On Sunday, March 10, 2019 at 1:34:24 PM UTC, wrote:
I keep reading see all the bikes coming out and basically all disc brakes.. I cannot believe rim brakes are going to be gone but maybe I am just kidding myself. I frankly hate the disc brake look and certainly for a long time parts will be around but are these rim brakes a dead deal.

Deacon Mark

The problem doesn't stop with rim brake pads, which are cheap enough to manufacture and will presumably be available until it becomes a boutique item for Never Diskers. The real problem comes with getting good replacement rims for rim brakes. Even ten years ago it was smart when shopping the manufacturers' catalogues for rims to look first at whether the model was even offered with a rim braking-surface, or whether it was all given over to hip name promotion like DT Swiss.

All the same, I'm very keen on Magura's Rim Hydraulic Brakes which, if set up right and with their own proprietary blocks, in my sort of use has already lasted 10,000km with no impression whatsoever on the Exal rim, so that I expect a big mileage from the blocks (cheap) and huge mileage from the rim (irreplaceable). Maybe if I ever wear out the rim, I'll try the Ryde Big Bull, which is similar, if it's still available.

An even bigger problem looms on the horizon, or has already arrived according to SJS at
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/rims-700c-29er-622/
"Rims - 700c - 622 The most common larger wheel size now, superceded the 27" (630) size"
I have 1mm clearance on my fave 29er with my fave tyres, Schwalbe's 60mm Big Apples. That won't be amusing.

And just when you start thinking, "Oh well, a 559cm/26in wheeled bike won't be so bad," the manufacturers will invent a new mid-wheel size to grab more of your money. It's a zero sum game, but not for you: the poor cyclist always loses.

Andre Jute
Don't shoot the piano player