New Carerra Subway - v brakes or mechanical disc brakes

[400bhp]

I fancy buying myself a new Carerra subway - currently have the v brake version.

For an extra £50 is it worth buying the mechanical disc version? Bike is used for the odd commute, largely when the weather is crap, and for going on rides with my daughter in a child seat on the back.

V brake version here - £229

mechanical disc version here - £279

Bikes almost identical in every other way.

I'm swayed towards the v - brake, mainly because it is cheaper and because of better the devil you know (never had a mechanical disc bike).

 

[VamP]

I fancy buying myself a new Carerra subway - currently have the v brake version.

For an extra £50 is it worth buying the mechanical disc version? Bike is used for the odd commute, largely when the weather is crap, and for going on rides with my daughter in a child seat on the back.

V brake version here - £229

mechanical disc version here - £279

Bikes almost identical in every other way.

I'm swayed towards the v - brake, mainly because it is cheaper and because of better the devil you know (never had a mechanical disc bike).

I would likewise opt for the v brake version. Better the devil you know and all that... I suspect those Tektro disc brakes will be a pain to keep properly adjusted*




* - disclaimer, I have no personal experience of them, but given how much people bitch about the significantly more expensive BB5s, I find it it hard to believe they will be trouble free.

 

[400bhp]

Thanks Vam - I hadn't mentioned the reliability / faff factor of discs (in particular at this end of the spectrum) as I wasn't sure how much of the internet comments were "real".

 

[SquareDaff]

What faff? Have run a bike with the Tektro disks before. Set up and go - dead easy and far superior stopping power - especially on a commute. Plus no rim wear!

 

[VamP]

What faff? Have run a bike with the Tektro disks before. Set up and go - dead easy and far superior stopping power - especially on a commute. Plus no rim wear!

Why is the stopping power especially more superior on a commute? Genuinely curious.

 

[400bhp]

What faff?

See above from Vam - plus I have a mate who had a boardman with disc brakes-he seemed to be faffing around a lot with them?

 

[400bhp]

Why is the stopping power especially more superior on a commute? Genuinely curious.

I'd missed that - curious too.

 

[SquareDaff]

I have the Boardman too - re-adjusted when I first got it from Halfords and no problems since. My journeys are all commutes - stopping distance with disks is vastly reduced over V brakes in my experience having used both types of brake over the same route.

 

[400bhp]

Thinking a little more about it, it probably makes sense to have the additional stopping power as (as stated above), I often use the current Subway to commute in crap weather and wouldn't do any harm to have better brakes with the little one on the back.

How easy are they [disc brakes] to adjust?

 

[CopperCyclist]

Avid BB7s are insanely easy. A dial turned by hand on both sides to adjust distance between pad and disc. BB5's only have the one dial. I still haven't worked out how to adjust my Elixir 3's.

 

[chewy]

I have a Subway 2 (2010) with discs and have found them to be great. stop well, and have hardly needed to adjust them at all....but easy to work on when I have.

And i commute!


I'd plump for the disc's.

 

[Manonabike]

No problems with My Carrera Subway 2 (2008) and the brakes are quite easy to adjust

 

[400bhp]

Reckon it's a disc brake one then. Thanks fellas

I get 10% off Halfords vouchers I buy - if anyone knows of any other halfords discounts let me know.

 

[Peteaud]

The mrs has mehc discs on her MTB, dead easy to adjust and does not need doing that often anyway.

Much better in the wet.

I would go for discs every time

 

[400bhp]

Hehe - found a code - NUSMAR12, 10% off