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Re:Myths in cycling: wider tires are slower by discreteevent on Tuesday June 15, 2021 @05:11AM (#27512872)
Agreed on everything except the road racers. Maybe some want discs but the pros don't. Discs are more likely to rub for them because pro cyclists generate enough power to twist the wheel. If you are trying to gain seconds over a few hours then the sound of rubbing must be torture. Chris Froome spoke out about it recently. Team Ineos just won the Giro and they don't use rim brakes because their sponsor does not oblige them to. It looks like the reason pro racers have discs is because the bike industry makes them. This is so that they can sell new bikes to people who already have a perfectly good one. It makes no sense for pro riders to have disc brakes. Their high end rim brakes are looked after by mechanics, they are lighter, they don't rub, wheel changes are easier and pros don't do a lot of braking anyway.
Re:Myths in cycling: wider tires are slower by jmilloy on Tuesday June 15, 2021 @09:24AM (#27515080)
This is something that I think a lot of people at overlooking even they reference pro racing: they ride the bikes their sponsors make them ride. And the sponsors have incentives that are not strictly limited to winning.
Re:Myths in cycling: wider tires are slower by mariusor on Tuesday June 15, 2021 @08:44AM (#27514453)
> and pros don't do a lot of braking anyway.

That's just not true, there's plenty of braking in the mountain stages. I sincerely doubt that going 90-100Km/h into a hairpin is easier with rim brakes.

Ineos had two accidents this season on descents, first with Moscon in the Giro and then with Thomas in Criterium du Dauphine and even if they might have been just flukes, I'm sure the team is asking themselves questions.

Re:Myths in cycling: wider tires are slower by petre on Tuesday June 15, 2021 @09:46AM (#27515456)
The industry can sell MTBs and gravel bikes where disc brakes have benefits. And now e-bikes, that's a huge market.