bike with disc brake more advantages or disadvantages?

[Gianluca Randazzo]

good morning everyone I wanted to buy a new bike and I was curious about the idea of ​​buying one with the disc brake on the road because it's really a novelty. Looking at the various sites I was attracted to this http://www.tecnobici.com/shop/index.php?id_product=1383&controller=product look your advice.

 

[winkybiker]

Only advantage of discs is better braking is if you ride in the rain a lot. Otherwise, heavy, non-aero, ugly and expensive for close-to-zero benefit.

 

[avanti]

A LBS mechanic told me never use a radial spoke wheel with disc brakes.

 

[DirtyWorks]

A LBS mechanic told me never use a radial spoke wheel with disc brakes.

That's a tricky "never." Hub bodies have to be manufactured to different tolerances for radial builds anyway. People, including me, would build and ride them anyway.

It's been a long time, but one used to have to find hubs that specifically supported radial spokes. I don't know if hub manufacturers are specifying this anymore or not. A disc hub *definitely* needs to specify supporting a radial build.

That fork better be a thru axle if you are going to buy a bike with disc brakes.

 

[Badeend]

During the winter and when riding serious downhill's it's an advantage. I've ridden with the hydraulic ultegra's and i must say they perform very well.

The moment the pro's are allowed to ride with disc's it will probably go to 'disc only' in a few years, definitely in the expensive bikes. The same as we've seen on mtb's.

 

[GoodTimes]

Disc brake development is interesting, but I'm not about to be an early adopter. Maybe in a few years...

On a road bike, on a dry day, typically the limiting factor for stopping power is the amount of friction between your wheel and the road. That is, with conventional brakes, you can usually skid your wheel out via slamming the brakes if you want to. As has been stated above, disc brakes will have an advantage for rainy days, but I don't normally notice that I don't have enough stopping power when I'm out in the rain, and so for me, this is not a major selling point.

On the otherside, I do think there is potential to reduce the wear on the bike rims, and thereby get more life out of your rims. This is a nice feature, but would have to be compared to the greater maintenance cost of supporting a disc braking system...

Weight wise, disc brakes may be heavier than the standard calipers (I'm not sure which way this leans). But I do think there is a good amount of potential to get lighter wheels - or I should say lighter rims (and we all know that the rims have the greatest affect on the rotational mass equivalent of the wheels). If you remove the requirement of having a braking surface on the rim, then you can likely reduce the strength requirements of it / use different materials, and possibly reduce it's size or shape it in a more arrow fashion. Maybe somebody more familiar with track bikes can comment on if track bike wheels have a similar design philosophy as road wheels, in terms of rim profiles.

The comments about radial vs tangential spokes are interesting, and I did not consider this. Definitely impacts your options in a front wheel. I suppose that's another draw back of the disc brake system.

 

[GoodTimes]

During the winter and when riding serious downhill's it's an advantage. I've ridden with the hydraulic ultegra's and i must say they perform very well.

The moment the pro's are allowed to ride with disc's it will probably go to 'disc only' in a few years, definitely in the expensive bikes. The same as we've seen on mtb's.

During serious downhills I've heard horror stories of exploding wheels due to the high thermal input of braking. Avoiding this is definitely a good thing. But, do you know if the disc brake actuator is resilient to high thermal loads that are anticipated in such a situation?

 

[Granville57]

Wrong sub-forum for this discussion. Should be in Bikes & Gear.

See the following:

Disc brakes on road bikes

Road race disc brakes?

Disc brakes on a road bike? yes or no?

 

[Gianluca Randazzo]

But no professional team equips road bikes with disc brakes. how so?

 

[del1962]

But no professional team equips road bikes with disc brakes. how so?

I think it contravenes UCI Rules for races.

 

[Master50]

But no professional team equips road bikes with disc brakes. how so?

They are still looking at a number of things related to safety, standards for wheels, quick release or thru axel. whether there is a significant increase in the chance of burns from hot rotors. cuts from the disks too in mass pile up accidents. if they are made legal, do all teams need to go disk at the same time?
Right now only CX and MTB permit disk brakes for competition.

 

[ustabe]

Here we go again.

I look at road disc as just a lot of overhead--expense, weight, and complexity--for something that doesn't get used all that much.

Consider the long stretches of miles you've ridden without touching your brakes, and recall how wonderful they were because you weren't pushing significant excess weight and aerodynamic drag around. And paying a lot of money for it.

I'm seeing this on other forums and in the shop where I work. New road riders come in all fired up about getting a road bike with disc brakes. Then they test ride one, then try one with rim brakes, then look at the price and the weight, and they end up buying the one with rim brakes. After all, the reason you spend a lot of money on a road bike is to get a light one.

There's a market for disc brakes in guys looking for a second bike for cyclocross or to use on dirt roads and bad weather days--the so-called gravel racer market--but right now it looks like a pretty narrow segment.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Here we go again.

I look at road disc as just a lot of overhead--expense, weight, and complexity--for something that doesn't get used all that much.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Newer riders without much experience like the feel of having so much brake even though it's useless except maybe when wet.

 

[OffTheBackAdam]

Got to find a way to get us to buy new bikes.

 

[ray j willings]

Disc brakes work great but I do not like them on racing bikes.
I don't like electronic shifting. No problem with 11 speeds manual, the 12 speed tiso electric is a bit crazy.
I have no issue with UCI dropping the weight limit but I like the feel/ look of a traditional bike and would not want to see the physical connection being lost in favour of tech.

 

[King Boonen]

If you race, and are really, really good as to benefit from the slight aero advantage of rim brakes over disc, and tend to ride in the dry on roads you know then you don't need discs.

If, however, you're like me and ride in freezing Scottish rain and wind on roads you don't know and approach a corner you thought was shallow and find it isn't, you'll wish you had discs. For a few buttock clenching seconds I know I really did!

The difference between discs and rims in the wet is night and day and for many of us the added benefits of not destroying rims, overheating tubes etc. really are worth it.


Discs will stop you quicker. It is easier to reach the point just before lock-up, as they have better modulation, so while overall braking forces may not change you reach optimum braking force quicker and can stay there easier. The fact they are not affected by water and mud is a huge benefit for many.

The vast majority of amateur cyclists would benefit from disc brakes, but I am aware that on this site guys are likely to be the elite of the amateurs and as such would not benefit as much.

 

[King Boonen]

I should add, I've even considered getting a new fork and just running a disc at the front...

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

If you race, and are really, really good as to benefit from the slight aero advantage of rim brakes over disc, and tend to ride in the dry on roads you know then you don't need discs.

If, however, you're like me and ride in freezing Scottish rain and wind on roads you don't know and approach a corner you thought was shallow and find it isn't, you'll wish you had discs. For a few buttock clenching seconds I know I really did!

The difference between discs and rims in the wet is night and day and for many of us the added benefits of not destroying rims, overheating tubes etc. really are worth it.


Discs will stop you quicker. It is easier to reach the point just before lock-up, as they have better modulation, so while overall braking forces may not change you reach optimum braking force quicker and can stay there easier. The fact they are not affected by water and mud is a huge benefit for many.

The vast majority of amateur cyclists would benefit from disc brakes, but I am aware that on this site guys are likely to be the elite of the amateurs and as such would not benefit as much.

I don't agree at all. Quite the opposite. Discs create the additional difficulty of dealing with hydraulic fluid, etc. or more complex braking systems. They're heavier. Quite frankly, I don't see the huge advantage in braking unless it's raining. My alu rim brakes stop nearly as well.

I would say that most amateur cyclists roll out in decent weather and aren't riding in mud, rain, and snow very frequently. For those that do, then yes, disc brakes can be a benefit.

 

[King Boonen]

I don't agree at all. Quite the opposite. Discs create the additional difficulty of dealing with hydraulic fluid, etc. or more complex braking systems. They're heavier. Quite frankly, I don't see the huge advantage in braking unless it's raining. My alu rim brakes stop nearly as well.

I would say that most amateur cyclists roll out in decent weather and aren't riding in mud, rain, and snow very frequently. For those that do, then yes, disc brakes can be a benefit.

I'm not sure what you disagree with, as almost all the benefits I talked about relate to wet cycling, and then you acknowledge that they stop better than your alu rim brakes. How about your carbon rims?

It's not difficult at all to deal with the fluid and is a much less common occurrence than people like to make out, but then most people send their bikes to the shop for a service so they don't even have to worry about it. You also don't have to adjust for pad wear, it's done automatically.

They may be slightly heavier but that can be off-set by making lighter rims, where the weight matters more.

I would also say most amateur cyclists ride in the wet, but it depends on the climate obviously. If you refuse to ride in the wet here you basically will only ride your bike a few weeks a year at best.

 

[winkybiker]

You also don't have to adjust for pad wear, it's done automatically.

This is true, but potentially a trap for the unwary. Colleagues of mine have found that the time between the last usable bit of pad being worn, and no brakes at all is very short, and comes without warning. With regular rim brakes, the increasing throw of the lever gives you feedback that your pads are wearing. Not so with hydraulic discs.

 

[ustabe]

Got to find a way to get us to buy new bikes.

Yah, there's the planned obsolescence factor.

No matter how well preserved, nothing's older than a 12 year-old carbon bike with 9-speed Ultegra and an "anatomic" handlebar.

 

[Master50]

A bit of a sidebar here. Just purchased a Tandem with a rear Mechanical disk. You can actually stop the bike with only the rear disk. You could not brake this hard on a road bike rear wheel as it would slip. The front is a dual pivot POS with enough reach to accommodate the tires and clearance for fenders but this has to be replaced eventually. Di2 with a broader gear range and Hydro disk upgrade with front wheel and fork with through axle. Wow, Brakes on a tandem that really work great. We used to have a tandem with just Vee brakes and it was awful braking.

 

[King Boonen]

This is true, but potentially a trap for the unwary. Colleagues of mine have found that the time between the last usable bit of pad being worn, and no brakes at all is very short, and comes without warning. With regular rim brakes, the increasing throw of the lever gives you feedback that your pads are wearing. Not so with hydraulic discs.

It's not a problem I've heard of with mountain bikes, but is definitely worth thinking about. The tools needed to change disc brake pads are, usually, the kind of things you would carry anyway, so taking a spare set of small pads would be no hassle really. Changing is a 3-5 minute job.

I guess some of the problem is the pads are hidden away in the calliper, out of sight out of mind...

 

[King Boonen]

A bit of a sidebar here. Just purchased a Tandem with a rear Mechanical disk. You can actually stop the bike with only the rear disk. You could not brake this hard on a road bike rear wheel as it would slip. The front is a dual pivot POS with enough reach to accommodate the tires and clearance for fenders but this has to be replaced eventually. Di2 with a broader gear range and Hydro disk upgrade with front wheel and fork with through axle. Wow, Brakes on a tandem that really work great. We used to have a tandem with just Vee brakes and it was awful braking.

A convert? Or were you already on the disc bandwagon?

They really are much, much better than rim brakes. They're not necessarily required, but if I could get them on my next bike (which will be a long time so I'm sure I will!) I would. I want this:

http://www.donhoubicycles.com/signature-steel/

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I'm not sure what you disagree with, as almost all the benefits I talked about relate to wet cycling, and then you acknowledge that they stop better than your alu rim brakes. How about your carbon rims?

It's not difficult at all to deal with the fluid and is a much less common occurrence than people like to make out, but then most people send their bikes to the shop for a service so they don't even have to worry about it. You also don't have to adjust for pad wear, it's done automatically.

They may be slightly heavier but that can be off-set by making lighter rims, where the weight matters more.

I would also say most amateur cyclists ride in the wet, but it depends on the climate obviously. If you refuse to ride in the wet here you basically will only ride your bike a few weeks a year at best.

They stop marginally better than my rim brakes on alu rims, in exchange for a significant cost difference. That's a disadvantage to me.

Carbon rims? I have one set of carbon tubs. All my other wheels are alu. As far as fluid is concerned, taking the bike to the shop and waiting/paying for brake bleeding is a huge disadvantage vs. fixing the brakes yourself with a simple allen key.

So, we have more weight, extra cost, extra cost of maintenance vs. nearly identical performance, lower cost, ease of maintenance.

I'd say rim brakes win this one by a long shot on the road bike. On the MTB, it's a different story, obviously.