As everyone around me upgrades to disc brakes, electronic shifting and radars for bikes, I am quickly realizing how much the commercial world considers me a total luddite.
I got online yesterday to look for a few of these guys…
….and was surprised to find that they weren’t that easy to get (I need them for Campy, which is even more niche). The last time I bought a few packs of brake pads was at least 2 years ago and apparently much has changed since then, i.e. who hell rides Campy rim brakes anymore?
That same day I had another wake-up call when I started looking for rim brake wheelsets, both carbon and alloy. These are still being produced, but I get the feeling that there’s not a lot of love given them. And if you want a quality set of Aluminum wheels for your antiquated rim brakes, it’s even worse. I can get some HED Ardennes, for example, but they don’t come with Campy freehub.
I am beginning to see that resistance is going to be futile soon.
The Vicious Cycle 
I’ve had a few wheelsets from this guy over the years (in my case, for Shimano): https://thecycleclinic.co.uk/
They’ve always been well built.
Thanks, Dan. I just checked their site. A custom wheelset is something I’ve never done and always thought I should, so this could be the answer.
Gerry, you can capitulate. Or you can go the full-on bespoke route mentioned by @Dan P and just get your wheels built for you, like many of us used to do back in the day when pre-built wheels were more suspect than they are now. (Pun intended, btw.) I suspect there are still several good builders on your side of the pond. 😉
But the real subject at hand is not bike components, it’s aging. Right?
I would like to try and properly built pair of wheels, especially if they are alu and not very expensive. I’m kind of fed up with the poor braking (in the wet) of my Mavic carbon fiber rims and have to find a solution for my Colnago, which I want to keep.
As for ageing, I didn’t think about it, but you are probably right!
Gerry, I have ridden HED Ardennes on my Bianchi for years. Love them. HED is a great Minnesota company. Steve Hed was part owner of my LBS before he left to focus on wheels. The LBS owner still has a very close relationship with HED and deals can be had. I am happy to help and can help facilitate if you’re tempted.
Eric, I remember you telling about this on one of our rides together here, but I’d forgotten. The Ardennes come with several good stamps of approval, including a loyal client in California and yours truly.
You may just be getting an email from me soon!
My road bikes are still rim brake. I have also found that parts and consumables are getting harder to source. Luckily (?) I am on Shimano so there’s a bit more choice. It’s only going to get harder too! I do understand to an extent though, as there comes a point where it’s just not profitable for companies to keep producing older products.
Absolutely. The business model of keeping up with the Joneses is going to be fraught with dangers, too. A friend just emailed about Shimano and I think it’s true that both Dura Ace and Ultegra only make disc-brake gruppos now? Campy is still doing old school right up to Super Record, at least for the moment.
You can get a rim brake Ultegra, but only in Di2. There’s no more high-end Shimano mechanical rim brake groupset. 😞