disc brakes

[IBrakeforPastry]

I've been perusing the web, looking at what's new for 2015. It seems like there are more and more bikes with disc brakes. Do we really need them? It seems like I've been doing fine without them and now they seem like a "must have". (I'm very skeptical when it comes to marketing ;)) Are they easy to maintain and adjust? Do they add much weight to the bike? Please share any pros and cons. Thanks!

[pll]

They add more weight. At the professional cyclocross level, for that reason, you see a lot of riders reticent to use disk brakes. There is also the risk of injuries, as disks can cut someone easily in a crash (which is why many pro road racers don't want them). If you do not intend to race, I would say than it depends on where you ride. The one occasion I wished I had hydraulic disk brakes was on a 4 mile twisty descent on gravel, with grades over -5% -- I was on my cross bike with cantilever brakes. I would feel the same on a wet descent on my road bike, but I am rarely in that spot (long, twisty, descent on wet roads). My next road bike would have hydraulic brakes (not disk). And I wish there were hydraulic canti brakes... Don't know about maintenance of disk brakes.

Note -- How much weight do the add? From VeloNews (http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/11/bikes-and-tech/the-torqued-wrench-12-road-disc-questions-answered_308954): "Discs will add somewhere between 250 and 750 grams, depending on the component choices made."

[TigerMom]

I've been perusing the web, looking at what's new for 2015. It seems like there are more and more bikes with disc brakes. Do we really need them? It seems like I've been doing fine without them and now they seem like a "must have". (I'm very skeptical when it comes to marketing ;)) Are they easy to maintain and adjust? Do they add much weight to the bike? Please share any pros and cons. Thanks!

When the disc brakes for road bikes trickle down to the Shimano 105 range, the price of road bikes with disc brakes will not be as expensive as it is now. I look forward to the road bike disc brakes because then the carbon wheelsets won't wear down like they supposedly do now (racers use carbon wheelsets in races but practice on aluminum wheelsets because the caliper brakes supposedly clamp down on the carbon rims in carbon wheelsets and thin them down too much plus the grip is supposedly not as good when you go down steep inclines). But, the hydraulic brakes do squeek more on road bikes, at least they seem to squeek a lot on my friend's road bike's disc brakes. My mountain bike disc brakes don't squeek much at all compared to his road bike's. Weird.

[ny biker]

The only time I've had a problem stopping with regular brakes on a road bike was when my brakes needed to be adjusted. I don't see a need for heavier brakes that might injure me.

[shootingstar]

I never associated disc brakes with much more noticeable weight. But then I don't ride skinny tires and dropped down handlebars.

I never have.

I have them on my folding bike. My bike is light, actually the lightest out of 4 bikes. So...:confused: We've done some multi-day touring bike trips with loaded panniers on them. I understand they are less maintenance --terms of frequency.

[ridebikeme]

TigerMOM: When you were talking about disc brakes and carbon wheels/rims, did you mean canti or linear brakes? Disc brakes do not clamp down on the rim; they clamp down on the rotor.

I do not have a road bike with disc brakes, but do have a mtn and FATBIKE with them. I will say that they are definitely better when things are wet, but like many of you, we certainly could go without them. Like TigerMOM mentioned, there is an advantage with carbon wheels.

[ny biker]

I never associated disc brakes with much more noticeable weight. But then I don't ride skinny tires and dropped down handlebars.

I never have.

I have them on my folding bike. My bike is light, actually the lightest out of 4 bikes. So...:confused: We've done some multi-day touring bike trips with loaded panniers on them. I understand they are less maintenance --terms of frequency.

My current brakes don't really need much maintenance.

[rebeccaC]

You get better more precise modulation and more stopping power and that's a good safety issue. As the technology moves forward there will be wheel and frame designs to further disc brake use. Giant has a 2015 road model with discs that weights less than the 2014 rim brake model through redesigning the frame. If not in 2015 then by 2016 the UCI should allow them in professional road racing which may be the one of the reasons we have seen more r&d in frame design and aerodynamics for disc brakes and now production.

I try not to be so traditional that it keeps me from accepting new designs. I haven’t given much thought to a next bike let alone disc brakes. Very little rain here and my serious descents are in mountain areas so if my braking becomes a problem I’ll stop and enjoy the view until they are ready for more…..and that hasn’t happened often. I will certainly put more thought into it when I'm ready for a new road bike. Now on a commuter in a hilly wet city……i'd be there

[IBrakeforPastry]

You get better more precise modulation and more stopping power and that's a good safety issue. As the technology moves forward there will be wheel and frame designs to further disc brake use. Giant has a 2015 road model with discs that weights less than the 2014 rim brake model through redesigning the frame. If not in 2015 then by 2016 the UCI should allow them in professional road racing which may be the one of the reasons we have seen more r&d in frame design and aerodynamics for disc brakes and now production.


Since you mentioned Giant:
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/thrive.comax.2/18779/76137/

This is what I was looking at, just in case I can't get the drop bars to work for me and I need to go back to the straight bars. I'm certainly interested in new designs and technology, but I'm also a practical person and tend to just get what I need (or want), not just what someone tells me is "the next best thing". So that's why I appreciate all the replies.

[rebeccaC]

giant is one of the more disc oriented companies right now. yeah, we all need to make our own decisions on components

[OakLeaf]

that might injure me.

How many times, in a crash, have you got an arm or leg into your spokes? Right. I can see where pro 'crossers might be wary, but it's a pretty unlikely place for body parts to wind up for most riders.

Basically you'll see the biggest advantage when you're stopping a lot of weight (heavy and/or heavily loaded bikes, tandems, heavier riders) and in the wet. That makes sense about carbon wheels too, though all my weight weenie buddies use rim brakes with their carbon wheels.

If you typically have to be alert not to lock up your rim brakes, then it's unlikely you'll see much or any advantage from discs. If you can grab a big handful of nothing happens ... or if you grab a big handful and it slows you gradually ... that's when discs could've helped.


Hydraulic brakes on semi-floating discs are self adjusting. Bleeding the lines is a bit of a pain, but as compared to adjusting canti rim brakes, probably about equal. :p

[shootingstar]

One of my partner's bikes is a Surly touring bike (by the time he had certain components installed it was over $3,000) has disc brakes. He made sure he got disc brakes. He complained to me that he was tired of dealing with worn brake pads, or issue of dirty rims, etc.

Oh yea, Vancouver does get enough rain and there are hills and mountains around. But no, that doesn't mean cyclists in Vancouver tend to get disc brakes. Most likely experienced cyclists with more than 1 bike, eventually get a bike with disc brakes if they do year round cycling all over Vancouver for many years onward and if they can afford it.

[Owlie]

Discs add weight, though they get lighter every year. I don't think the safety issue (injury from the rotor itself) is a big deal for most people. I have mechanical disc brakes on my CX bike (bought as an inclement weather bike, really), and getting them adjusted was a pain in the neck (I had to do it myself), but it shouldn't be an issue if you have the shop do it. (Also, get a step up from base level, More adjustability. It helps loads when they bash your bike in transit and the rotor gets warped.) There was some adjustment involved on the rider side too, since when I squeeze the brake levers, it STOPS NOW.

That said, I'd be fine with hydraulic disc brakes on a next road bike.

[OakLeaf]

, since when I squeeze the brake levers, it STOPS NOW.


To paraphrase the old commercial, brakes stop your wheels; tires stop your bike. I think most non-racers don't typically give a lot of thought to tire compounds and tread patterns, but I think the more you improve braking performance, the more attention you have to give to your choice of tires and tire pressures. If improved wheel-stopping power just means an earlier skid, then you've actually hurt your bike-stopping power.

[smilingcat]

no you really don't want to lock up your wheel (skid).

Caliper and canti-lever brakes properly adjusted should stop you. They have plenty of power for you to do an endo, fly over the handle. Down side is the effect of wet brake pad, wet rim, grim on the rim.

I'm not too terribly concerned with added weight of disc. full water bottles, (I've known to carry four 16+oz bottles in really hot weather), extra layers on extremely cold weather will add far more weight than the added weight of disc. Only place where the weight is of real concern is if your race is a mountain stage with finish at the pass. Most races are crits so I wouldn't worry about it.

Crashes on a bike even in a pile up, I have never gotten my body parts in someone's wheels. Come to think of it, I don't think I've been in a midst of a pile-up.

To me, choice of disc, cantilever, caliper is like choice of bike color or brand of bike frame and components. What really matters is physical and mental comfort.

[TrekDianna]

Here in rainy Oregon, my commuter bike has discs and one of my winter mountain bike. I love the way they work when it's wet.

[Owlie]

no you really don't want to lock up your wheel (skid).

Caliper and canti-lever brakes properly adjusted should stop you. They have plenty of power for you to do an endo, fly over the handle. Down side is the effect of wet brake pad, wet rim, grim on the rim.

I'm not too terribly concerned with added weight of disc. full water bottles, (I've known to carry four 16+oz bottles in really hot weather), extra layers on extremely cold weather will add far more weight than the added weight of disc. Only place where the weight is of real concern is if your race is a mountain stage with finish at the pass. Most races are crits so I wouldn't worry about it.

Crashes on a bike even in a pile up, I have never gotten my body parts in someone's wheels. Come to think of it, I don't think I've been in a midst of a pile-up.

To me, choice of disc, cantilever, caliper is like choice of bike color or brand of bike frame and components. What really matters is physical and mental comfort.

I'm with you on that. My discs do feel different than the caliper brakes on my road bike. I had to learn to use a lighter touch with my discs than with the road brakes. Braking on the road bike is a sort of dignified affair--"Oh, we want to stop now? Then we shall." Much softer-feeling. Cross bike (with the discs), same pressure--"OK! STOPPING! WHY ARE YOU ON THE GROUND?!" I prefer the feel of calipers, but that may be because I've put ten times the mileage on my road bike than on my CX bike and just haven't gotten to know that bike as well. However, I've done enough riding in the rain (not here, obviously) to know that in wet and dirty conditions, I'd want the disc brakes.

[lph]

Personally I find the disc brakes on my mtb a pain in the ***, even though the extra strong stopping power can be nice to have. They may in general need less maintenance, but when they do it's a messy, finicky job in tight quarters. The v-brakes on my commuter I can disassemble completely, clean, lube and put together again while listening to the radio and planning tomorrows dinner. And if they squeal or rub I know what to do about it. On the other hand, that may be just because I lack experience doing disc brakes.

[pll]

One more thought on disk brakes is that companies are still experimenting and there are no standards. I'll wait some years before committing. If you have nice wheel sets (and I have 3 nice ones, two alu clinchers and one carbon tubular), it's an expensive affair to move to disk brakes. I've seen one nasty cut in a cross race already, where it does not take much to get two riders piling up.

[TigerMom]

TigerMOM: When you were talking about disc brakes and carbon wheels/rims, did you mean canti or linear brakes? Disc brakes do not clamp down on the rim; they clamp down on the rotor.

I do not have a road bike with disc brakes, but do have a mtn and FATBIKE with them. I will say that they are definitely better when things are wet, but like many of you, we certainly could go without them. Like TigerMOM mentioned, there is an advantage with carbon wheels.

Oops. I meant to write Caliper brakes. I just edited my post response

[SheFly]

They add more weight. At the professional cyclocross level, for that reason, you see a lot of riders reticent to use disk brakes. There is also the risk of injuries, as disks can cut someone easily in a crash (which is why many pro road racers don't want them). If you do not intend to race, I would say than it depends on where you ride. The one occasion I wished I had hydraulic disk brakes was on a 4 mile twisty descent on gravel, with grades over -5% -- I was on my cross bike with cantilever brakes. I would feel the same on a wet descent on my road bike, but I am rarely in that spot (long, twisty, descent on wet roads). My next road bike would have hydraulic brakes (not disk). And I wish there were hydraulic canti brakes... Don't know about maintenance of disk brakes.

Note -- How much weight do the add? From VeloNews (http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/11/bikes-and-tech/the-torqued-wrench-12-road-disc-questions-answered_308954): "Discs will add somewhere between 250 and 750 grams, depending on the component choices made."

My racing CX bikes at the moment, both with mechanical disc brakes (Cannondale SuperX carbon frames with carbon wheels) weigh the SAME as my Cannondale Evo carbon road bike with traditional canti lever brakes. The weight argument stopped holding water a couple of years ago. (FWIW - all three bikes are running the same components outside of the brakes). I race CX a LOT, and many of the pros are racing with discs now. Yes, there is the potential for injury in a crash, but there is with cantilever brakes as well (ever missed a remount and gotten caught in the brakes?).

I also use my CX pit bike (same setup) for the gravel road riding/racing that I do, and feel so much better with the stopping power of the disc brakes. Typically, I am riding areas with a lot of elevation, and knowing I can stop when I need to is a huge asset. I will also NEVER race CX or MTB without discs again. In fact, I am looking to move to discs on the road as well.

The only application where I would look to the hydraulics vs. mechanicals right now is on my fat bike.

All that said, I ride A LOT, and in all conditions, so the discs make sense for me.

SheFly

[SheFly]

Also not quite accurate. Disc brakes have been out for YEARS, and there are a couple of good industry standards. Do you mean there are no standards on the brakes, or on the frames they are now being put onto? It is a financial commitment to switch everything over from rim brakes to discs, and as I mentioned already, I race about 40 cross races per year, and have only ever seen one injury caused *presumably* by a rotor.

SheFly

[pll]

I think it is more on the frames. Didn't Focus just come up with a new type of thru-axle this year? Hydraulic brakes (for road and cross -- I know nothing about MTB) also seem to be in flux. Because of a hand strength issue, I would prefer hydraulic brakes, so I will hold off until I get a sense things are more settled. It's a big commitment in bikes and wheels.

[crc]

I have hydraulic disc breaks on my mountain bike and love them on there. The added stopping power is great, but you do have to get used to them. A lighter touch is needed when slowing down vs. looking for a sudden stop. They are great especially in wet weather or in muddy areas compared to caliper breaks.

I do not feel like I need disc breaks on my road bike, but I also limit myself to the weather that I ride in. I guess I typically baby my road bike more than my mountain bike too, so I don't even know if I would go out in the rain on my road bike if I had disc breaks.

[pll]

On using cantilever brakes over disk brakes in Valkenburg from Katie Compton's Facebook page, posted just yesterday:


"Katie raced her cantilever bike. It's lighter which on this course helps a lot and she has a better feel for braking traction with canti's over disc."

[Sven Nys stated the same last year, that his bike with canti brakes is lighter -- these are folks that have a choice in components and ride new bikes.]

[SheFly]

Could be, but my Cannondale SuperX with Discs is 16.5 lbs. And THAT is lighter than the bike I had with cantilevers (but I also went from aluminum to carbon). There is not that much of a weight penalty that the typical rider is going to notice it.

SheFly

[Catrin]

If I were to re-design my Gunnar, the only thing I would have changed would have been to have disc brakes. Looking back though, my V-brakes were probably the better choice at the time. Disc brakes for road use are likely better/lighter than they would have been in 2011.

[aronan]

[QUOTE=pll;697982]My next road bike would have hydraulic brakes (not disk). And I wish there were hydraulic canti brakes... Don't know about maintenance of disk brakes.QUOTE]

What does this mean? I only know of hydraulic disc brakes for bikes; what other kinds of hydraulic brakes are there out there?

I am in process of getting a new road bike, and am getting hydraulic disc bakes in part because the bike I decided I wanted for various reasons (a Volagi Liscio) only comes with discs. I have ridden with them on a friend's bike and liked them fine. I am going from an old steel road bike to a new carbon one, so a bit more weight in the brakes is just not that big a deal for me. And I do ride through the winter here in Northern CA, not necessarily though rain, but on plenty of wet roads (when we are not actually in a drought). So the thought of having disc brakes for getting down some of our curvy hilly roads is a plus.

[pll]

SRAM and Magura make hydraulic rim brakes.

SRAM: https://www.sram.com/news-articles/sram-s-new-hydraulic-road-brakes-2015
Magura: http://www.magura.com/en/bike/products/79-2014/rim-brakes.html

Perhaps there are others, but those are the ones I have heard of.

[pll]

(ever missed a remount and gotten caught in the brakes?)

I realized this could happen and then it did. Very unpleasant, big, big bruise and a couple of abrasions. I was trying to remount more aggressively than my skills allow.

[aronan]

thanks. Interesting. I had only known about hydraulic disc brakes before this.

[SheFly]

I realized this could happen and then it did. Very unpleasant, big, big bruise and a couple of abrasions. I was trying to remount more aggressively than my skills allow.

Oh - YIKES! I've done this, too, and it HURTS. Now imagine doing it and you are of a different gender... I know of one guy who did that and got himself, um, stuck.

SheFly