having discs for future proofing but pretty sure we will still be able to get parts for a while.

 

[d8mok]

I much prefer discs on a road bike. Far better braking and modulation than any rim brake which helps going faster and with fatigue too

Electronic gears are also far easier over longer rides with zero adjustment all year.

Can’t beat technology unfortunately.

Only downside is weight but the bike is far nicer to ride which outweighs it.

 

[Sir Neil d'Menture]

In the dry rim brakes offer few if any advantages over disc brakes. They do perfom poorly in the wet which is where disc brakes really excel.
There is also the bonus of the simplicity of cable operation for brakes which saves a lot of the pfaffing around trying to bleed brakes.
I have a rim braked bike for summer use, and have just bought a vintage Colnago for showing off if the sun shines. Once the rain comes - and it never seems to have stopped for the past month - the disc bike comes out.

 

[foz]

I know all the arguments for and against discs, and I'm not bothered about those. I am aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each system. I am only concerned with possible parts compatibility in the future. For example, even now I think the latest Shimano 12 speed road groups are disc brake only? I prefer campagnolo, who afaik still make rim brake versions, but choosing to stick with campagnolo over Shimano or SRAM right now also seems like it might be the wrong choice, as everything seems to be either Shimano or SRAM, there is certainly a lot more choice there too, but that's a question for another thread...
So, if choosing rim brake, options are already limited. What might the situation be like in a few years?

 

[d8mok]

What parts are you thinking you won’t be able to buy?

Once the bike is built , the only parts that will wear are the brake pads / rims.

You’ll be fine , just buy what you like and worry about buying brake pads in 20 years time if the bike is still in your possession.

Bearing in mind we are on a forum about 25-35 year old bikes which still have new/used parts in abundance I feel it’s a non issue.

 

[foz]

Yes, probably a none issue I know! I started by looking for another rim brake frame to keep as a spare, but that got me thinking, probably too much

 

[rc300]

Hot and Dry ..Rains very little...have no sympathy for you

 

[CassidyAce]

A lot of cycling stock sold out during the pandemic so, in the future, there might not be the plentiful supply of NOS items that there once was, especially in the case of something like rim brake wheels for which suppliers would see less reason to replenish stock levels. I expect you will be able to find replacement rims but, yesterday's experience might not be a good guide to what tomorrow's experience will be like, and choices could be more limited than you imagine. However, if you need an excuse to buy a new bike in the future, this could be just what you need.

 

[al-onestare]

And why?

Where I live it is hot, dry, and rains very little. So there is little to no advantage to be had by going to discs. I would like to stay with rim brakes and mechanical shifting, the only concern I have is that everything seems to be moving towards discs and although rim brakes (hopefully) will not disappear completely, parts availability and compatibility could become an issue in a few years.
So, do I stockpile parts and hope I have enough for a long time to come, or give up and move to discs?
The only valid reason I have for choosing discs over rim brakes is long term parts availability.
Anyone else in the same dilemma?

Disc everyday. Nicer modulation, much better wheel and therefore tyre selection.