Ok, what's with discs?

[Xiorell]

So are they even worth if unless you're really into downhill and such?



Some of you may know I am gonna embark on a project to build a bike out of bits I've gathered up. Knowing full well this approach isn't going to make an awesome bike (due to me doing it on the cheap as a "learn bike mechanics" thing), I wanna make a full suspension mountain bike affair.

This is due to the fact my hybrid is totally rigid so I might has well go polar opposite with this, plus there are a few off road places I intend to ride where my rigid frame rattles the hell out of me.


I'be been looking at frame and fork that can mount discs. But really, if I stick to V-Breaks do you think I'd be missing out?

Yes the off road places are pretty rough (more so than I remembered) and yes, it would be out in the wet and muck come autum/winter.



Just seems if I ditch the disc break thing I got more options but I get the feeling they'd be better when things get rough.



Opinions please!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Top end v brakes are as good as entry level disk brakes. Once the disk quality increases there is no comparison. Cable disk brakes are a good middle ground and far easier to service than Hydraulic ones.

Best of luck on the project

 

[Angelfishsolo]

Top end v brakes are as good as entry level disk brakes. Once the disk quality increases there is no comparison. Cable disk brakes are a good middle ground and far easier to service than Hydraulic ones.

Best of luck on the project

 

[zizou]

In the dry then good v brakes with good quality pads can provide really good stopping power - but out in the wet and muck then there is no comparision, probably the single biggest improvement in mountain bike technology in the last 20 years or so.

 

[ColinJ]

It's not just the braking - it's also a big relief not wearing rims and brake blocks out at an alarming rate on wet, gritty rides!

 

[Bicycle]

I was a long-time anti-disc luddite.

I still have an old Trek with V-brakes and they're really rather good.

But... against my better judgement I bought a lightweight hardtail (Pace) with discs... and...

They have been quite superb.

I am now a complete convert to hydraulic discs on MTBs.

I'm still a luddite about carbon, full suss and lots of other recent-ish technologies, but hydraulic discs on an MTB are really worth the extra weight.

No fade, very low pressures needed on the levers, no worries about doing a rim, few worries about performance in the wet or in shallow water.

I was quite surprised how good they were and how good they remain.

 

[david1701]

if you can get disk forks go for it, I have front disks and I've never yet been in a position where I couldn't just stop if I wanted to

 

[3narf]

I've just fitted a set of Avid Juicys (I got them cheap or I probably wouldn't have bothered).

They are great; predictable, consistant and almost maintenance-free.

I was never convinced by the science - all that braking force going through a 2" dia hub flange - but they seem to do the job!

 

[Xiorell]

Ya see I have used disc breaks before but this was years ago in school. My girlfriend lived way over town so I used here bike for about 3years. I'm sure that was discs both front and back but it was that long ago I can't remember what they was like lol.



I'm watching a bike on fleabay at the moment, that's all discs so if it doesn't go to high I've get that as a basis to build better stuff onto.

 

[Globalti]

It's BRAKES.

Breaks are what you get between lessons.

 

[Xiorell]

It's BRAKES.

Breaks are what you get between lessons.

lol, didn't realise I was doing that

 

[jethro10]

Not wearing out rims with wet gritty mud is a big plus for disks, as mentioned above.

Also mentioned, on long down hills, only needing gentle pressure with hydraulic brakes is a boon for tired hands compared to cable disks or V's

Jeff

 

[Zoiders]

It does really depend on how hard you push your riding to be honest.

On more vanilla stuff discs and good quality V's have very little to separate them, the only advantage over V's being the rim wear and set up issues like the others have said.

If you are in to slightly more epic and brutal stuff on trails, stuff like fast switch backs, long fire trails, short but very steep descents and the like then discs are full of win as they let you check your speed without locking the wheels or going over the handle bars, V's tend to give you all or nothing on the really hairy stuff or the pads just vanish in rapid order.

You need to get out there and ride the really technical and fast trails to see the true worth of discs off road.

 

[MontyVeda]

slightly off topic but I've never been convinced by V brakes... I'm still on the original calliper brakes which came with the bike. I find V brakes lock the wheel too suddenly, which isn't very effective braking as the most efficient point of braking is just before the wheel locks. Plus, I know two people who've had broken collar bones from accidentally (or ignorantly) hitting the front brake on a fast descent... in a way they're too efficient.

 

[Muddy Ground]

Personally I've always hated v-brakes - they were promised as being all-powerful but I never found them to have any real ooompf. Just incremental over calipers, which were themselves awful, especially in the wet. Disc brakes are just lovely, especially hydraulic ones. OK the pads can wear in a single gritty ride, and fork judder can be annoying, but the stopping power is always there, dry or wet. As mentioned you want a brake that takes you right to the edge of the tyres adhesion on any given surface; discs give you that ultimate control.

And I did give v-brakes a fair chance; even going right up to XTR. I stopped short of ceramic rims though. None of them were any bloomin' good.

www.muddyground.com