disk brakes or not?

[Kevin ADDERLEY]

?

 

[ianrauk]

for what type of riding?

 

[Pauluk]

When I first got my new bike with disc brakes I was very disappointed and started to think it was just the manufacturers trying to add value where it wasn't necessary. I couldn't stop mine squealing for any length of time and one or both of my wheels would always be rubbing slightly on the pads.

However, now I've completely changed my mind having used them for a while and having used them in the last couple of weeks with all this rain. I think they are brilliant. They stop me very quickly and I mean quickly even when its very wet.

They're also good if you have to take the wheels off, say if you have a puncture. No fiddling with brake mechs, the wheel comes clean off. When you pop the wheel back on the pads also show you if the wheel is properly centred.

I'm a convert now and I wouldn't go back to rim brakes. My disc's still squeal if I don't clean them but so what, I've heard rim brakes squeal if they're not toed in properly.

If it were me, I'd definitely go for disks

 

[sidevalve]

Modern rim brakes are quite good too. Havn't had to pull a cyclist with rim brakes out of a hedge or the back of a car for ages now.

 

[HovR]

Cheap cable actuated discs - Not worth the bother.
Higher quality cable discs and hydraulics - Definitely a good choice if you're doing a lot of wet weather riding or offroad.

 

[black'n'yellow]

on a car? - definitely.

 

[compo]

I am converted to discs on my hybrid. When the disc wears out it is a lot cheaper to replace than a rim.

 

[2wd]

Wish I had them on my Tricross Sport (2011 model) as the brakes lack of brakes are little scary

This years Sport has discs, but only Sora shifters and I really wanted a minimum of Tiagra, so chose last years model.

 

[Pauluk]

Modern rim brakes are quite good too. Havn't had to pull a cyclist with rim brakes out of a hedge or the back of a car for ages now.

I had to pick one up off the floor the other day because he couldn't stop in time in the wet. Fortunately he was ok and so was my bike that he clouted cus he couldn't stop in time.

 

[potsy]

Much prefer the discs of my Tricross to the rim brakes on the Secteur, even with the Koolstop Salmons.
They don't half squeal though when it's wet

 

[lukesdad]

I find rim brakes perfectly adequate for the road, quality, regular dressing and adjustment should be your watch words.

 

[skudupnorth]

Great when they work ! Not a fan of complex hydraulics though and will be changing to cable power very soon due to them being a pain to bleed when a nice simple cable can be done in a matter of minutes.For the kind of riding i do on the MTB they will do just fine.....i'm not entering massive downhill runs,just trails and canal paths

 

[coffeejo]

They don't half squeal though when it's wet

Sure that's not just you?

 

[MrJamie]

My rim brakes are very capable of locking the wheels with my 19 stone bearing down on them - so extra power would be wasted, but they really are pretty poor in the wet. One of the downsides of disc brakes on non-MTBs seems to be that they tend to go hand in hand with alu forks.

I guess from the OP's other thread, hes trying to decide between two versions of a bike, one with disc brakes one without, but there are a number of other differences in spec to consider.

 

[Pauluk]

They don't half squeal though when it's wet

My squeal in the dry too but I find it warns peds to my approach

Great when they work ! Not a fan of complex hydraulics though and will be changing to cable power very soon .....

Thanks for that skud, I'll keep cable operated ones then