USA vs Europe - Disc vs VBrakes

[Michele]

I was wondering, in USA most of top guys if not all are using disc brakes while in Europe no one is on disc; any opinion?

 

[DirtyWorks]

Opinion -> The Europeans understand that 'cross is not a braking contest.

Look at it another way, what would be the point of discs at elite level racing if most are still using conventional cantilevers and getting a podium? Seeing some pros using discs has sold a bunch of bikes to people who will never go very fast but spend a ton of money looking the part. That's the point.

 

[avanti]

Here is what Katy Compton has to say about the subject:

"While some others have been quick to jump on the disc brake bandwagon, Compton is taking a decidedly more measured approach and perhaps rightfully so. After all, though it offers a lot of benefits in theory, it's still largely untested on the World Cup circuit, particularly in the often exceptionally nasty conditions of European races."
Source: http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/pro-bike-katie-comptons-trek-crockett-disc

 

[laurel1969]

Opinion -> The Europeans understand that 'cross is not a braking contest.

Look at it another way, what would be the point of discs at elite level racing if most are still using conventional cantilevers and getting a podium?.

Whilst that is true, there is an underlying reason why big names such as Sven Nys have been late to the party (and of course everybody is looking at him) and that is to do with the availability of the right equipment and more crucially from the right sponsors. For example Sven Nys didn't have a lot of options with wheel choices.

You have to remember that the professional riders have a huge amount of equipment. If they made the decision to stay with cantis before the season that’s a whole heap of equipment wasted for all their sponsors. They are looking at each other to see if the stuff works and after Lars Van Der Haar won the first 2 world cups, Nys decided to try it out.

But, you are quite correct when you mention the commercial aspect of this, and it is certainly true that disc usage is in the hands of the manufacturers rather than the riders.

Also in the US, frame manufacturers are advancing the technology and the groupset /compnent companies are collaborating. Whereas in Europe its the opposite with a lot of frame companies being very much behind in developing frames that can take discs.