Heard a younger mechanic at the shop talk about disc brakes like they were always the standard

I was waiting for a tube at the shop downtown and this kid, maybe 22, was telling his friend how rim brakes are basically unsafe. It got me thinking about when I started building bikes in 1998 and cantilevers were the hot setup. Now you can't even find a decent set of cantilever pads at most stores unless you order them. Has anyone else noticed parts for older braking systems just disappearing from shelves?

2 comments

2 Comments

ericjackson23d ago

Man, I hear you loud and clear. I remember when cantis were the gold standard and you could walk into any shop and grab pads off the shelf. Now it’s a whole hunt online or you’re stuck with whatever knockoffs people still carry. It’s wild how fast stuff cycles out, even if the old gear still works fine for most riders.

the_sage23d ago

You know, that reminds me of when I tried to convert an old touring bike to disc brakes a few years back. Thought I was being clever and future-proofing it, you know? Ended up spending more time and money than the whole bike was worth, just chasing adapters and weird cable routings. Eventually gave up and put the old cantis back on (they still work fine for my Saturday coffee rides). Sometimes the "upgrade" path feels like a marketing trap, especially when the old stuff is still out there working.