disc brakes

[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.

[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.