Why I'll NEVER Sell This Bike | Mechanical and Rim Brake HEAVEN! 

Rim brakes for the win in 2023.

We're seeing a massive resurgence in mechanical rim brake bikes and I'm all for it! Parts are cheap and easy to repair /replace yourself. No need to pay the bikeshop. This level of performance is more than adequate for road riding for most people in most conditions. It's a very economical way to get out and enjoy riding your bike especially in these times where inflation is high. Building up an Allez myself and can't wait to ride!

I've had my CAAD10 for a decade and just got a new CAAD13 in rim brake. The 10 has become my official crit bike. All CAAD10's only have one true fate, to reach the gates of Valhalla they must perish in battle, cracked in a crit pile up.

Indeed! These models are a lot like the Cannondale CAAD series. I have a CAAD 10 with old Campy Chorus. It really rips. You can trainer it instead of your nice Carbon Ferrari and ride in crappy weather too. It’s a keeper too.

I own an Allez Race DSW in size 52. It is an aluminum Tarmac SL4. Still in perfect condition! Rememeber that frame was sold 999 USD in 2015!!!! The fork comes from the entry-level Tarmac SL4 (softer than the one of the Expert or Sworks). The frame is matt black. With carbon wheels, the bike is beautiful!

This guy knows. What a beautiful simple bike. Feels pure and free

I have this in a 54 and have complete DA9000 on. Definitely change the callipers as the black/silver of 9000 matches perfectly. Same sich on wheels though, CLX40’s are $$$$$$, I’ve got Fulcrum Quattro Carbon 40’s that look correct, plus some DA9000 C24’s for climbing days. I’ll never sell this either, an absolute classic that I’m sure we’ll never see the like of again. Great to see it on YT as I’ve not seen much coverage of it online or another one out in the wild!

Mine is a 2016 SuperSix Evo. I have a new version now, but the 2016 is such a weapon! I will NEVER sell it! They’re selling on EBay for more now than I bought it for brand new. Ultegra level kit with Mavic Exalith wheels - tips under 7kg 💪 no creaks.

My forever bike is a Bianchi Oltre XR4. Many memories made ranging from the struggles of building my first road bike to the epic adventures completed. To others she ain’t be much, but she is mine!

I think I get the drift of Your thoughts. My 2016 Canyon Ultimate SLX 8.0 will never be sold (6.7kg.). I did thousands of miles on that bike and plan to do thousands of more. I clean and service this baby without fail and it suits me perfectly. I see all the new bikes with all the complexities of components, maintenance, cost and weight. They all leave me cold. They are of course excellent bikes but bring not much to the table to be honest unless one is into full on serious racing and has the necessary service back up.

I agree that the Shimano 9000 crankset is the nicest looking crankset produced. I have a custom made titanium frame I built up almost two years ago and I have this crankset on it paired to Dura-Ace Di2 9170. It works very well. That bike you have there is a nice bike and a smart choice to keep it. I can promise that because of the markup on new bikes I won't be buying another.

Very nice bike -- never let it go! For nearly 23 years I've owned a bike relatively comparable to this one, a bright yellow and gloss black 2000 Allez M4 Pro with full Ultegra 6500/6501 upgraded to Dura-Ace 7701 wheels with Schwalbe Durano tires. It's got a 53-39 chainring set and a 9-speed 11-21 cassette. At nearly 63 years old, I sometimes like the challenge of having this limited gear range. It's fast, but only for a strong rider, and I'm not as strong as I once was. This Allez is now my #2 bike, but there's no way I'd ever sell it. My #1 is a 2019 Officina Battaglin San Luca with full Campy Potenza 11-speed, and it's another bike I'll never sell. My #3 is a 2008 Kestrel Talon SL with a mix of Dura-Ace 7800 and Ultegra 6600, a bike I bought for the beautiful components and as my only carbon bike will never be sold. I bought the San Luca and the Talon within the last year. Pre-Di2 Dura-Ace and Ultegra and pre-EPS Campagnolo are classic groupsets: smooth, fast, bullet proof, and beautiful. In my book they are the pinnacle, and I have no reason to buy anything newer.

i have a aluminum tcr which i bought for next to nothing . its my most used bike. i spend more time riding it and training on it than i do worrying about the cost of wearing parts and rimbrakes that wear out . cheap easy to maintain bikes are the best .

My keep forever bike is a 2012 Tarmac Apex, upgraded with 50/34 Sram Red crankset, Roval SLX 24 wheels, 28 mm Roubaix Pro tyres, Roval Terra handlebar and seatpost, Sram X0 rear derailleur just to be able to fit an 11-36 cassette, because I live in Colombia, lots of long hill climbs. I love how easy is to service full external cables setup, and threaded BB. I forgot the ShockStop Suspension Stem for added comfort. It's my old school jewel

My "never sell" bike is my 2018 E29. I bought it on clearance right before the 2019's came out (same bike though). It is the Ohlins Coil model, which has an SWorks frame, but without the bling. I replaced the fork under warranty (original fork worked flawless, but a defect was found in the factory service and replaced) giving me an extra 10mm of travel and the new damper. Upgraded the shifting to 12 speed with XO1. Recently added AXS but will probably remove it for cable in the near future. Built up carbon DH wheels after smashing the original carbon and many, many aluminum replacements. Carbon bars cut down to fit me. Bigger discs. Longest dropper I can fit. Gold oval chainring (to match the gold Ohlins shock). I've beaten this bike over the past 4 or so years (10,000 hard off road miles, and roughly a million feet of climbing), and it shows. Paint chips everywhere. Paint is totally worn away on the crank. But it never ceases to please me. Climbs better than it should, descends like a monster. Also love my old SuperSix Evo. I think it's a 2016, but not sure (bought used). M9000 except the Cannondale crank, which now has Absolute Black 50/34 oval rings (oval doesn't do anything for me on road, but look amazing) as I do a lot of climbing in my area. Original Mavic Cosmic wheels that I should replace soon, but probably won't. Enve carbon bars. Carbon Save seatpost I stole off my old XC bike. 30,000 miles now, and I stopped riding it in winter a couple years ago after adding a disc gravel bike for commuting (less flats and brakes work in the rain).

Original owner of a 2016 Allez Sprint OG matt black with blue forks, 2x version, upgraded last year to 2x12 AXS. This is the stiffest bike in the history of bicycles, perfect for hammering fast group rides and climbs surprisingly well. Yes it's not the lightest but I'm not the lightest either. Weekend wheels are aluminium though, braking on aluminium rims is absolutely brutal compared to carbon. I also don't purposefuly ride in the rain so I don't really care about the disc this and disc that debacle.

Crikey mine is probably classed as semi vintage now 😆 Allez Elite 2008. 105 groupset (frame with Zertz inserts 🫣) GoreTex cables for super slick (mechanical) shifting and braking. Compact 50/34 and 12-32 cassette. Shimano RS80 wheelset. Carbon Zertz seatpost,. SwissStop brake pads….they work! 28mm Conti GPS 4000 tyres. LOVE IT.

When it comes to my racing bike, I still ride the same racing bike since 1992 (Restomod F. Moser) and I don't see any point in swapping. For me, a beautiful classic steel frame with rim brakes is a reason to enjoy getting on a racing bike and riding... F. Moser Forma in red with Fulcrum 5 wheels, Shimano 105 9 Speed rear Mech, Sugino cranks (48/36 Rings), self-made Seatpost in shiny polished Aluminium, silver RX100 brakes and levers. A dream in red, silver and black....🥰

that's a killer bike !! good to see a real road bike

I have a 2006 Cannondale Synapse. 100% Carbon with Shimano Ultegra manual shifting and rim brakes. It's still a fantastic bike. Shifts like butter. Today everything is about marketing. It started with computers. Yearly bigger faster better has created a world of ever modernizing everything. It's all about sales. Then again autos have new models every year. Yes it's great but I also have a new BMC Road machine with Di2 and Rim Brakes and I love it. Either way it boils down with personal happiness with what you have and if you want to upgrade. It's all good. Bicycles are great if you care for them they last forever.

this is great. this is absolutely how i feel still, about my 2014 allez expert. i've since switched out a number of components over time. FSA seat post, bars. switched the 6800 brakes to r8000, went from ultegra to sram red etap, with praxis chainrings. i've topped it off with winspace hyper wheels. all in all, its "the perfect bike" for me. plus the subdued and understated matte black and red graphics is just absolutely spot on. but i will have to admit that i've still been looking at other bikes, and wondering the "what if" questions that you addressed in your follow up video of "signs you should probably replace your bike".

Mechanical for the win in 2023! That's a nice bike.

I built my own my way rim brake Pinarello Dogma F8 from the ground up brand new. Saved over $5000 and yes I love my cane creek EE brakes. SOOOOOOO easy to manage and yes they brake extremely well.

i have two road bikes for a while now that i won't sell ever. the older one is a koga-miyata gents racer from 1982 with 2×7 shimano rsx set. the downtube adjusters for the cables are a bit tricky because the frame is designed for the ax series with a single braze-on in the center. the crankset is a 110 bcd 46-36t rsx, that is made for climbing. i have mavic mothlery pro rims, miche/shimano hubs and tufo s33 pro tubulars. the second one is an aluminium mavic ironman, that had a surgery, because originally the frame was too stiff for the 1" headset, so by design, they used to crack at some point. we have a very capable welder nearby, so he changed the headtube for a 1,1/8" semi-integrated one that has much more welding surface. the point is, that this bike is stiff and responsive as hell. i have a mixed set of 2×8 rsx, 105 and ultegra there with mavic gp4 and ssc rims and tufo tubulars.

I have 2 Caad 9s BSA which I care for religiously and have them outfitted with 9100 and Enve. Retromod is the path to savings from 10k disc bikes

Mine is a 2016 Emonda SLR8 w DA9000 mechanical and rim brakes... 5.5 kg stock

I've got a 2003 Trek and, like you, I can't imagine I'll ever sell it. It's steadily gone from Dura ace 9 speed to 11 speed 105, some better wheels and brake pads, and it's bloomin wonderful to ride. It's also a special metallic paint scheme so it absolutely pops in the sun.

I have a 2014 Specialized Allez Elite in this cool neon blue/green color scheme that I will never sell. They're really special bikes.

Classic simplicity, love it!

Over the past few years, I've built up two custom built frames with upgrades, mechanical shifting and rim brakes.

Have this exact same frameset.. super light and comfortable…only got ultegra on mine but it always makes me smile when I ride it!

My 2017 Giant Contend SL has taken me around Taiwan two times now and to the summit of Wuling Mountain. 3250m. All the bike ill ever need! With rim brakes and tiagra too!

Nice bike! Put a Hambini bb in and you never have to worry again.

I like your love for your bike, Sam, thanks for telling us about your buy and build process and it'd be great to hear other stories of bike love and their owners. But you gotta fix those bottle bosses, a serious bummer to be limited to one bottle. 😀

Hi there. Thanks for sharing. I did the same with my DA crankset. I changed it from 53/39 to 52/39 with 11/28 rear cassette. But I still rocking the DA 7800 crank set.

Well.. I have one and i will never sell it either! 🙂 I understand you well!

Such a beautiful bike

Bought a new Dream Reflex in 2001 and built it up with 10 speed Record specifically for the 2002 Etape Du Tour. At the time there was not the modern gear range so ended up combining 2 different cassettes to get enough gears to get me up the Cols and down the other side at a respectable speed. That's my keeper.

Brilliant, thanks!

My 1987 Falcon Reynolds 531 Professional which I bought as a frameset. The shop I got it from had stripped it for its Campagnolo Victory groupset (it was imported to the U.S. as the "Falcon Victory"). It's had a number of iterations including DuraAce 7400 and a repaint. Around 2011 I found a duplicate of the original decal set (lost in the repaint) from Cyclomondo in Australia. I had the frameset powder coated in the original dark gray metallic, replaced the decals including the red 531P tubing decals. I had put together a '90's Campagnolo Record TI 8 speed group bit by bit. Close to period correct as that group appeared just at the sunset of lugged steel frames. All Record except for a Chorus rear hub, a Mavic 550 RD front hub, and (I believe) an Athena seat post. The cockpit is a 3TTT 120mm stem and a Scott LiteFlite 44cm bar. I built the wheels with Mavic Open Pro 32 hole rims, radial front and cross 2 rear. Topping it off is my favorite saddle, a Selle Italia Flite. It's a 57cm c to c frame with 172.5 cranks, 53x39, and a 13x26 Exadrive cassette. Last ran Bontrager R3 25c tires but I have run 700x28 cyclocross on (don't ask). I have owned a first generation Trek Madone and a Trek Emonda, both with Campy Chorus 11 speed. But for overall riding feel and comfort, the Falcon beats them. It is also the best handling and descending bike I've ever ridden. At a shade over 20 lbs all up with pedals and cages it is damn light for a steel bike. Plus I think it is a gorgeous bike in its "industrial look" simplicity. The gearing isn't as hill friendly as my 16 lb Emonda with a 50x34 crank paired with a 12x29 11s cassette. But barring a really hilly ride, I simply like the fit and the overall ride quality more than any other bike I have owned. And I have owned a few in my 5 decades of riding. I can't ride any longer due to health reasons but I can't bring myself to sell it after about 80k miles and a plethora of great memories. A "forever" bicycle!

Hi Sam, I think Ee Brakes by Cane Creek makes Silver/Chrome ones. Problem is, they are a limited edition release. Would look ace on this build!

My FOREVER bike is my Colnago C40! Custom painted Ferrari red, a true made in Italy bike. Amazing heritage, legacy and legendary! Not a more successful race bike was ever made! And I would say one of the most durable carbon fiber bikes ever made.

We've always had that 1bike that felt so right even you have a much expensive one

One of my first good bike store bikes was an early 80's Specialized Allez, the one made by 3Rensho. I think mine was the one that went over the cliff in "American Flyers." I pawned it in the late 90's when feeding my children was more important , but I was never able to get it back. In 2000 I replaced it with a Bianchi Veloce. I had always wanted an Italian Campy equipped bike and Celeste was my "money-IS-an-object" dream bike. I've had it for nearly 23 years now and for me that is the bike I will never sell. I hope when I am gone that my children sell it to someone who appreciates it like I do.

I’ve owned a SL5 Emonda with disc brake with carbon wheels and good set of tires unfortunately it was too big for me I could ride 100 miles on it but I was so stretched out on it. So I sold it bought a mtb for trails again and now craving road cycling. With that being said I bought a second hand older Emonda sl6 pro with disc brakes in a size 47 and absolutely love it. Lighter than my SL5

The bike, or more accurately the frame, I will never sell is my mid-sixties era 531 Claud Butler. I’ve owned this for 52 years. About 5 years ago I had it renovated to take modern width rear wheels and to enable modern gearing & braking (down tube levers & dreadful Weinmman brakes don’t float my boat anymore). I re-built it with Mavic wheels & used it as number 2 bike, as well as for a 3 day cross Wales trip. It’s now safely stored as frame only with the intention of hanging it on a wall in a part of the house that won’t offend my wife. 8:21

An S-Works is my dream bike as well, as my first good road bike is an Allez (2020 year model). Luckily my area is awash in used S-Works frames, as I live down the street from Specialized HQ in Morgan Hill.

👍🏾 Excellent. Great bike, easy to service, all the thrills minus exorbitant costs. Pity about the BB creaking. There is a guy ( who I am sure you know about) on RU-vid who claims to have BB’s to eliminate these creaks but he does swear a lot.

Gosh, I gotta have one!

Planned on never selling my Specialized Tarmac SL4 (the one in my pic). Bought on 105 with crappy wheels etc and ended up on Ultegra with CL50s, S-Works seatpost, aerofly bars and stem. Wanted to keep it forever as it looked amazing and rode beautifully but unfortunately got into an accident so it got written off (then sold on eBay by an asset recovery firm linked to my insurance company) Keep telling myself I'll buy another one when one pops up but they're still all suffering from covid tax.

I was skeptical at first which one to buy Specialized Allez rim brakes or the Canyon CF SL7 105 Rim brakes for my 2nd bike. I decided to buy the Canyon and so far so good I had more or less 4k miles on her already in turbo and outdoor. Don't get me wrong Allez is a good bike too.

ive got two bikes which ill not going to sell. the first one is a BIANCHI OLTRE XR4 RIM BRAKE, the second one is a SPECIALLIZED ALLEZ SPRINT MARCH 1 MEANS IS THE FIRST SPRINT ALLEZ RELEASE WHIT NO PAIN THE FRMAE IS BARE ALLUMINIUN JUST IMPSOSSIBLE TO FIND IT ON THE MARKET RIGHT NOW...

Chines knockoffs, eh? Or perhaps, they're actually direct from OEM Enve or OEM Zipp?

Gorgeous bike i still love my rim brake bike.

My keeper bike is a 2017 Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1 with mechanical ultegra and rim brakes. Light, fast, responsive

Must fix this issue with bottle cage. Other then this, its a keeper

One bike to rule them all

Sadly, two my forever bikes did end their lives under the wheels of vehicles. I lost a Raleigh Elan 15+yrs ago and lost my Tarmac SL4 last year. The Tarmac was in pieces but the Raleigh Elan was repairable and I regret not holding onto it after the insurance payout. I have an Tarmac SL6 which is amazing but since lockdown I started building custom bikes...aka resto-mods. I'm currently reviving a Trek 5200 into a lightweight build with a custom paint and if that turns out the way I hope, I won't be letting that go anytime soon. 🙂

The welds look good on those why cannot specialized do this on the new bikes? Welds on that look awful. This is a great looking bike though got to say, I do not blame you for not wanting to sell it

I've got a sublime Colnago C60 with full Campy Super Record mechanical, and that's the bike I can't ever imagine selling. They can bury me with that one 😂

Beautiful bike dude can see why you won’t sell it 👍🤩🏅🚴

A proper bike. Dura ace 9000 is a classic, wish I'd kept mine. With the rim brakes I found there was practically no clearance when running 25mm tyres but all frames vary. Might be an idea to go for a more recent version?

Beautiful ❤

Nice bike. You're very animated in your body movements, when talking & on the bike. A bit like a politician 😅

I love the S-Works aluminum frame and the beautiful lines it has. Wow, I agree it could be carbon. Thanks for the video. My bike not to sell is a 2005 Pinarello Dogma FP which was made of magnesium (magnesium alloy is much used in the aircraft industry due to it's light weight and ability to cast). It's the version Oscar Periero and Alessandro Petacchi used. I have all Ultegra 11-Speed mechanical drive train, integrated MOST Talon bar and stem, proprietary carbon seatpost (at an odd 31mm), Selle Aspide saddle and ICAN 50mm carbon rims (Sapim X-ray spokes @1500gm per pair). With the all black drive train, bars, seat, seatpost, and wheels the royal blue, white, and silver foil frame looks awesome (IMO).

A buddy of mine has one of these. Hanging in his room. One day he had snapped his chain in a sprint, his balls landed on the top tube, and wrote it off. This is why i like steel bicycles.

I like my older rim brake bikes, but no argument, my disc brake takes the wins. Wheels are lighter, better stopping power so I feel more comfortable at higher speeds.

What you think about your Giro shoes are they confortable and what size they are??thnx

Consider installing a Token Ninja BB. I fitted one to my carbon frame Emonda - no creaks. And it's affordable. Check it out.

I bought a van Nicholas euros frame and immediately rubbed all the decals off. I fitted the bike with Dura ace 9000 crank and brakes, the silver looks ace against the naked titanium, and 9100 rear derailleur and levers . The headset is Hope red anodised along with the seat clamp and bottom bracket. My computer mount is also red anodised aluminium . The bars and seat tube are Richie and the saddles a Fizik Arione carbon braided. I’ve two other carbon bikes that I also love but my titanium bike is the one I will be riding long after the other two are in landfill. I will never sell it.

Got two road bikes I will probably never sell just upgrade. Custom steel frame designed just for me with teardrop downtube and R8000 full build. The second is my Cannondale CAAD9 probably best Aluminum frame ever built Still with old Mech 9 DuraAce looking to rebuild again with R9000.

For me, the bike with no scars, nicks or imperfections just hasn't been ridden enough.

My big brother had an S-Works Allez. He kept it maybe a year or so. The bottom bracket just creaked all the time and drove him nuts. They tired different BB configurations to try to stop it, but it always came back. He sold it finally. I have no idea if there was a problem with the tolerances on the press fit BB or what. Since, I've seen where a lot of people have had issues with Shimano cranksets creaking and failing. I actually wonder if it could have been his Shimano crankset the whole time. But, since you have the same problem, it is probably just an issue with the bike. On another note, I own two bikes with pressfit BBs and have owned a couple of others. I've never had a problem and mine are all carbon.

Get some Chinese ee brakes. You can save some major weight and get multiple colours (black, silver, black/red). Also chop off that chimney!

I love my mechanical rim brake bikes!

I KEPT thinking it was a Tarmac SL5

Spent about 500 miles on it and so far so good. ru-vid.comUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA Pros:1. Very light2. Solid quality build3. Fast delivery: It arrived 5 weeks earlier than expected.4. Easy assemblyJust a few cons but nothing major:1. Cheap tin tubes and had flat on first day... but not a big deal. I replaced the tubes.2. Seat is a bit uncomfortable but that's pretty much the same situation with most bikes.3. Seat post is a bit long/high for a smaller size 48 bike - had to saw 2 inch off to fit properly. The lowest setting is too high. The post locking system does not seem to hold well (perhaps because I saw 2 inch off).4. wheels are not tubeless compatible (from what I can tell)

New bikes are just heavy cyclocross bikes re-marketed to those with deep pockets.

thanks for your video. can you tell me your height and the size of this bike;

My 2019 Canyon Ultimate CF SL (Ultegra mech and rim brakes) is a keeper. I have no intention of ever selling this bike.

Bb30.... arrrgh! My caad10 creaks even after installing a thread together bb. Never tried loctiting in the bearings though!

So do you buy a bike and its parts for resale value or do you buy it to ride it? After riding disc brakes for awhile going back to rim brakes is sketchy AF. Especially on a longer faster descent when the pads heat up.

Which wheels are this exactly?

This bike was really easy to assemble ru-vid.comUgkxMesz3KOGEmwmvyKQfLfrRSUXLFzfVHZA and required very few adjustments out of the box. The wheels did not require any truing/adjustments. The frame had some small scratches, but nothing major.I did replace the seat though - the seat it came with was very uncomfortable. The tires need to be re-inflated every 4-5 days, but this appears to be quite common for the narrow 700x25 tires.Overall, in my opinion, this bike looks and rides like a much more expensive bike.

If you willing to used the cheap Chinese carbon wheel... why not use China carbon stem and dropbar? There a lot of cheap good quality China carbon stem and dropbar.

May i know what is the total weight of the bike now?

What wheels are those?

yesss feed the rim brake nuts of the internets

Never going to sell my 2012 Trek Madone 4.7 reality comfortable and my 2020 Bianchi Infinito CV Di2 (wish that I could have gotten it with rim brakes)

I love rim brake.. its easy and fast to change tyre during race.. its like F1 pit stop.. 🤣

Maybe because discs are heavy overkill crap

You have a great bike there, but if you're never gonna sell it why not cut the fork properly that chimney looks wack. I'm keeping my rim brake bikes (Sworks Tarmac SL2) too, so easy & cheap to maintain, lighter too.

When you vow never to sell it, the bike is already halfway out the door.

28mm tires on a rim brake bike? Caliper clearance???

I own a 2004 Cannondale T800. And I'm NEVER going to sell it. Aluminum frame, external cables, threaded BB, rim brakes, not a whiff of expensive fragile carbon. I can take it apart and put it back together myself in my garage and get parts cheap on Amazon. Nope, never selling it.

Rim brakes for road bikes Disc brakes for mountain bikes

Sad that technology is lost and todays Specialized Allez Sprint has ugliest welds ever instead of that luxury frame 😢

#savetherimbrake

Never sale my Altamira Fuji 2.5

Never sell your rim brake Allez lil' children, Never sell your rim brake Allez A proper future proof road bike, Specialized could re-release this exact same bike today with deep carbon wheels and it'd fly right off the shelves no problem at all, as their modern road bike line up, although I do like them, but let's just be honest, are all light gravel bikes. Chinese carbons on carbon pads also great, no excuse to be slow in 2023