Is there a market for hydraulic rim brake calipers?

[spartacus]

You'd go for rim brakes if you want light weight, low maintenance and simplicity and aren't that fussed about braking power. Rim brake power is limited by the rim surface, especially in the wet on carbon rims.You also have limited clearance.

Now if you're quite light and ride somewhere dry and without genuine mountains, cable operated rim brakes are just fine. But change just one of those 3 variables and discs have an advantage. Change 2+ and it's not even close.

I don't see hydro rim brakes as addressing any of the issues, but they would take away the biggest benefits.

I still happily ride a rim brake bike for most summer rides, and plan on keeping one in rotation indefinitely, but as a whole, the industry has moved on.

The point is not that hydraulic rim brakes are good. They're kinda dumb. My goal would be to make the least crappy brakes possible.

The ONLY reason this would make any sense is if top ends group are no longer offered with cable brakes (totally possible in the next couple years)

And

Someone either has a "legacy" frame, or simply doesn't want discs.

I also think these wouldn't have all of the drawbacks of discs. They would be easier to deal with and quieter. You would have to bleed them tho.

[fidracer]

SRAM offered hydraulic rim brake calipers in 2015 and the market has spoken. It's not a thing people need/want.

[Karvalo]

The new Shimano DA if you want wireless it only comes in hydro only.
I am thinking the next Sram will not support cable brakes.

This is what I mean. I feel like someone would want these right?

Certainly no-one's going to want to run a hydraulic converter box under the stem so they can avoid a handful of etube wires.

Hydraulic rim brakes to avoid using a few wires? I suppose there's a chance, but it's a tiny market.

[motorapido]

I did some custom work on the Sram HydroR rim brakes years ago when it was first launched,

heres one of the builds i did viewtopic.php?f=10&t=145229

This was so i could have Hydro rim brakes with Di2 shifters and i even sold a few sets. This was all before Discs where UCI approved so at the time it had some merit, but not really a viable option now unless you have a classic frame you want to update. They do work well and have very good modulation with one finger braking being the main thing compared to a cable based system. with the mod options that Ratio Technology are doing for the sram shifters to 12 speed and now Ekar 13 speed. you could use the Sram Hydro R rim brakes, which are still available and do a nice tech update to a classic steel frame for example.

[Huwsie]

They do work well and have very good modulation with one finger braking being the main thing compared to a cable based system. with the mod options that Ratio Technology are doing for the sram shifters to 12 speed and now Ekar 13 speed. you could use the Sram Hydro R rim brakes, which are still available and do a nice tech update to a classic steel frame for example.

Are there alternative lever options to the SRAM tombstone shifters for the Hydro R rim brakes? Given SRAM doesn't do backwards compatible I assume none of the AXS levers will work

[MichaelB]

SRAM offered hydraulic rim brake calipers in 2015 and the market has spoken. It's not a thing people need/want.

And Magura before them.

[motorapido]

The AXS levers should work based on the piston sizes of the disc brake,
The HydroR levers are designed to push the fluid for an 18mm piston,
The AXS levers are designed to push the fluid for a 21mm piston,
i have run calipers with 21mm pistons with HydroR levers and there is marginally more lever travel, but they have plenty of power.
Going the other way (AXS levers) will likely mean less lever travel to brake as the master cylinder is larger so pushes more fluid per mm of travel. But more hand pull force to exert the same braking effort as the amplification is less. The piston diameters are closer to matching size.

[wheelsONfire]

A modern design that has a sram and shim option, so you can use new hydro groups on old bikes.

I am considering designing and producing them.

Would these sell?

Funny this one!
I was fishing with Sram about future groupsets and rim brake options. I went so far to ask them, as a final option, if making only hydro shifters and hydro rim calipers just as long as they don't totally stop producing the rim brake options.

Personally i rather use cable because i don't like hydro. My gravel bike has zero braking in the rear from one day to next. I don't see any leak or anything.
But the rear caliper (disc) is totally dead. First caliper i needed to change after less than two years (dead). Never had to replace a rim brake caliper!
Last time i had it in for service the hose was needed to be replaced because it has been worn from the entering hole in the frame. I think it rubs at an insert (yes, to a point it will need to be replaced).
I just don't like hydraulics from a maintenance view. But who knows, maybe i will learn some day.
But as long as i see more issues than benefits i just find it a bit of a headache. I'd rather use anything from Juin tech (and cable actuated shifters).

HOWEVER, it might be a market if people buying disc brake groupsets find an ache to go rim brake some day.
So i can see a market, even if it's niche (deluxe)