Disc Brakes and Road Bicycles

I was all prepared to bitch about the absolute worst Chinese restaurant I have ever experienced, but it is going to be a topic for later. Something else has caught my attention. Let me just ask, though, how does that happen?! Here in Portland OR, fully 7/8 of the population must be slant-eyed. Before you get your tits in a twist, I was born with one of those slanted views on the world so STFU with your PC BS. So despite the rampant slanted view, somehow the absolutely most suckass Chinese joint I have ever encountered manages to exist. I'll let you have a little bit of a spoiler: it's New China Garden at 14908 SE Powell Boulevard. Don't go there, even on a dare.

So I am day-dreaming about a new bicycle. My poor little Bike Friday has been my bitch... errr, I mean my do-everything bicycle since moving here. My other bicycles are currently stranded in Vermont. That is worthy of another blog post, but I am withholding judgement pending the resolution with a specific internet-based company. Poor little Friday has really been manifesting the wear and tear under the stress of being my daily commuter, heavy hauler, grocery getter, and joy ride. I broke a spoke last week and my bottom bracket was making apocalyptice noises on Saturday. Just in time for a ride to Multnomah Falls.

Bike Gallery right down the street changed out my bottom bracket on the spot last Sunday. Cayley was on that shit like white on rice. And she is a serious cutie, to boot. My infatuation meter goes all aflutter when I talk to her. Bike Gallery, for being a chain and having that generic "big bike shop" feel, gets my vote. It certainly helps that Bike Gallery is right nearby. And did I mention that Cayley is a serious cutie? Oh, the mad skills help too. Reviews of other shops to come.

I have some specs for my next bicycle and I am seriously thinking Touring Bike. I mean, another touring bike. Insofar as utility bikes go, touring bikes are pretty much the funky shit. I could do a hybrid and put drop bars on it, but there is a false economy there. I have two Trek SU200s, but adapting one of these to my spec brings the cost up to about the price of a decent touring bike.

What's my spec, you ask? There are some things that I really want. A steel frame would be preferable, and titanium crosses over into wet-dream territory. As well as out-of-my-budget territory (there is a Seven in my future at some point). A triple crankset is necessary because I most likely will be hauling heavy loads. Sometimes up mountains. A full set of braze-ons are key; I need to be able to mount fenders and maybe racks. Drop bars on the stock configuration would be nice, but I can retrofit better bars and levers onto most frames. Foremost, though, disc brakes are an absolute must.

Why do so few road bikes have disc brakes? Oh, I get the economy of it. How many people can be bothered to ride their bicycles in rain, snow, and ice? But from a marketing standpoint, there is serious eyeball appeal. Disc brakes are fully sexy. Nevermind their utility. I will gladly get into it with anyone who wants to say disc brakes are overkill. If you ride in the rain, snow, or ice, disc brakes are an absolute must. The modulation alone offsets all of the cons of disc brakes.

But if you needed more pluses, the pads are long wearing. The maintenance is much lower. Disc brakes are more fault-tolerant than rim brakes. As long as the wheel still spins and is not at risk of going taco-style, full braking power is maintained. Heat dissipation is much better. There is less risk of blowing out a tire on long descents.