Them’s The Brakes

Additional to Monday’s put up, right here’s one other one who thinks Campagnolo ought to be taking part in to its strengths (or not less than what was its strengths):

Although I may do with out the patronizing tone:

Sorry, however I discover the gratuitous addition of the “(sure, actually!)” to be deeply offensive. Prefer it’s SOOO CRAZY they need to hold making rim brakes. And why ought to a rim brake possibility be “restricted?” What, they shouldn’t decide to it? I suppose for a restricted time solely they need to give them away in Pleased Meals.

That is much more offensive:

I’m making assumptions, however I count on many riders who stick to rim brakes – both by means of bloody-mindedness or private desire – are exactly the type of people that gravitate to Campagnolo for its heritage, or for the easy reality it isn’t Shimano or SRAM.

Principally, what he’s saying right here is that the one causes to make use of rim brakes are “bloody-mindedness” and “private desire,” and whereas this may occasionally sound harmless sufficient, let’s break it down fully. “Bloody-mindedness” is a Britishism for being cussed, which is simply one other approach of calling you an asshole. As for “private desire,” that’s a self-deprecating approach of claiming you could have unusual tastes with no sensible foundation in an effort to pre-empt the inevitable questions on your weird habits. “What, this clown nostril I’m sporting? No, it’s simply private desire.” So by framing rim brakes as a “private desire” as an alternative of a reliable alternative, it implies they’re merely a innocent albeit eyebrow-raising quirk, like having fun with it when somebody sticks a finger up your ass in mattress.

With all due respect to individuals who take pleasure in just a little digital insertion every now and then, I’m right here to say I don’t use rim brakes as a result of they’re a “private desire.” I take advantage of them for 2 goal causes: as a result of they’re SIMPLE and since they WORK. When you say you drink water as an alternative of the most recent sports activities drink for hydration no one places that all the way down to “bloody-mindedness,” and positively no one who asks for a glass of water once they’re thirsty would really feel compelled to clarify their alternative as a “private desire.” They don’t need to! Ingesting water is probably the most pure factor on the planet! And rim brakes are the water of, uh, bicycle retardation.

And in case you’re questioning, the reply is sure, after all I put “rim brakes are the water of bicycle retardation” into the AI to see what it will provide you with:

Now that’s what I name bicycle retardation.

The article is true about one factor, although: I’m undoubtedly an asshole.

The above however, I do additionally use disc brakes typically, and my journey on the Jones yesterday jogged my memory that mechanical disc brakes are additionally nice:

The Jones is a giant bike, I’ve ridden it in all kinds of situations and on all kinds of terrain, and the Tektro-whatever brakes it got here with have by no means left me wanting for something, all whereas being nearly fuss-free. This raises a query for me, and it’s this: When did cyclists develop into such absolute simpering weenies about brakes? Neglect rim brakes: to listen to folks discuss mechanical discs you’d suppose they work solely marginally higher than placing your foot on the tire. One way or the other when you want greater than a single finger to lock the wheel, or there’s the slightest trace of any form of feeling by any means within the lever, the brake is rubbish. Possibly, begrudgingly, they’ll settle for Paul mechanical disc brakes, regardless that they’re actually no totally different than the Tektros. (Sure, I do know on fancier mechanicals each pads transfer as an alternative of simply the one. which issues about as a lot as the flamboyant anodized colours do.)

And sure, I get it, hydraulics work persistently regardless of difficult cable routing that requires all kinds of bends such as you’ll discover on suspension bikes, however two wrongs don’t make a proper.

All I’m saying is that the identical individuals who as soon as upon a time would have referred to as you a “woosie” for utilizing any sort of brake in any respect now received’t even have a look at a motorbike you may’t cease with solely your left pinky, go determine.

In the meantime, worlds are colliding:

First all of the bicycle firms began placing motors on their bikes, and now Ducati’s making bicycles:

I suppose that is becoming, because the bicycle business exists to promote stuff no one requested for, and completely no one who rides both a bicycle or a bike was ready for one more line of bicycles from anyone, not to mention Ducati:

This venture is born in collaboration with Diamant S.r.l., an organization inside Gruppo Zecchetto, an Italian group that brings collectively main manufacturers in biking footwear (DMT), technical attire (Alè Biking), and carbon and composite element manufacturing (Diamant Compositi).

The brand new high-performance bicycle vary, which can embrace street bikes, gravel bikes, and pedal-assist mountain bikes, will likely be unveiled beginning March 2026, providing a wider choice of fashions impressed by Ducati’s rules of favor, sophistication, and efficiency. The venture additionally consists of a line of equipment and technical attire devoted to every specialty, particularly designed for the brand new Ducati bicycles.

The event of the vary leverages the expertise and experience of Italian biking champions comparable to Elia Viviani, Vincenzo Nibali, and Lorenzo Suding.

However I did search for Gruppo Zecchetto, and apparently they’re the individuals who make Cipollini bikes, so maybe they needed a model that was rather less…gropey. And by the best way, Cipollini does supply a gravel bike:

Questioning what units this other than the eleventy bazillion different gravel bikes already on the market? Effectively, right here you go:

What the hell does this imply? Is it a gravel bike or a drugs to deal with erectile dysfunction?

Talking of stuff that doesn’t make sense, I’m actually beginning to fear about Lucas Brunelle:

What’s he even speaking about? That is like after we have been youngsters pretending to be ninjas and we thought if we wore ankle weights for awhile then took them off we’d be capable of bounce over a home.

I hope he’s utilizing some highly effective brakes.