# Disk brakes verses rims



## Biker man (13 Sep 2021)

My ebike has hydraulic rim brakes and have been trouble free .My first bike had disk on the front and rim on the back I was always having to adjust the disk brake ,my friends all have disk brakes on there's and always trying to adjust there's ,reading up on ebikes disk brakes seem to be popular but I prefer rim brakes what are your thoughts on this subject.


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## CXRAndy (13 Sep 2021)

When I got back into riding in my 40s, I bought an hydraulic disc braked bike. Ive never bought any bike without disc brakes.


Hang on my Planet Exo 3 TT is rim brakes


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## fossyant (13 Sep 2021)

You don't need to adjust hydraulic discs - you do need to adjust cable ones just like you do cable brakes.


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## Drago (13 Sep 2021)




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## si_c (13 Sep 2021)




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## cougie uk (13 Sep 2021)

I've got both. I don't think it's the deciding factor in a bike.


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## slowmotion (13 Sep 2021)

I ride mainly in London in quite heavy traffic and I've always found rim brakes to be fine in terms of stopping power.. However, @ianrauk of this parish recently pointed out to me that disk brakes save your wheel rims from wear. That could be a major plus if you do a reasonable mileage.


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## ColinJ (13 Sep 2021)

slowmotion said:


> I ride mainly in London in quite heavy traffic and I've always found rim brakes to be fine in terms of stopping power.. However, @ianrauk of this parish recently pointed out to me that disk brakes save your wheel rims from wear. *That could be a major plus if you do a reasonable mileage.*


Especially on steep downhills in winter... I have worn a few rims out that way. There isn't much choice but to brake hard on some of the descents round here. When the rims are covered in wet, salty grit you can hear them being ground away. The blocks too.

I made the mistake of using my best wheels one winter a couple of years ago and I reckon the rims wore at least 50% in 2 or 3 months.

I'm going to switch to using my CX bike this coming winter. That has disk brakes AND decent mudguards.


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## Alex321 (14 Sep 2021)

The stopping power of hydraulic disc brakes, particularly in the wet mean that once I tried them, I will never go back to using rim brakes.

And I have found they need less maintenance, not more.

The ones you were continually having to adjust were probably cable disk brakes, not as good in many ways (though still superior to rim brakes in wet weather).


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## keithmac (14 Sep 2021)

The main downside to rim brakes is wheel wear for me. If I had the choice it would be disk brakes every time for that reason alone. I've got my old hub motor rear wheel to re-rim at some point.

I've run Shimano hydraulics for probably 10 years now and never had a need to adjust anything.


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## Drago (14 Sep 2021)

I think rim wear, or lack thereof, is perhaps the real advantage of hydros.

Having said that, like their car driving brethren, too many riders don't know how to brake properly and 'comfort brake' at every opportunity, so just learning to ride properly can negate much of that disadvantage. 

The oldest bike i own in regular use is 38 years old, and the Wolber rims are far from being seriously worn, which shows how narrow the advantage can be with a skilled rider.


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## jowwy (14 Sep 2021)

Drago said:


> I think rim wear, or lack thereof, is perhaps the real advantage of hydros.
> 
> Having said that, like their car driving brethren, too many riders don't know how to brake properly and 'comfort brake' at every opportunity, so just learning to ride properly can negate much of that disadvantage.
> 
> *The oldest bike i own in regular use is 38 years old, and the Wolber rims are far from being seriously worn, which shows how narrow the advantage can be with a skilled rider.*


yeh but single speed penny farthings done go that fast, to need hydros


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## Oldhippy (14 Sep 2021)

Had my trusty steed for fifteen years, rim brakes and daily transport. Change brake blocks regularly and never had any issues at all. Same wheels from new.


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## fossyant (14 Sep 2021)

slowmotion said:


> I ride mainly in London in quite heavy traffic and I've always found rim brakes to be fine in terms of stopping power.. However, @ianrauk of this parish recently pointed out to me that disk brakes save your wheel rims from wear. That could be a major plus if you do a reasonable mileage.



Huge plus for commuting ! I wore rims out in 18 months.


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## MichaelW2 (14 Sep 2021)

I've always found rim brakes to be fine, except for unexpected emergency stops in very wet conditions, where the wheel has to rotate at least once before the brakes bite.
I like my cable disk brakes and hardly ever have to adjust them.


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## ianrauk (14 Sep 2021)

I like both.
Rim brakes for the lovely light weight roadie. Discs for the commuter/Tourer.


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## Alex321 (14 Sep 2021)

ianrauk said:


> I like both.
> Rim brakes for the lovely light weight roadie. Discs for the commuter/Tourer.


I thionk the fact that only one of the world tour teams are still normally using rim brakes says a lot about the weight/efficiency trade off.


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## ianrauk (14 Sep 2021)

Alex321 said:


> I thionk the fact that only one of the world tour teams are still normally using rim brakes says a lot about the weight/efficiency trade off.



Oh don't get me wrong. There's negligible weight difference that us mere mortals can tell these days between the systems. It's just that imo rim brakes look far better on a bike.


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## Ming the Merciless (14 Sep 2021)

Drago said:


> The oldest bike i own in regular use is 38 years old, and the Wolber rims are far from being seriously worn, which shows how narrow the advantage can be with a skilled rider.



I don’t think 1 mile a month where you use a sandpit escape lane to stop. Is going to make much strain on the rims.


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## Ming the Merciless (14 Sep 2021)

Alex321 said:


> I thionk the fact that only one of the world tour teams are still normally using rim brakes says a lot about the weight/efficiency trade off.



Not really as all bikes in use in their races can be built to the minimum UCI weight limit whether rim or disc. The minimal weight difference doesn’t enter into it. What the pros do in supported races isn’t relevant to the rest of us.


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## Ming the Merciless (14 Sep 2021)

I think what my thoughts are. Are that this topic has been discussed many times before. Nothing really changed since. People will have their fixed positions. That’s about it.

The idea though, that no one ever needs to adjust rim brakes, or that disc brake users are constantly adjusting theirs. Is laughable.


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## Biker man (14 Sep 2021)

Drago said:


> I think rim wear, or lack thereof, is perhaps the real advantage of hydros.
> 
> Having said that, like their car driving brethren, too many riders don't know how to brake properly and 'comfort brake' at every opportunity, so just learning to ride properly can negate much of that disadvantage.
> 
> The oldest bike i own in regular use is 38 years old, and the Wolber rims are far from being seriously worn, which shows how narrow the advantage can be with a skilled rider.


The first ebike I had was disk in the front rim on the rear the disk gave me no end of problems it got distorted rim for me if that is possible on new ebikes .


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## Biker man (14 Sep 2021)

Ming the Merciless said:


> I think what my thoughts are. Are that this topic has been discussed many times before. Nothing really changed since. People will have their fixed positions. That’s about it.
> 
> The idea though, that no one ever needs to adjust rim brakes, or that disc brake users are constantly adjusting theirs. Is laughable.


I wasn't laughing adjusting mine it was a pain .


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## Biker man (14 Sep 2021)

jowwy said:


> yeh but single speed penny farthings done go that fast, to need hydros


🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Cymro


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## Alex321 (14 Sep 2021)

Biker man said:


> The first ebike I had was disk in the front rim on the rear the disk gave me no end of problems it got distorted rim for me if that is possible on new ebikes .


A disk brake should never cause a distorted rim. It has no contact with the rim, or the spokes.

That sounds like the wheel wasn't properly trued initially - which could also explain some of the issues you had that needed frequent adjustment of the disk brake.


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## T4tomo (14 Sep 2021)

Alex321 said:


> I think the fact that only one of the world tour teams are still normally using rim brakes says a lot about the weight/efficiency trade off.


says a lot more about manufacturer's sponsorship commercial terms to be honest. And it has let to "whole bike change" for a puncture, rather than a quick wheel change. The neutral service bike is almost redundant rather than being a saviour in breakaways and narrow mountain stages.

I'd like to have the choice, and the big brands are pushing everything towards discs, and some cheap disc brakes are awful, hard to set up and less powerful than rim brakes.

On a summer road bike for leisure use the rim wear isn't an issue and rim brakes look much nicer

Wet weather and/ or commuting thru towns when on and off the brakes a lot then good discs may have a slight advantage

Off road disciplines, especially in wet weather then good discs definitely have the edge



Ming the Merciless said:


> I think what my thoughts are. Are that this topic has been discussed many times before. Nothing really changed since. People will have their fixed positions. That’s about it.
> 
> The idea though, that no one ever needs to adjust rim brakes, or that disc brake users are constantly adjusting theirs. Is laughable.


All very true.

I'll also add that a lot of ebikes are kitted out with some pretty rubbish kit as the target market are inexperienced cyclists who don't know what is good or bad, and the manufacturers need to trim the cost somewhere to hit a target price point


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## Biker man (14 Sep 2021)

Alex321 said:


> A disk brake should never cause a distorted rim. It has no contact with the rim, or the spokes.
> 
> That sounds like the wheel wasn't properly trued initially - which could also explain some of the issues you had that needed frequent adjustment of the disk brake.


Sorry I didn't explain clear the disk got distorted it was a cheap model maybe more expensive ones are better .


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## Alex321 (14 Sep 2021)

Biker man said:


> Sorry I didn't explain clear the disk got distorted it was a cheap model maybe more expensive ones are better .


That makes more sense 

Yes, could possibly have been too small a rotor for the levels of stress put on it, if it was a fairly heavy e-bike. Or just cheap, poor quality material.


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## Alex321 (14 Sep 2021)

T4tomo said:


> says a lot more about manufacturer's sponsorship commercial terms to be honest. And it has let to "whole bike change" for a puncture, rather than a quick wheel change. The neutral service bike is almost redundant rather than being a saviour in breakaways and narrow mountain stages.


I'm not convinced it is about sponsorship. The manufacturers sponsoring the bikes all make both disk brake and rim brake versions of their high level bikes.



> I'd like to have the choice, and the big brands are pushing everything towards discs, and some cheap disc brakes are awful, hard to set up and less powerful than rim brakes.


Well cheap rim brakes can be even worse.

I'll admit, I have never actually ridden a modern road bike with *good* rim brakes.



> On a summer road bike for leisure use the rim wear isn't an issue and rim brakes look much nicer


What "looks nicer" is rather down to personal taste.



> Wet weather and/ or commuting thru towns when on and off the brakes a lot then good discs may have a slight advantage
> 
> Off road disciplines, especially in wet weather then good discs definitely have the edge



Here in South Wales, wet weather is rather common  And quite a lot of hills, so I do use the brakes a fair amount. 

I definitely find the hydraulic disc brakes I had on my last hybrid (Boardman MX Sport with Tektro Auriga brakes) and my new Cube road bike (shimano 105 disc brakes) to be far better in all conditions than any rim brakes I have personally experienced. But the last bike I rode regularly with rim brakes was probably 25 years ago now, I am sure a lot has changed since then.



> All very true.
> 
> I'll also add that a lot of ebikes are kitted out with some pretty rubbish kit as the target market are inexperienced cyclists who don't know what is good or bad, and the manufacturers need to trim the cost somewhere to hit a target price point



Very true. I suspect that is more the cause of Biker Man's problems than the fact it was a disc brake. Having disk on one wheel and rim on the other also definitely points to cost cutting.


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## Biker man (14 Sep 2021)

Alex321 said:


> That makes more sense
> 
> Yes, could possibly have been too small a rotor for the levels of stress put on it, if it was a fairly heavy e-bike. Or just cheap, poor quality material.


Cheap that was riding it in Huddersfield and North Wales lesson learnt buy cheap buy twice.


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## T4tomo (14 Sep 2021)

Alex321 said:


> But the last bike I rode regularly with rim brakes was probably 25 years ago now, I am sure a lot has changed since then.


rather puts some comments in context then 

I have / have had / hired a variety of bikes from those with 40 yr old centre pull calipers, modern ultegra road calipers, stuff in between, old and modern canti's, v brakes, to cable disc both bad & good and hydro discs; on various road, MTB, gravel, folding, tandem etc bikes....



Alex321 said:


> The manufacturers sponsoring the bikes all make both disk brake and rim brake versions of their high level bikes.


true-ish. All the investment now is going into disc brake group sets and disc specific models, so they would rather sell them. Its easier to sell a new bike to someone with a perfectly good 5 yr old carbon frame, if you can sell them a similar frame but designed for disc, as its a different n+1.


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## Drago (14 Sep 2021)

Biker man said:


> The first ebike I had was disk in the front rim on the rear the disk gave me no end of problems it got distorted rim for me if that is possible on new ebikes .


A correlation of 1:1


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## fossyant (14 Sep 2021)

Alex321 said:


> A disk brake should never cause a distorted rim. It has no contact with the rim, or the spokes.
> 
> That sounds like the wheel wasn't properly trued initially - which could also explain some of the issues you had that needed frequent adjustment of the disk brake.



A cheap & crap rim/wheel build causes that, nothing else. Or hitting a pot hole.


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## fossyant (14 Sep 2021)

I'm too sexy for discs, too sexy for discs....


View: https://flic.kr/p/2kJr41C


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## Alex321 (14 Sep 2021)

T4tomo said:


> rather puts some comments in context then



Agreed. 

I don't really have the opportunity to try a modern road bike with good rim brakes though.



> true-ish. All the investment now is going into disc brake group sets and disc specific models, so they would rather sell them. Its easier to sell a new bike to someone with a perfectly good 5 yr old carbon frame, if you can sell them a similar frame but designed for disc, as its a different n+1.



This is a bit chicken-and-egg though. Are they putting most of the development effort into rim brakes to push consumers that way, or are they doing it because that is what consumers want (and so sells better).

I think it is probably a bit of both.


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## fossyant (14 Sep 2021)

Alex321 said:


> Agreed.
> 
> I don't really have the opportunity to try a modern road bike with good rim brakes though.



My three road bikes were all rim, two were single pivot, but incredibly powerful (Dura Ace and Shimano 600 - not yer cheap rubbish ). My commuter was Shimano BR530 dual pivot, and I could still lift the back end with two heavy panniers on.


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## Biker man (14 Sep 2021)

Drago said:


> A correlation of 1:1


It seemed to work ok no problems with that just the disk no matter how much I adjusted them they didn't last long bit of a faf to put new pads but easy to fit blokes maybe I am a bit old fashioned.


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## roubaixtuesday (14 Sep 2021)

fossyant said:


> I'm too sexy for discs, too sexy for discs....



Me too







Discs are fugly.

(And heavy, expensive, complicated and entirely superfluous on a road bike for day rides. Commuters have a case. MTBs a stronger case, perhaps, though even there my 90s V brakes never gave me a moment of worry.)


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## Chief Broom (14 Sep 2021)

Ive just bought a bike with rim brakes [Dawes disco 201] as i like there simplicity and where i live [highlands] its pretty relaxed and unlikely im going to need the extra stopping power like if i lived in town and had many more hazards to avoid. All my motorbikes had disk brakes so am used to maintaining them but feel its overkill for my situation. I dont like the thought of them dragging and slowing forward progress or getting gummed up in winter or a maritime environment. Then at some point they will be expensive to replace or fix....so give me retro rim brakes but not the squeals!


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## Alex321 (14 Sep 2021)

roubaixtuesday said:


> Me too
> 
> View attachment 609094
> 
> ...



If by "day rides" you mean "dry rides", then true. 

I ride in all weathers (except serious ice), and the disc brakes work just as well in a downpour as in the dry. I will also be commuting when back in the office, but other than the fact that you don't have much choice about not going in the wet when commuting, I'm not sure what difference that makes.

I don't think they are really any more "complicated" than dual pivot calliper brakes, though they are certainly more so than something like V brakes. Agreed that they are certainly more expensive though. And weigh a little more, though not enough for most of us to notice.


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## keithmac (14 Sep 2021)

Mine was 8,000 commuting miles before the rear rim got worn down to no wear groove territory.

I road it through all weathers so no complaints, might re-rim it in winter when I've got some time to concentrate.


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## roubaixtuesday (14 Sep 2021)

Alex321 said:


> If by "day rides" you mean "dry rides", then true.
> 
> I ride in all weathers (except serious ice), and the disc brakes work just as well in a downpour as in the dry. I will also be commuting when back in the office, but other than the fact that you don't have much choice about not going in the wet when commuting, I'm not sure what difference that makes.
> 
> I don't think they are really any more "complicated" than dual pivot calliper brakes, though they are certainly more so than something like V brakes. Agreed that they are certainly more expensive though. And weigh a little more, though not enough for most of us to notice.



Unless you're proper hard core, most people are far more likely to ride in the wet commuting than for leisure. Roads are permanently wet through winter, and the roads I ride often muddy too.

I've never worn out rims on a bike mainly used for leisure. Pre covid I commuted 10 undulating miles each way every day through winter and that wears through rims and drivetrains far faster than leisure rides. Typically maybe 5-10,000 miles IME. My commuting bike has rims, and stopping power is easily good enough to lock the wheels - so no increased "stopping power" from disks. But less maintenance - yes, somewhat. Replacing a disc is much easier than a rim.


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## keithmac (14 Sep 2021)

I've been looking at rear disk conversions for my new hubbed Gtech but they look sketchy to say the least and not worth the risk.

I suppose only other option would be to have a caliper mount welded on but that's probably more work than stripping the wheel down for a new rim every 8,000 miles..


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## Alex321 (14 Sep 2021)

roubaixtuesday said:


> Unless you're proper hard core, most people are far more likely to ride in the wet commuting than for leisure. Roads are permanently wet through winter, and the roads I ride often muddy too.



Maybe I'm "proper hard core" then 

I don't ride as far as most hard core cyclists, but I do get out almost every day after work (not Thursdays because another hobby is Morris Dancing and that is the evening we practice(winter)/dance out(summer)), riding for 40-70 minutes (10-20 miles), pretty well regardless of the weather.

My main purpose in getting back to cycling last year was for exercise, rather than pure leisure, and you need to do it reasonably consistently for that to be effective (and I don't have a turbo trainer).

But yes, I agree, I see far fewer other cyclists out on wet days than I do on dry days.


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## roubaixtuesday (14 Sep 2021)

Alex321 said:


> riding for 40-70 minutes (10-20 miles), pretty well regardless of the weather.



If this applies throughout the winter, then yes, you're properly badass hardcore!

And in a bracket where discs are probably worthwhile IME.

For my roadie bike, which only ventures out when forecast dry (I have another bike for wet, with mudguards), they're an irrelevance at best.

All just IME.


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## SpokeyDokey (14 Sep 2021)

God above, this debate goes on and on and on...

Our MTB brethren sorted this argument out decades ago.

Discs simply work whatever the weather and however steep the road is (subject to the limit of maximum tyre adhesion to the road surface) - it's that simple for me.

By coincidence my bum was parked on a pub bench a couple of weeks back in Staveley (Lake District) and of 31 bikes that went by only 4 had rim brakes. As much manufacturer driven as demand driven but it is a sign of the times.


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## T4tomo (14 Sep 2021)

SpokeyDokey said:


> subject to the limit of maximum tyre adhesion to the road surface)


which is why its a less clear cut argument on dry roads and a 25mm /28mm tyre where there is a bit of rubber the size of 10p piece in contact with the tarmac. That is your limiting factor, not how quickly you can stop a wheel turning from either gripping the rim or a disc attached to the hub.

it addition with MTB's you are comparing disc to v brakes, not dual pivot calipers as an alternative.


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## SpokeyDokey (14 Sep 2021)

T4tomo said:


> which is why its a less clear cut argument on dry roads and a 25mm /28mm tyre where there is a bit of rubber the size of 10p piece in contact with the tarmac. That is your limiting factor, not how quickly you can stop a wheel turning from either gripping the rim or a disc attached to the hub.
> 
> it addition with MTB's you are comparing disc to v brakes, not dual pivot calipers as an alternative.



I know the limiting factor is the tyre/road behaviour but the fact is that whatever the weather and however steep the hill is the wheel stops rotating faster with disc than rim brakes.


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## T4tomo (14 Sep 2021)

SpokeyDokey said:


> I know the limiting factor is the tyre/road behaviour but the fact is that whatever the weather and however steep the hill is the wheel stops rotating faster with disc than rim brakes.


agree, but that doesn't stop a road bike any quicker on a dry road.

so why have the extra expense, set up issues, trickier pad replacement, noise/ squealing, weight and fugliness on your best road bike


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## fossyant (14 Sep 2021)

T4tomo said:


> so why have the fugliness on your best road bike



There ! Fixed it. 

The rest, nah.


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## fossyant (14 Sep 2021)

PS, this is an electric bike thread, so fugly brakes don't matter on fugly bikes.


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## Kajjal (14 Sep 2021)

Seems some people have problems with setting up disc brakes. Unless contaminated by oil or you need to change the pads they should be fit and forget for hydraulic disc brakes road or mountain bike.

Potential set up issues are too much fluid in the system causing very tight pad clearance, something stuck behind the pad again causing very tight pad clearance, wheel not in straight either on setup or after removing or replacing and the normal something is lose like the calliper or disc rotor. Also a chain with too much oil on can contaminate the pads.


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## Jenkins (14 Sep 2021)

fossyant said:


> Huge plus for commuting ! I wore rims out in 18 months.


Two years (approx 8,000 miles) of all weather commuting and this is the result - despite using Koolstop & Swissstop brake pads. Not had any problems with the other rim braked bikes as they are only dry weather use.





As this is in the Electric Bikes sub-forum, I think that disc brakes make sense for better stopping where the batteries and motors make for (generally) heavier bikes.


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## jowwy (14 Sep 2021)

T4tomo said:


> agree, but that doesn't stop a road bike any quicker on a dry road.
> 
> *so why have the extra expense, set up issues, trickier pad replacement, noise/ squealing, weight and fugliness on your best road bike*


Because some roadies dont have the same opinion or issues as you……..


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## Drago (15 Sep 2021)

SpokeyDokey said:


> Discs simply work whatever the weather...



Until, as has happened to me, they suddenly _don't_ work.

Then, after much prodding and head scratching, you discover that its an internal master cylinder failure and its not possible to strip the unit down that far. At this point you will most assuredly wish that you had a lever pulling a cable which then actuated a caliper which could be diagnosed and repaired in minutes and for pennies.

I know I did!

About half my bikes are hydro discs and they are wonderful, but im not a sycophantic worshiper of them. They do have shortcomings, and while these don't appear very often I can guarantee you a seriously foul outbreak of tourettes when they do.


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## mickle (15 Sep 2021)

I'm still living in the 9 speed 90's as far as bike componentry is concerned. We don't have disc brakes yet.


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## Chief Broom (15 Sep 2021)

Drago said:


> Until, as has happened to me, they suddenly _don't_ work.
> 
> Then, after much prodding and head scratching, you discover that its an internal master cylinder failure and its not possible to strip the unit down that far. At this point you will most assuredly wish that you had a lever pulling a cable which then actuated a caliper which could be diagnosed and repaired in minutes and for pennies.
> 
> ...


and thats why i dont want disc's! I like to like a vehicle whether a car/motorcycle or bike and if i had a disk shod bike i would think those ****ers are going to go wrong and cost a fortune at some point as well as the hassle of getting parts. Like modern cars i dont have an affection for them because of all the high tech electrical gubbins which will fail eventually. For me its not about stopping distance's [you might disagree if you live in the city and heading for an errant driver] but living with it on a daily basis. So if anyone is aghast at my new bike not having disks i shall respond with "i know aint it great"!


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Sep 2021)

mickle said:


> I'm still living in the 9 speed 90's as far as bike componentry is concerned. We don't have disc brakes yet.



9 speed and discs aren’t mutually exclusive 😉


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## Drago (15 Sep 2021)

My olde XTC950 of the early 00's is 9 speed XTR and Hope M4 hydo (hateful things, but thats another story) and came that way from the factory.

Tellingly though, it's from that period of time where it still had the bosses and cable stops for V brakes as well.


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## Alex321 (15 Sep 2021)

Ming the Merciless said:


> 9 speed and discs aren’t mutually exclusive 😉


That was my first thought - my last hybrid was a 9 speed with discs.

But not from the 90's


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## Jody (15 Sep 2021)

T4tomo said:


> so why have the extra expense, set up issues, trickier pad replacement, noise/ squealing, weight and fugliness on your best road bike



To counter that. You have to set the caliper up once, pads can be changed in under a couple of minutes by removing 1 pin and they don't usually squeal. All for very little weight penalty


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## T4tomo (15 Sep 2021)

Jody said:


> To counter that. You have to set the caliper up once, pads can be changed in under a couple of minutes by removing 1 pin and they don't _usually_ squeal. All for very little weight penalty


thanks, as pointed out up thread, I do have a couple of bikes with discs.....


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## Jody (15 Sep 2021)

T4tomo said:


> thanks, as pointed out up thread, I do have a couple of bikes with discs.....



Apologies as I missed that. You'll know how easy, reliable and hassle free they are normally are 

Expensive and fugly (on a road bike) is a fair comment.


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Sep 2021)

Shimano 9 speed came out mid to late 90s. It has quite a lot of overlap with the period disc brakes were appearing. 9 speed is still going strong as are disc brakes.


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## youngoldbloke (15 Sep 2021)

I do find changing pads a lot less faff than changing brake blocks. 3+ years using hydraulic discs on my Orbea Gain without problems. Tip - buy the right tool to push the cylinders open when changing pads, it makes it so much easier.


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## Jody (15 Sep 2021)

youngoldbloke said:


> I do find changing pads a lot less faff than changing brake blocks. 3+ years using hydraulic discs on my Orbea Gain without problems. Tip - buy the right tool to push the cylinders open when changing pads, it makes it so much easier.



You don't use a big flat blade screwdriver with a cloth over the end


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## ianrauk (15 Sep 2021)

youngoldbloke said:


> I do find changing pads a lot less faff than changing brake blocks. 3+ years using hydraulic discs on my Orbea Gain without problems. Tip - buy the right tool to push the cylinders open when changing pads, it makes it so much easier.


Agreed.
BB7's, old pads out, new pads in.. bobs yer uncle and all that


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## jowwy (15 Sep 2021)

Both my E bikes are 9 speed and discs......also my Brand New unridden Trek Domane AL3 is 9 speed and discs


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## Biker man (15 Sep 2021)

Chief Broom said:


> and thats why i dont want disc's! I like to like a vehicle whether a car/motorcycle or bike and if i had a disk shod bike i would think those ****ers are going to go wrong and cost a fortune at some point as well as the hassle of getting parts. Like modern cars i dont have an affection for them because of all the high tech electrical gubbins which will fail eventually. For me its not about stopping distance's [you might disagree if you live in the city and heading for an errant driver] but living with it on a daily basis. So if anyone is aghast at my new bike not having disks i shall respond with "i know aint it great"!


Couldn't agree with you more 🚴🚴🚴


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## T4tomo (15 Sep 2021)

fossyant said:


> PS, this is an electric bike thread, so fugly brakes don't matter on fugly bikes.





jowwy said:


> Both my E bikes are 9 speed and discs......also my Brand New unridden Trek Domane AL3 is 9 speed and discs


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## roubaixtuesday (15 Sep 2021)

jowwy said:


> Brand New unridden



Help!

My brain is falling into an impossibility vortex on reading the words "brand new" juxtaposed with "unridden" when referring to a bicycle.


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## Drago (15 Sep 2021)

If you really want to injure your brain then nip over to Retrobikes and see what a wide latitude they give hemselves when describing something as NOS.


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## Ian H (15 Sep 2021)

Rim brakes here. I sold my MTB which was the only disc-braked machine I had. Decent rim brakes will test the adhesive limits of a tyre on anything but good dry surfaces, not that I have much occasion to try.


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## All uphill (15 Sep 2021)

Ming the Merciless said:


> 9 speed and discs aren’t mutually exclusive 😉


My brand new bike from Spa will be 9 speed with discs! Minimum hassle, cheap to maintain.


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Sep 2021)

youngoldbloke said:


> I do find changing pads a lot less faff than changing brake blocks. 3+ years using hydraulic discs on my Orbea Gain without problems. Tip - buy the right tool to push the cylinders open when changing pads, it makes it so much easier.



What you mean the right tool isn’t my plastic tyre lever?


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## jowwy (15 Sep 2021)

roubaixtuesday said:


> Help!
> 
> My brain is falling into an impossibility vortex on reading the words "brand new" juxtaposed with "unridden" when referring to a bicycle.


Yup i bought solely for turbo training in the winter………


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## Drago (15 Sep 2021)

Im thinking of getting an ebike for the turbo...


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## youngoldbloke (15 Sep 2021)

Ming the Merciless said:


> What you mean the right tool isn’t my plastic tyre lever?


It's the angle that makes the difference


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## pawl (15 Sep 2021)

I find my Ultegra brakes perfect for my type of riding Perform well in the wet I suppose if your hurtling down hill on a mountain bike or cyclocross bike or road bike in the TDF discs are probably more appropriate Back in the day when one bike fulfilled many options rough stuff rides which were about enjoying the country side rather than seeing how long you can avoid calling mountain rescue.

I know I am lacking in an adventurous spirit but I’ve survived eighty years roughly sixty five cycling with only two minor accidents Horses 🐎 for courses or one mans meat is another mans poison


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## theboxers (15 Sep 2021)

Of the 7 disc brake bikes I am in immediate contact with, 3 of my own, 4 with my brothers. 5 hydraulic, 2 cable. I am aware of only 1 issue and that was on my Cube (the most expensive ). That was down to resin pads that had become glazed. I sorted it by use of some wet and dry.

I am not down on rim brakes. I also have an old 90's Jamis Diablo rigid. When in regular use they were more than adequate. but eventually rim wear forced a change of wheels.

Each base system, rim or disc (cable pull), has its advantages. But currently I am in the disk brake camp, in particular hydraulic. They cover most of the use cases I have in the best way for me, @112kg. If I continue to lose weight that may change.


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## theboxers (15 Sep 2021)

Drago said:


> Im thinking of getting an ebike for the turbo...


BTDT with my Cube. My time for the Alpe D'Huez climb


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## Milzy (15 Sep 2021)

Can I just tell you a little story? 
I was on my hydro gravel bike going onto a roundabout when a car just sped straight over the island and came from a dip. I had to squeeze both brakes as hard as possible to avoid the cars path. It still seemed to take forever to bleed off speed. In fact rim brakes with swisstop pads would have just been as good. A few frame makers will keep building rim frames thankfully. I’m sure the pro peloton preferred their rim brakes. UAE & Ineos will still use rim brakes for hilly stages.


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## Alex321 (15 Sep 2021)

Milzy said:


> Can I just tell you a little story?
> I was on my hydro gravel bike going onto a roundabout when a car just sped straight over the island and came from a dip. I had to squeeze both brakes as hard as possible to avoid the cars path. It still seemed to take forever to bleed off speed. In fact rim brakes with swisstop pads would have just been as good. A few frame makers will keep building rim frames thankfully. I’m sure the pro peloton preferred their rim brakes. UAE & Ineos will still use rim brakes for hilly stages.


In that case, your brakes need seeing to.

If you squeeze properly set up disc brakes as hard as possible, you *WILL* lock up the wheels, at pretty well any speed, on any surface. You don't want to of course, you need to squeeze hard enough to* just* not lock the wheels.

If you can't do that, then your brakes need adjustment (or the pad or rotors are contaminated with grease or something else fairly slippery).

If you can lock the wheels with your rim brakes, then indeed they are just as good (until it gets wet), but if you can't, then they are not as good.


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## Kajjal (15 Sep 2021)

Milzy said:


> Can I just tell you a little story?
> I was on my hydro gravel bike going onto a roundabout when a car just sped straight over the island and came from a dip. I had to squeeze both brakes as hard as possible to avoid the cars path. It still seemed to take forever to bleed off speed. In fact rim brakes with swisstop pads would have just been as good. A few frame makers will keep building rim frames thankfully. I’m sure the pro peloton preferred their rim brakes. UAE & Ineos will still use rim brakes for hilly stages.


Sounds like your brakes are contaminated to some extent with oil or similar. If this happens it means removing the pads, using some form of disc brake cleaner to clean rotors and calliper of all traces of oil etc. Then just fit new pads and you are good to go. White kitchen roll is good for cleaning as it shows up any contamination and once it stays white you are good to go. If you are lucky you can get away with cleaning the old pads but this only works for mild contamination.


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## Ming the Merciless (15 Sep 2021)

Slamming your brakes on and saying you skidded is missing the point. A good brake syatem should allow you to apply the brakes. For the force to ramp up in a progressive predictable manner. For you to not to have to pull heavily so your knuckles turn white. You can tell through your fingers how much you are pulling on the levers. It’s not hardly at all to farking hard as possible. For the levers to have the same amount of pull each time you use them. Without needing adjustment. For you to have a good feel as to how much more you can pull on the levers before you loose traction. To be able to easily back off just enough if you do lose traction. So you regain it. Often shortened to modulation.

Hydraulic discs meet all the above with aplomb.


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## theboxers (15 Sep 2021)

Ming the Merciless said:


> Slamming your brakes on and saying you skidded is missing the point. A good brake syatem should allow you to apply the brakes. For the force to ramp up in a progressive predictable manner. For you to not to have to pull heavily so your knuckles turn white. You can tell through your fingers how much you are pulling on the levers. It’s not hardly at all to farking hard as possible. For the levers to have the same amount of pull each time you use them. Without needing adjustment. For you to have a good feel as to how much more you can pull on the levers before you loose traction. To be able to easily back off just enough if you do lose traction. So you regain it. Often shortened to modulation.
> 
> Hydraulic discs meet all the above with aplomb.


Whilst I have had wheel lockup on both rim and disc, both front and back, it was much easier to control with disc IME. The rim brake almost sent me over the bars, the discs I have managed to ease off before that happened. It could be my experience is greater now with the discs so I can control them better, but I am someone who's always looking to avoid the need to do that sort of braking. 😲


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## Alex321 (16 Sep 2021)

theboxers said:


> Whilst I have had wheel lockup on both rim and disc, both front and back, it was much easier to control with disc IME. The rim brake almost sent me over the bars, the discs I have managed to ease off before that happened. It could be my experience is greater now with the discs so I can control them better, but I am someone who's always looking to avoid the need to do that sort of braking. 😲


I think we'd all like to avoid that sort of braking, but sometimes we don't get that choice 

And yes, I agree it is easier to ease off and regain traction with discs IME. I think you get a little more feel for when you are about to lock up, so you can react quicker, ideally before it even happens.


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## Drago (16 Sep 2021)

Surprising hearing that from Alex, considering he's a rim manufacturer.


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## Alex321 (16 Sep 2021)

Drago said:


> Surprising hearing that from Alex, considering he's a rim manufacturer.


Who is the "Alex" you are referring to here?

The wheels on my bike, although branded Cube are actually made by Alexrims.


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## Juan Kog (16 Sep 2021)

mickle said:


> I'm still living in the 9 speed 90's as far as bike componentry is concerned. We don't have disc brakes yet.





Ming the Merciless said:


> 9 speed and discs aren’t mutually exclusive 😉


I agree with Ming , my Boardman CX 9 speed Sora and Tektro cable discs , second hand from another CC member.
My first venture into the world of disc brakes.


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## SpokeyDokey (21 Sep 2021)

Some relevant news - TIG switching to discs:

https://www.bikeradar.com/news/team-ineos-grenadiers-disc-brakes/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=BRR&utm_campaign=21st September Newsletter_1197113_BikeRadar_Newsletters_9981186


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