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Argh.
For the stock-pilers out there, Merlin currently doing rim brake/mechanical Ultegra groupsets for £700.
I already have a chainset and brakes so could sell those immediately, probably recoup £150 or so, and use the threaded BB on my gravel bike.
I'd be a fool not to buy one! 😎
Thought I'd unearth this thread having just spotted on CRC that there is actually available to buy, today in real life, an Ultegra 8150 Di2 - Rim brake groupset for the princely sum of £1349.99 (£150 less than they're asking for the 8170 disc group)...
So Shimano are still selling a high end Rim brake groupset (OK not Dura Ace but still shiny new 12 speed Di2) suggests they think there's still a market for such apparent nonsense which everyone thought they were now done with.
I'd been mulling the idea of springing for an R7000 group before it's completely gone, but now I'm thinking R8150 might be worth a look, admittedly I could buy ~3x R7000 groups for the price of 1x R8150, but a shiny Di2 groupset for the rim brake nag for it's last few years of glory before it's finally retired from use forever, it's tempting, not sure I can sneak a 1300 quid splurge past the boss...
Thought I’d unearth this thread having just spotted on CRC that there is actually available to buy, today in real life, an Ultegra 8150 Di2 – Rim brake groupset for the princely sum of £1349.99 (£150 less than they’re asking for the 8170 disc group)…
Oh there's loads of new-old-stock rim brake groupsets, mechanical and Di2 knocking around for silly cheap money. As 12sp becomes the default, all those 11sp Ultegra and DA cassettes will come down in price too, especially the higher geared variants that top out at 28 or 30T.
Yeah but I like the fact that the levers are wireless though, I'd only need one cable betwixt the front and rear mechs, no need for junction boxes and other junk dangling under the stem.
Mostly I think I'm just surprised there's a brand new Ultegra rim-braked group full stop, everyone has been saying such things would never exist again.
I think £420 (+£10 for disk if you must) for manual 105 11-speed is a veritable bargain however you look at it. The Di2 is nice, but for my road bikes, I'm definitely a Bowden cable rider. A whole groupset for almost the price of an electronic RD! Campag look firmly wedded to rim braking still.
My sticker shock moment was seeing a Scott Foil with 105 Di2 for £5k. I mean, 5k for a 105 bike!
I did PBP on 11 speed 105 and TRP deep drop calipers. The bike was absolutely flawless throughout, the rider less so. That said, I had to have the wheels rebuilt this year as the brake tracks were completely worn out at three years old, whereas my 8 year old disc brake Mason has required one new rim in its lifetime.
I think £420 (+£10 for disk if you must) for manual 105 11-speed is a veritable bargain however you look at it. The Di2 is nice, but for my road bikes, I’m definitely a Bowden cable rider. A whole groupset for almost the price of an electronic RD! Campag look firmly wedded to rim braking still.
I agree - and £420 is actually about 50 quid more than they have sold for previously. I bought one off Melin for around 370 last winter.
I have a 105 7000 rim brake groupset on one bike, and I also have an ultegra 8170 disc groupset on another bike. The shifting on the 105 is fantastic, with ultegra di2 you're basically paying a grand more not to have to trim the front derailleur. Just not worth it. If you're gonna buy the ultegra then I would buy the disc groupset. Road disc braking is night and day better than rim brakes now. I only keep the rim brake bike on as a cheap race bike, otherwise it would be long gone.
Also, IIRC from the di2 manual, you can't run the rim brake groupset with wireless shifters, so you will need to buy a couple more cables I reckon. That could be 75+ quid.
Road disc braking is night and day better than rim brakes now.
In the wet, sure, but I don't see much difference in the dry.
(whispers) there's also a rim brake Dura Ace 12 speed Di2 set.
DURA-ACE Di2 Rim Brake DUAL CONTROL LEVER 2x12-speed | SHIMANO BIKE-US
Just not worth it. If you’re gonna buy the ultegra then I would buy the disc groupset. Road disc braking is night and day better than rim brakes now. I only keep the rim brake bike on as a cheap race bike, otherwise it would be long gone.
I think you missed the rest of the thread. Your point is correct, but not really what we were discussing, opting for the disc group really means a new bike.
Realistically I'm probably not going to buy the 8150 group, it was more my surprise that it's even available, we've been told for months that rim brakes are dead, never mind rim brakes and Di2.
Also, IIRC from the di2 manual, you can’t run the rim brake groupset with wireless shifters, so you will need to buy a couple more cables I reckon. That could be 75+ quid.
The blurb says it's wireless, plus why would they make the rim brakes counterpart to a wireless disc group without wireless shifting?
(whispers) there’s also a rim brake Dura Ace 12 speed Di2 set.
Oh come on now!
Oh I'm terribly sorry! Just thought I would share my opinion on the two groupsets being discussed, seeing as I ride them both on a weekly basis. Also, with the thread title being 'would you buy a new road bike with rim brakes?' I answered that question at the same time (did you manage to infer that it was a 'no'...?)
RE the wireless shifting - how should I know? Probably because Shimano CBA to design a whole other wireless rim brake shifter for the dozen people who still think rim brakes on road bike are a good idea? If you can be bothered to read the manual (like I mentioned) you will see that on page 13 it makes no mention of ST-R8150 being wireless. It also shows a diagram of fully wired bike with rim brakes.
The blurb says it’s wireless, plus why would they make the rim brakes counterpart to a wireless disc group without wireless shifting?
Aren't the latest 12s rim brake shifters actually reskinned and reflashed 11 speed shifters, without the wireless capability?
There was talk about that when they announced it.
In the wet, sure, but I don’t see much difference in the dry.
There's not even that much difference in the wet, unless it's absolutely torrential and/or filthy. For 95% of my wet riding (which is less than 10% of my actual riding) there's no discernable difference. (Aluminum rims, decent pads, decent calipers set up properly of course)
Well my alloy-rimmed Dura Ace and Record calliper-ed road bikes have stopped just fine in recent wet weather. The carbon rims have not been out in such nasty stuff! Be honest, the reason we REALLY like disk brakes is that the cables can be hidden further along their frame/fork path for a cleaner look (and it is a nice look, I will give you).
BTW, from basic aerodynamics, the drag loss from exposed cables is approximately 2 Watts per full metre in the wind. Don't get too excited by that stem-channeled front hose.
Be honest, the reason we REALLY like disk brakes is that the cables can be hidden further along their frame/fork path for a cleaner look.
I really like them for the aforementioned elimination of rim wear, especially on carbon rims.
It's amazing how many folk seem to prefer rim-braked bikes AND not ride when it might rain - same as a chap at work; 3 Ti rim braked bikes and will only ride if the forecast is rain-free.
We both live in Scotland...
Late to the party and haven't read the full thread, but my wet weather bike is rim brake (I live in Sydney, so I can't really call it a 'winter bike' - besides which it rains more here in spring & summer). It fits 28-30c tyres with mudguards, and 36c without.
I've just sold my last 3 sets of tubular wheels, but I won't be buying a disc brake bike anytime soon. I've had 2 or 3 in the past and every time I rode them I questioned the need for discs, then got rid. Even in the wet on carbon rim brake tubulars, I don't see the need - and it's hilly here.
To each his own, but when I replace a road bike (unlikely any time soon, but still) I'll be trawling the classifieds for the best rim brake deal I can find...
There’s not even that much difference in the wet, unless it’s absolutely torrential and/or filthy. For 95% of my wet riding (which is less than 10% of my actual riding) there’s no discernable difference
I don't find that to be the case. A lot of winter riding involves wet, dirty roads even if it isn't raining, and my discs do provide more consistent and powerful braking in those conditions.
It’s amazing how many folk seem to prefer rim-braked bikes AND not ride when it might rain – same as a chap at work; 3 Ti rim braked bikes and will only ride if the forecast is rain-free.
We both live in Scotland…
I see the opposite around here, the people with fancy new disc braked and e-geared road bikes are the ones who disappear into the garage in the winter to play on Zwift, and frankly I can't blame them, I hated riding discs in winter conditions as that was when they were at their noisiest, and if I'd shelled out £thousands for electric gears I wouldn't be dragging them through the salty wet all winter either!
>It’s amazing how many folk seem to prefer rim-braked bikes AND not ride when it might rain – same as a chap at work; 3 Ti rim braked bikes and will only ride if the forecast is rain-free.<
I took my rim-braked 2014 Giant defy to Lake Garda last summer, i got caught in the mother of all storms and pretty much lost all braking coming down a big hill due to water on the road (Before anyone asks - i've got Pacenti Alloy Rims and 105 brakes with OEM Shimano blocks) I think this day was what made my mind up that Discs were the way forward, even on a 'summer best' bike.
I've had a gravel bike with Discs for a number of years so knew the difference discs make when riding in the rain.
The Defy has now been retired to 'very' fair weather use and i'll be choosing between a Gravel bike with full length guards (wet rides) or my new Basso disc road bike (slightly damp rides)
To answer the OPs original question - no i wouldn't buy a new Road bike with rim brakes simply because there is so much more choice regarding groupsets, wheels, etc for disc braked bikes, and also a £30 Stainless steel disc is a lot easier/cheaper to replace than a whole rim when either component is worn out.
It’s amazing how many folk seem to prefer rim-braked bikes AND not ride when it might rain – same as a chap at work; 3 Ti rim braked bikes and will only ride if the forecast is rain-free.
Nah we've just got different bikes for when it rains.
Only one bike? Are you a peasant or something.