Disc brakes vs. 'normal' brakes??

[HovR]

My cable discs can easily send me over the bars on the flat if used improperly. That's enough stopping power for me!

 

[Flying Dodo]

Weight addition is minimal and not really an issue as bikes can easily be made to go under the UCI minimum weight limit these days. As for complexity, brake hydraulics are the one piece of kit on cars and motorcycles that rarely give any need for attention.

Maybe, although I was thinking along the lines of repair-ability. If some scrote tampers with your fluid when the bike's locked up somewhere, you're stuffed unless you can find an open bike shop. If they cut a brake cable, at a pinch you could jury rig something using one of the gear cables.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Two things. Both ime/imo

Hydro's modulate better
Hydro's need less force/power from your fingers/hands
You can't jury rig a cable disc brake.

ok that's three things.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

Imho cable disc brakes are way more user fixer friendly.

Counter-intuitively (to me anyway), the lightest hydraulic are actually lighter than the lightest cable disc brakes (~800kg vs ~1kg a pair including levers).

 

[HovR]

Counter-intuitively (to me anyway), the lightest hydraulic are actually lighter than the lightest cable disc brakes (~800kg vs ~1kg a pair including levers).

800kg? I thought you said they were lighter! Although I wouldn't have thought my cable discs were 1kg or over, but then again I've never weighed them.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

800kg? I thought you said they were lighter! Although I wouldn't have thought my cable discs were 1kg or over, but then again I've never weighed them.

The thing is for like with like you have to include the cable and housing (vs hose and fluid) and levers (hydraulics usually come with levers). Trust me (except the k in the ~800kg ).

 

[gavintc]

The real reason; UCI have not authorised disc brakes for road bikes (yet). They are legal for cross bikes and what you use on your commute/touring bike is your problem.

 

[HovR]

The thing is for like with like you have to include the cable and housing (vs hose) and levers (hydraulics usually come with levers). Trust me.

I don't doubt you're right, I just thought it odd as I've always thought them to be relatively light. In honesty, I don't think I'd ever notice a 200g difference in weight - especially on the MTB. I have to admit though, that hydro brakes do have a much nicer feel to them than cable.

 

[GrasB]

Soo... SRAM Red hydraulics anyone?

 

[VamP]

Interesting reading for those of us who have thus far assumed disc-brakes are always better than rim brakes.

 

[GrasB]

I have one question - what was he expecting using a disc like that on the road? With so much material removed on that disc design it's good for a single high speed hit of braking power & then left to cool down for a long time.

 

[VamP]

I have one question - what was he expecting using a disc like that on the road? With so much material removed on that disc design it's good for a single high speed hit of braking power & then left to cool down for a long time.

Sure. He acknowledges as much himself near the end.

But...

He was travelling at cca 30mph. It's not hard to get a road bike up to 60mph given the right road. Energy is a function of mass multiplied by velocity squared. I think the manufacturer comments in this piece are major eye-openers. Well, for me anyway...

 

[GrasB]

He was travelling at cca 30mph. It's not hard to get a road bike up to 60mph given the right road. Energy is a function of mass multiplied by velocity squared.

Try a steeper alpine descent on a 16kg recumbent! You're constantly braking to keep the speeds in the 50-60mph area. This is where rim brakes lose the plot completely. If the tyre doesn't blow the pads end up a mass of molten rubber in a matter of minutes. The rubber disposed on the rim turns into hard vulcanised plastic coating & not even the pad carrier will help you stop. Once this happens you're out of brakes permanently. At least if a disc overheats you can let the bike roll through & the disc cool off, which at those speeds doesn't take too long.

I think the manufacturer comments in this piece are major eye-openers. Well, for me anyway...

The answers seemed like basic disc 101.

 

[Furkz]

The thing that has me a little puzzled with brakes is how quickly some people are getting through rims, why? I have an old Dawes in the shed that spends most of its time on the turbo these days, it had a wheel upgrade after about twelve months and those wheels are still going strong eight years later. I got rid of a Rayleigh about eighteen months ago, it was ten years old and still on the original wheels. My fixed had a new front wheel, hub problems, on it about two years ago but is still on the original back wheel, both wheels going strong, so how do people wear out their rims so quick? I've been cycling for over forty years and this something recent, so what has changed?

like most things the wheels you are using are older and older things are made more robust and stronger

 

[VamP]

The answers seemed like basic disc 101.

And that's exactly the class I belong in when it comes to discs on road bikes