Rim Brake Road Bikes: Not Dead Yet

I spoke to a custom frame builder recently who told me that he was building more rim brake road bikes now than he was a few years ago. Why? Because most of the big brands aren't offering them anymore on their higher end road bikes.

I'm a huge fan of disc brakes on mountain bikes--and in the dirt and the wet in general--but they definitely add complexity and may not be totally warranted on a sunny weather road machine.

Some racing teams still stick to rim brakes--they make wheel changes and maintenance much easier. And for now Shimano and Campy and other still offer road calipers.

Since BikeList is mostly a used marketplace, you'll find that a healthy percentage of the road bikes for sale still sport rim brakes! So rim brake lovers have hope: rim brake road bikes aren't dead yet!

Let us know your thoughts on the future of rim brakes on road bikes!