Road bike with disc brakes?? Yes or no??

[StuAff]

Emphatically yes. Don't know if I'll buy another calliper-equipped bike or not, they certainly work well enough & love the two I have, but the minor weight penalty of discs is far outweighed by the many advantages. Braking isn't better, but it is more consistent regardless of weather. Rims will never wear out (I'd rather buy a nice set of wheels because I want to not because I have to) and a good covering of grot makes no difference whatsoever. And wider tyre clearance/room for mudguards/both. Of course, if you're the kind of weight-obsessed loon who thinks a seven kilo bike is heavy, you'll need to look elsewhere. Until the boffins get the disc brake 'weight penalty' down even further…

 

[mustang1]

Added weight? My disc brake bike is 7.6kg, lighter than many rim braked bikes and could be lighter still if I desired.

The rim version of your bike might be around 7.2kg.

 

[mustang1]

I love the new CAAD12 disks. The DA model is lovely but the 105 is more innmynprive range (and actually even that is on the pricey side).

I'd get the 105 model and get wicked-cool wheels. The only thing I hate are the dumb big hoods that have all the oil gubbins.

 

[jowwy]

Sorry,I should have said "easier"

Easier......hmmmmm caliper brake you pull through cable as you squeeze the blocks together and tighten

With a disc caliper you geed through cable pull and tighten. Spin will and adjust pad with 3mm allen key until it rubs slightly then back it off......

I know which one is easier in my eyes - discs all the way

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

Easier......hmmmmm caliper brake you pull through cable as you squeeze the blocks together and tighten

With a disc caliper you geed through cable pull and tighten. Spin will and adjust pad with 3mm allen key until it rubs slightly then back it off......

I know which one is easier in my eyes - discs all the way

Well I didn't want to split hairs about it
What do you want to debate next ?

Favourite colours ?

 

[jowwy]

Well I didn't want to split hairs about it
What do you want to debate next ?

Favourite colours ?

I like titanium......so not much color there

But im just responding to the fact disc brakes are not that harder to maintain over caliper brakes. So no reason to not choose just for that reason......

Other than that your opinion is as valid as mine

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

I like titanium......so not much color there

But im just responding to the fact disc brakes are not that harder to maintain over caliper brakes. So no reason to not choose just for that reason......

Other than that your opinion is as valid as mine

Oh no,I think we can agree on Raw Titanium finishes being a favourite colour

 

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

The rim version of your bike might be around 7.2kg.

It is not

 

[huwsparky]

Just out of interest, would a heavier rider see greater improvement with disks? Only asking as I've never found the breaking lacking on my bike, and don't see any point of changing, but I'm less than 12 stone so relatively light I guess.

The biggest reason I wouldn't consider them though is they just look wrong on a road bike IMO.

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

Just out of interest, would a heavier rider see greater improvement with disks? Only asking as I've never found the breaking lacking on my bike, and don't see any point of changing, but I'm less than 12 stone so relatively light I guess.

The biggest reason I wouldn't consider them though is they just look wrong on a road bike IMO.

Whether you're 8 or 18 stone,discs will stop you better.
As for looking wrong,the only thing I can say is...function over form

 

[huwsparky]

Whether you're 8 or 18 stone,discs will stop you better.

Doesn't answer my question.

 

[Kajjal]

Doesn't answer my question.

I am 16 stone and there is a huge difference, especially in the wet. With rim brakes the power is poor and due to amongst other things feeling the cables flex as you brake the control is not the best either. On my new road bike the hydraulic discs have alot more power for no effort and alot more control. My wife asked why do people use rim brakes as she found them very poor on her last road bike.

 

[huwsparky]

I am 16 stone and there is a huge difference, especially in the wet. With rim brakes the power is poor and due to amongst other things feeling the cables flex as you brake the control is not the best either. On my new road bike the hydraulic discs have alot more power for no effort and alot more control. My wife asked why do people use rim brakes as she found them very poor on her last road bike.

Obviously the modulation is the big plus on disks. I can see greater benefits for women as they don't generally have as much strength or hands as big as men to generate the breaking force.

For me though, I've never noticed cables flexing under braking load so I can only assume that this is down to the extra weight that you are carrying causing greater stresses under braking.

The one thing though that does great on me is people say it's only an extra 300g weight penalty. Well that 300g is the difference between the wheelset on my old bike and the new one, the difference in price between the two is about £700. Also about the same if you wanted to swap between say 6800 and 9000 to save 300g. It's a lot of weight on a road bike and costs a lot of money to shed.

 

[OskarTennisChampion]

Ok
Would a heavier rider see greater improvement with discs ?
Yes.
Question answered.
Moving along.

 

[Kajjal]

Obviously the modulation is the big plus on disks. I can see greater benefits for women as they don't generally have as much strength or hands as big as men to generate the breaking force.

For me though, I've never noticed cables flexing under braking load so I can only assume that this is down to the extra weight that you are carrying causing greater stresses under braking.

The one thing though that does great on me is people say it's only an extra 300g weight penalty. Well that 300g is the difference between the wheelset on my old bike and the new one, the difference in price between the two is about £700. Also about the same if you wanted to swap between say 6800 and 9000 to save 300g. It's a lot of weight on a road bike and costs a lot of money to shed.

Your just not riding fast enough

I notice it more as i came to road biking from mountain biking. First time on a rim braked road bike i went downhill at about 30mph, pulled on the brakes and nearly crashed due to lack of braking compared to my xt disc brakes on my mountain bike, only just made it round the corner at the bottom.