Disc brakes

[Racing roadkill]

I've ridden bikes with rim brakes (caliper and cantilever) for decades, but recently I got a mountain bike with hydraulic disc brakes... and wow, they're terrific!

What I like best about them is the lightness of touch that's needed - just a one-finger dab is ample. Just got to remember not to squeeze hard like I do with rim brakes.

Alan

They work well in the environment for which they are designed. Mountain biking, in conditions which would probably render rim brakes pretty relatively inneffective, fairly rapidly, when ridden in relative isolation. Putting them on a bike which is nearly always going to be ridden in not that bad conditions, on a road, at higher average speeds, for longer, in relatively large, closely packed groups, is asking for trouble. When you add in the extra problems of increasing the likelihood of having to remove wheels for technical issues ( punctures being the most likely ) and ( in my experience) being completely unnecessary, given that rim brakes really do a more than adequate job, without adding weight ( which on a mountain bike isn't such an issue) not to mention making the whole machine more expensive to buy and maintain, then disc brakes on road bikes really do look like a bad idea.

 

[Alan O]

When you add in the extra problems of increasing the likelihood of having to remove wheels for technical issues ( punctures being the most likely )

My disc-brake MTB wheels come off and go back on as quickly and as easily as my rim-brake road bike wheels.

Alan

 

[ianrauk]

My disc-brake MTB wheels come off and go back on as quickly and as easily as my road bike wheels.

Alan

And so do my disc braked road bikes wheels. Easy peasy.

 

[Racing roadkill]

My disc-brake MTB wheels come off and go back on as quickly and as easily as my rim-brake road bike wheels.

Alan

Wait until you take the wheels out on a disc brakes road bike, after a few fast descents, then accidentally squeeze the brakes with the wheel out, that's great fun.

 

[Racing roadkill]

It never fails to crack me right up, that road bike manufacturers turn themselves inside out to reduce the weight of everything, then go and put disc brakes on them .

It's like when you see army types on training excersises, wearing DPM ( or whatever the standard is this week) with high viz gilets on.

 

[S-Express]

Wait until you take the wheels out on a disc brakes road bike, after a few fast descents, then accidentally squeeze the brakes with the wheel out, that's great fun.

Yeah, that's always happening. ffs...

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

It never fails to crack me right up, that road bike manufacturers turn themselves inside out to reduce the weight of everything, then go and put disc brakes on them .

It's like when you see army types on training excersises, wearing DPM ( or whatever the standard is this week) with high viz gilets on.

My disc braked machine weighs 7.4kg. Your point?

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

They work well in the environment for which they are designed. Mountain biking, in conditions which would probably render rim brakes pretty relatively inneffective, fairly rapidly, when ridden in relative isolation. Putting them on a bike which is nearly always going to be ridden in not that bad conditions, on a road, at higher average speeds, for longer, in relatively large, closely packed groups, is asking for trouble. When you add in the extra problems of increasing the likelihood of having to remove wheels for technical issues ( punctures being the most likely ) and ( in my experience) being completely unnecessary, given that rim brakes really do a more than adequate job, without adding weight ( which on a mountain bike isn't such an issue) not to mention making the whole machine more expensive to buy and maintain, then disc brakes on road bikes really do look like a bad idea.

Road disc brakes are designed to work on road bikes.

 

[AlanW]

Its a dilemma that I am also struggling to decide on to be honest as I'm set on buying a new Ti frame, in this case an Engima Etape, and I have being riding a demo hydraulic disc equipped bike for the last week and without question I 100% love it.

But, that said there are certain aspects that I'm not to sure about, which is why I'm still sitting on the fence before parting with circa £4k for the complete bike.

So, while I like the feedback and modulation from the hydraulic discs, I don't like the way that they squeal like a pig in the wet. Okay after a few dabs and once the water has cleared between the pads and discs the noise goes, so not a huge big deal in the greater scheme of things I suppose.

But I also don't like the shape of the Shimano hydraulic STI shifters, the body is so long so as to accommodate the brake fluid reservoir. Consequently when riding on the hoods I am to outstretched, so would probably have to go for a shorter stem. But then this alters my reach when riding on top of the bars.

Being a bit specific about the Etape. but I don't really like the way the rear caliper is mounted to the frame as it just seems like a bit of an add on? If they were flat top mounted which is becoming the norm would be better. Then they could get rid of the two mounting bolts that are lock wired together to stop them from coming undone.

I do like however very much like how clean and tidy the top of the rear triangle is with no brake caliper nailed to it, the same applies to the top of the front forks to. I also like the fact that there is no black gunge from brake blocks all over the frame and zero amount of wear as with rim brakes. But you have to go through a awful lot of wheel rims to claw back the outlay of going down the disc route.

The other factor going disc is my loss of interchangeability with all my wheels, I literally have wheels to suit every occasion that fit all my other 11 speed bikes to. So if I go down the disc route, it will be one bike and one set of wheels. Should I allow for that or just embrace the change?

In forty years of riding and 15k miles per year, I have never really felt the need (okay on the odd occasion in the wet) for anything other than my rim brakes. Furthermore, part of me thinks that "someone" is providing a solution to a problem that isn't really a problem?

Bit like tubeless tyres really, but that's another story....

 

[Racing roadkill]

Its a dilemma that I am also struggling to decide on to be honest as I'm set on buying a new Ti frame, in this case an Engima Etape, and I have being riding a demo hydraulic disc equipped bike for the last week and without question I 100% love it.

But, that said there are certain aspects that I'm not to sure about, which is why I'm still sitting on the fence before parting with circa £4k for the complete bike.

So, while I like the feedback and modulation from the hydraulic discs, I don't like the way that they squeal like a pig in the wet. Okay after a few dabs and once the water has cleared between the pads and discs the noise goes, so not a huge big deal in the greater scheme of things I suppose.

But I also don't like the shape of the Shimano hydraulic STI shifters, the body is so long so as to accommodate the brake fluid reservoir. Consequently when riding on the hoods I am to outstretched, so would probably have to go for a shorter stem. But then this alters my reach when riding on top of the bars.

Being a bit specific about the Etape. but I don't really like the way the rear caliper is mounted to the frame as it just seems like a bit of an add on? If they were flat top mounted which is becoming the norm would be better. Then they could get rid of the two mounting bolts that are lock wired together to stop them from coming undone.

I do like however very much like how clean and tidy the top of the rear triangle is with no brake caliper nailed to it, the same applies to the top of the front forks to. I also like the fact that there is no black gunge from brake blocks all over the frame and zero amount of wear as with rim brakes. But you have to go through a awful lot of wheel rims to claw back the outlay of going down the disc route.

The other factor going disc is my loss of interchangeability with all my wheels, I literally have wheels to suit every occasion that fit all my other 11 speed bikes to. So if I go down the disc route, it will be one bike and one set of wheels. Should I allow for that or just embrace the change?

In forty years of riding and 15k miles per year, I have never really felt the need (okay on the odd occasion in the wet) for anything other than my rim brakes. Furthermore, part of me thinks that "someone" is providing a solution to a problem that isn't really a problem?

Bit like tubeless tyres really, but that's another story....

Very well said. You've pretty much seen all the potential pitfalls. You also seem to have worked out the 'disc brakes on a road bike are overkill' issue.

 

[MichaelW2]

They work well in the environment for which they are designed... disc brakes on road bikes really do look like a bad idea.

The road bike market is based on trickle down technology, where new stuff always benefits pro racers then trickes down to amatuer racers then ordinary riders, whether or not there is a benefit for the everyday rider.
Disk brakes are problematic in this model since they are of great benefit to the everday rider esp all weather commuter, but of little benefit and possible risk to pro riders.

 

[Racing roadkill]

The road bike market is based on trickle down technology, where new stuff always benefits pro racers then trickes down to amatuer racers then ordinary riders, whether or not there is a benefit for the everyday rider.
Disk brakes are problematic in this model since they are of great benefit to the everday rider esp all weather commuter, but of little benefit and possible risk to pro riders.

Quite right.

If you look at this year's pro peloton/ grand tour bikes, the vast majority are rim braked.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/worldtour-team-bike-guide-48512/

 

[AlanW]

Very well said. You've pretty much seen all the potential pitfalls. You also seem to have worked out the 'disc brakes on a road bike are overkill' issue.

Thanks and while they are certainly overkill, the level of feedback to the rider far exceeds that of rim brakes.

But it also doesn't help when we the consumer are being forced down a route by the manufactures and the media hype. I was talking to the owner of my LBS last weekend and he was saying that some bike manufacturer's have stopped producing rim braked bikes altogether.

 

[Jody]

I don't ride a road bike but there are more reasons for than against disc brakes if you ask me. Just on power and modulation alone I would have them. The danger from spinning and hot discs seems like complete bollox to me. If you are coming off on a road bike I would have thought the tarmac is going to do more harm.

My disc-brake MTB wheels come off and go back on as quickly and as easily as my rim-brake road bike wheels.

Alan

Probably quicker as you don't need to disconnect them to get the tyre past the brake blocks

Furthermore, part of me thinks that "someone" is providing a solution to a problem that isn't really a problem?

I run different wheels on the same bike. Most of the time its a straight swap but realigning a caliper (if needed) takes all of 20/30 seconds by eye.

Wait until you take the wheels out on a disc brakes road bike, after a few fast descents, then accidentally squeeze the brakes with the wheel out, that's great fun.

It takes more than one squeeze of a brake lever for your pads to make contact. If you do then pull the pads out and push the pistons back.

 

[AlanW]

I run different wheels on my MTB too, changing wheels isn't an issue, providing you have the wheels to change of course, that wasn't my point?

I would argue with anyone that good quality rim brakes are equally as good as discs in the dry for 95% of riding. The discs come into their own on Alpine descents, but not to many of those around Worcestershire to be honest. And of course in the wet, when yes I agree discs are better of course they are. BUT...its a bit like driving on the ice in your car, you make allowances for it. I also accept that from time to time something will happen that we require a sudden stop and with rim brakes you may have to look at a less than ideal way out, usually via a hedge!
On the flip side, if you have to brake that hard with discs, either you're going over the handle bars or your tyre looses traction, either way the end result will still be same!!

Which takes me right back to what I said above, its a solution to a problem that really isn't a problem.