The RM3 is only available as a disc brake road bike. Rim brakes as a whole are soon to go the way of the Dodo bird for road bikes, and here’s a quick list of reasons why:
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Disc brakes work better! They have better stopping power regardless of riding conditions, and better modulation, or control over the amount of force exerted on the rotor. The three main components of any wheeled vehicle are the engine, steering, and brakes, each one playing a critical role in performance. In short, better brakes = faster machine.
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The vast majority of new wheel development is centered around disc brakes rather than rim brakes. I talked about the benefits of bigger tires here, but in short, without having to worry about rim width and braking surface wheel companies can now really push the envelope in rim technology. Disc brakes are paving the way for better wheels.
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No limitation on tire size. Similar to enjoying the benefits of wheel development, tire size is only limited by frame clearance rather than the brake caliper.
Disc brakes are certainly not without downsides. They can be a pain to adjust, the pads are fairly easy to contaminate, and they can be noisy. But, with some reasonable maintenance and attention the performance is absolutely worth these inconveniences.
The RM3 is disc only
There are folks out there who may balk at the idea of disc brakes fully taking over, and there will no doubt be a handful of custom builders making road bikes with rim brakes for years to come. If you’re an old school roadie who would sooner call a gilet a vest than give up rim brakes, more power to you. For the rim brake stalwarts, sadly, the reality is that the vast majority of bicycle manufacturers are no longer making new road bikes with rim brakes. When 90% of the market, and 90% of the components are focused on disc brakes it simply doesn’t make financial sense to design and manufacture two versions of the same bike.
The technology is here and the people have spoken, road disc is the new norm.
Thanks for reading!
