5 Reasons Why Only Naive Cyclists Hate On Rim Brakes

Rim brakes, brother.

It’s a love affair that’s been around for decades.

Reliable, simple, and steady like an old dog that doesn’t bark much but is always there when you need it.

But somewhere along the way, a group of cyclists decided they didn’t want that steady, reliable presence in their lives anymore.

No, they wanted something new—something shiny, something that could be marketed as “better.”

Enter disc brakes, the next big thing that promised more, that promised power, that promised a lot.

And suddenly, rim brakes were thrown out like last year’s fashion.

But here’s the thing—those who hate on rim brakes?

They’re often the naive ones. The ones who haven’t quite figured out what it means to ride. And I’ll tell you why.

1. Rim Brakes Are Simple, and Simplicity Doesn’t Rarely Fail

Rim brakes are an old-school tool for old-school riders.

They’re simple, reliable, and don’t need to be babied like a high-maintenance sports car.

You can fix them with a wrench and a few basic parts.

The naive cyclist? They’re too busy drooling over the fancy tech of disc brakes to appreciate that simplicity. They want to feel special, to be in the club, and to show off the newest toy.

But when that disc brake starts rubbing, or the rotor gets bent, or the cable snaps, guess what?

They’re not so special anymore. While they’re fiddling with their tools on the side of the road, the guy with the rim brakes is coasting on, a little grease under his fingernails and a smile on his face.

Because he knows what he’s doing. And you know what?

That simplicity is what saves him when it counts.

Rim brakes don’t require all this extra attention; they just work. When you know how to maintain them, they’ll never leave you stranded.

2. Wet Conditions? Not a Problem (If You’re Not a Fool)

The concept of rim brakes failing in the rain is the kind of thing naive cyclists preach at the bar after one too many beers.

Sure, if you’re the type who slams your brakes on every descent and doesn’t know how to ride in the wet, then yeah, maybe you’ll have a problem.

But that’s not a problem with the brakes, it’s a problem with the rider.

Disc brakes aren’t some magical fix for bad technique.

If you know how to ride—if you understand what it means to control your bike in all conditions—rim brakes will perform just fine.

They might squeal a little when wet, but they won’t fail you. The problem isn’t the weather, it’s the expectation that you can ride like an idiot and still get perfect performance. That’s not how it works.

3. Braking Power? Yeah, But It’s Not Always About Power

People love to talk about braking power. Power this, power that. But you know what?

Braking power means nothing if you can’t modulate it. Rim brakes teach you how to modulate, how to apply just the right amount of force, how to slow down gracefully without jerking the bike around.

When you ride rim brakes, you learn the art of control. The naive cyclists are the ones who slam on their brakes at every opportunity, thinking that more power equals more safety.

It doesn’t. And it never will. In fact, they might end up with a twisted rim, or worse, end up in the hospital because they didn’t have the finesse to slow down the way they should have.

Rim brakes force you to understand your bike, to understand how it behaves when you pull on those levers.

Disc brakes? They’re like a blunt instrument, overkill for most people, most of the time.

And when you can’t modulate your braking, that’s when you lose control. That’s when you’re the naive one, thinking that raw power will save you.

4. The Beauty of Riding the Underdog

There’s something poetic about riding rim brakes.

They’re the underdog of the cycling world, constantly battling against the shiny allure of disc brakes.

But those who ride rim brakes aren’t following trends—they’re setting them.

They’re in touch with the real essence of cycling, not some gimmick designed to make a buck.

When you roll up to a race, to a group ride, you know the guy with the disc brakes is just one step away from upgrading to the latest carbon-fiber-this, titanium-that.

But the rider on the rim brakes? He’s content.

He doesn’t need the attention, the gear, the upgrades. He knows that when the rubber hits the road, the bike’s not going to let him down. And that, my friend, is something money can’t buy.

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Point	Argument Summary
Simplicity	Rim brakes are low-maintenance and easy to repair.
Wet Conditions	Rim brakes work fine in the rain if you know how to ride.
Component Longevity	No need to replace an entire wheel with rim brakes.
Braking Power	Rim brakes teach modulation and control, disc brakes don’t.
The Underdog	Riding rim brakes is about appreciating the craft, not the trend.

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Conclusion

So here we are, the great debate over rim versus disc brakes.

Some see disc brakes as the future, the ultimate solution. But the naive ones are missing the beauty of the ride.

Rim brakes aren’t just “old tech” or “outdated.” They’re a testament to a time when cycling was simpler, when you didn’t need to replace everything just because something new came along.

Rim brakes are about control, about technique, about understanding the ride.

If you’re too busy chasing the latest trends, you’ll miss that. You’ll miss the ride.

And the truth? You’ll never realize that the simple things—the ones that don’t demand your attention every second—are the ones that last.

The ones that matter. So ride your disc brakes if you must. But don’t forget about the rim brakes.

Because, in the end, they’ll be the ones still going when all the new tech has fallen apart.