# V Brakes v Disc Brakes



## aembleton (6 Apr 2011)

I'm currently looking at getting a new commuter bike and currently use V-Brakes on a mountain bike. As far as I understand it, Disc brakes won't rub against my rims slowing me down when my wheels become buckled. Am I correct? But the downside is that they are heavier and cost a lot more.


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## marzjennings (6 Apr 2011)

Disc brakes always work better in the wet and don't wear down rims.


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## Globalti (6 Apr 2011)

A set of Vs in dry conditions, correctly set up, is extremely good and as powerful as anything. However in the long term they do grind your rims away and they are noisy and can be difficult to set up right, especially setting the blocks correctly to the rims. I have seen a V brake that picked up a stone gouge straight through a rim wall and wreck it in a few minutes.

Discs work pretty well no matter what the conditions although there can be a slight delay in very wet or muddy conditions while they dry out. They are virtually maintenance free. They can wear pretty fast in gritty off road conditions. There is about a 100gm weight penalty per wheel over Vs. If they do go wrong they can be tricky for the novice to sort out. Generally though they win on durability and power.

For me one of the best benefits of discs is that you don't get that horrible grey mess dribbling all over your wheels and tyres when you use them in wet muddy conditions; that's rubber, aluminium and mud all mixed up.


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## summerdays (6 Apr 2011)

I'm a disk brake fan ... I love the lack of grey gunge ... the feel of my brakes - getting to know them very well. I do have a few down sides with them ... mine hate it when it starts to rain and become the nosiest things you have ever heard ... basically I have to cycle with them held on for about 400 m to get rid of the squeal ... once they are then wet they are fine ... it seems to be the process of getting wet that they really really complain about. So it is most annoying on damp rather than wet days when they keep getting damp-dry-damp over and over again.


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## corshamjim (6 Apr 2011)

I love my drum brakes. They're protected from the elements, hardly need any maintenance and work equally well in wet or dry conditions.


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## 400bhp (6 Apr 2011)

I have Vee brakes on my hybrid and I find them a PITA to set up.


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## Mark_Robson (6 Apr 2011)

I have to admit that I much prefer disk brakes. The only niggle is that they become a little "jerky" when the rotors are dirty.


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## e-rider (6 Apr 2011)

you'd be hard pushed to find a quality MTB with V-brake mounts on the frame these days - they pretty much don't exist.

As for hybrids, fitting mudguards and pannier racks is much easier with V-brakes. Maintanence is easy (although discs are not difficult) and they provide enough braking power. So IMO there is little need for disc brakes on a commuting bike but either way is fine really. 

The additional stopping power of discs is useful on MTBs though, especially in muddy conditions.


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## MacB (6 Apr 2011)

I had 3 bikes with v-brakes and now have two with discs and one with v's, I wouldn't change back. I opted for mechanical disc brakes as I wanted to use drop bars but, by a simple caliper change, I could move to flat bars and v-brake levers. This option is also available by swapping between full size v-brakes for minis or cantis, but you still get rim wear and setup/compatability can be problematic.

For all weather use I think taking the braking away from the rim makes sense.


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## ChristinaJL (6 Apr 2011)

I like to have disc brakes on my mountain bike and V-brakes on my road bike.


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## henshaw11 (6 Apr 2011)

I'm one of the 'it depends'.

The xtr V's on my old stumpjumper got a hammering in the Alps several years ago and were fine whilst the disk brake brigade were having trouble.

A seal blows on hydraulics and yer knacked (had that on some old Maguras), in the past I've had the pad material come away from the backing, which Vs aren't likely to suffer from. Get your disk pads contaminated with anything (brake fluid or lube) and it's pretty much bin them. Potentially more problem from salt on the road too - the rear caliper on some Hope Minis I've had seize a few times (the answer is probably to swap for the newer non-metal pistons, once it's done it once it'll probably do it again). If you need to bleed hydraulics they're a ...err...bleedin' nuisance IME.

Disks work way better in mud tho'.

V's - wear rims, need true rims, getting debris in pads, not so good in mud and take longer to bite in the rain

Cable disks seem to address most of the above gripes and still be trail-maintainable...I've some BB5s on one bike which feel a little 'grabby', and I've replaced the bust Magura on the rear of one 'bent with a BB7 - yet to try it for any distance tho.

Oh, there's also the possible self-releasing front QR issue with disks, depending on what you read...


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## rich87 (6 Apr 2011)

i'd say it depends. they were great when i had a mountain bike, but for a road bike there's just not enough grip between the tyre and road to warrant that much brake power. i'd imagine you would just lock up the wheels every time you pressed the brake levers. you just have to put up with the higher wear on v-brakes if you're road cycling - at least they're lighter though.


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## HLaB (6 Apr 2011)

Its probably been said but disc brakes are the most powerful and reliable (especially in the wet) but for me I prefer V's (mostly because I know how to easily maintain and adjust them). I think there was a bigger weight difference (v's are lighter) but I don't think the gap is as big anymore. In an ideal world I think my next commuter bike would have discs but there is still a cost difference (v's are cheaper). So I think at the moment I'd say v's are better for me but it might not always be that way.


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## P.H (6 Apr 2011)

Cantis on Carbide rims for me. Clean, effective and simple, as much braking as I'll ever need.

I almost went for disks on my latest project, the real decider was the forks. From those respectable manufacturers I was looking at there was a considerable weight difference between the rim or disk brake versions. Not that I'm a weight weenie, it's just that the extra rigidity must have an affect comfort, or am I missing something?


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## Piemaster (6 Apr 2011)

I'm a fan of discs. The discs on the hybrid haven't been touched since I bought it (3 years ago now I think) There is a bit of judder on them since the dynohub has been fitted though, possibly due to the centrelock rotors but they work as well as the first time I used them.
The pompino has cantis - not had it out in the wet but no concerns in the dry but the do leave a little dust on the forks.

With both of them the limiting braking factor actually seems to be tyre/road friction as I can lock wheels with both of them


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## MossCommuter (6 Apr 2011)

I am a total mechanical numbty.

V brakes' maintenance defeats me.

With a single allen key I can adjust my mechanical disc brakes myself (click, click, done)

Add a pair of pliers I can even change the pads in minutes.

Plus, I can ride through mud up to the bottom of the frame and still stop.


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## Davidc (6 Apr 2011)

Best for braking I've ever used are hub brakes. Next come discs (cable operated) then V brakes.

Easiest for maintenance are V brakes, but I've never taken hub brakes apart - the bike wasn't mine, it stays in NL and belongs to a Dutch friend, and I've only serviced discs once so it may get easier with practice.

Worst pain in the bottom to set up are the cantis on my present tourer, which are also less effective than V brakes.

If I had a choice I'd probably put discs on both of my bikes, at least on the front wheels.


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## Cubist (6 Apr 2011)

I've got Discs on the MTB and discs on the hybrid. In ALL conditions the disc brakes out perform V or cantis on the road. The avids on my Hybrid are very powerful, and all you need to do is to learn how to modulate them or learn to be subtle with your braking. 

Did I mention maintenance free on the commuter? Hundreds of miles and once they'd bedded in and been properly centred they just get the occasional squirt of cleaner. Still on the original pads after two years. 

Brakes on the MTB need a bit more maintenance, but that's to be expected.... most of the rides round here are on Millstone grit so the wear rate is high.


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## e-rider (7 Apr 2011)

why are people still fooling about with cantis on touring bikes?

and what's this talk of V-brakes on road and TT bikes - surely they all have caliper brakes? 

For me:

MTB=discs
Tourer=V-brakes
Commuter=V-brakes
Road racer=caliper


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## MacB (7 Apr 2011)

tundragumski said:


> why are people still fooling about with cantis on touring bikes?
> 
> and what's this talk of V-brakes on road and TT bikes - surely they all have caliper brakes?
> 
> ...


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