Disc brake or not?

[Globalti]

It sounds to me as if the OP's younger brother is getting quite serious about his cycling, judging from his distances, climbs and the fact that he rides all year round in the Irish weather. If that's the case, a carbon bike with discs has far more than just its pecuniary value, especially one as well reviewed as the Synapse. Not all cyclists are on a tight budget or looking for the best value in terms of components and frame material; cycling may be his only activity and his only expense, in which case I think he would feel disappointed with the alloy non-disc version. I reckon asomething like a Synapse or Roubaix disc is about as far as an amateur rider would need to go into the realm of the exotic without paying stupid money for a fancy Italian brand name. In a very wet climate discs are a sensible expenditure and will probably repay him in brake pads and wheel rims.

 

[Father Jack]

There are pros and cons of both rim and disc brakes. I've got both rim and cable disc brake.

All year bike, or summer dry road bike
Performance, in wet.
Rim wear (or not)
Wheel trueness required (or not)
Cost/availability of pads, and ease of fit. Also can visibly see rim blocks.
Mudguard clearence for calipers, fitting around calipers/and panniers
Weight
Availability of wheels
Ease of setting up, and tolerances ie disc brake pad distance is pretty small.

I am happy with short reach calipers on my road bike, however in the wet with deep drop brakes, or snow they are pretty useless. However, is that a bad thing, if you don't have traction for braking, then having brakes that can stop you on a full stop from 50mph to 0mph probably not a good idea.

 

[Wafer]

It sounds to me as if the OP's younger brother is getting quite serious about his cycling, judging from his distances, climbs and the fact that he rides all year round in the Irish weather. If that's the case, a carbon bike with discs has far more than just its pecuniary value, especially one as well reviewed as the Synapse. Not all cyclists are on a tight budget or looking for the best value in terms of components and frame material; cycling may be his only activity and his only expense, in which case I think he would feel disappointed with the alloy non-disc version. I reckon asomething like a Synapse or Roubaix disc is about as far as an amateur rider would need to go into the realm of the exotic without paying stupid money for a fancy Italian brand name. In a very wet climate discs are a sensible expenditure and will probably repay him in brake pads and wheel rims.

I know, I'm just saying I don't see where the extra money is going between the rim 105 and disc ultegra to the point that I be looking at how other options compared in terms of vfm, which was pretty much the original question before finding out the specs were more different. If the relatively cheap wheels of the Ultegra version are fine, I'd question whether other parts of the bike were overspecced for the needs.

 

[jowwy]

I know, I'm just saying I don't see where the extra money is going between the rim 105 and disc ultegra to the point that I be looking at how other options compared in terms of vfm, which was pretty much the original question before finding out the specs were more different. If the relatively cheap wheels of the Ultegra version are fine, I'd question whether other parts of the bike were overspecced for the needs.

Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes are £495 alone, add to that the carbon frame, redesigned fork to take disc brakes, then theres your 1k price increase

 

[Wafer]

On wheels that can be picked up for about £150...

 

[jowwy]

On wheels that can be picked up for about £150...

Wheels are a week point on nearly all shop bought bikes.......unless its a high end build

 

[Wafer]

To me, £2.5k is high end

 

[jowwy]

To me, £2.5k is high end

This how i see it

£1000 carbon frame and forks
£500 ultegra groupset
£500 hydraulic brakes
£500 for wheels, tyres, tubes, saddle, bars, stem, headset, bartape, spacers etc etc

So not much space in there for an expensive wheelset

 

[Father Jack]

I've just bought this

http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/Ca...-Bottle/1XO5?gclid=COSKkrGl4MYCFajKtAodKEcJSg

for this bike

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/3510...3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108

lol

 

[Cuchilo]

I'm not sure I will go the disk brake route ( this may change if ALL the other boys have disk brakes ) Reason being is wheels . Once you have your nice bikes you kind of start collecting wheels when you see a good deal . You have training wheels , winter wheels , commuting wheels , carbon wheels with alloy braking , carbon rims with carbon braking ,tubs and a rear disk . oh and a turbo set . There is still more to add and all can be bought at a good price sometimes a massive bargain second hand .
If you buy a disk braked bike you're kind of limited to buying new wheels . I have a mate just across the road I ride with and he is more than welcome to use any of my wheels but has a disk braked bike .

 

[Milkfloat]

I totally agree. I am in the market for a new bike, would love a Giant Defy Advanced, but in their infinit wisdom, Giant have gone Disc only. I have no need or want for discs, mainly due to my wheel collection. I am waiting for Canyon to announce the 2016 endurace series, I hope if they go disc they also support rim braking too.

I guess 5 years down the line it will all be disc, but I am not ready for that leap and don't think disc on road bikes has properly matured yet.

 

[jowwy]

I'm not sure I will go the disk brake route ( this may change if ALL the other boys have disk brakes ) Reason being is wheels . Once you have your nice bikes you kind of start collecting wheels when you see a good deal . You have training wheels , winter wheels , commuting wheels , carbon wheels with alloy braking , carbon rims with carbon braking ,tubs and a rear disk . oh and a turbo set . There is still more to add and all can be bought at a good price sometimes a massive bargain second hand .
If you buy a disk braked bike you're kind of limited to buying new wheels . I have a mate just across the road I ride with and he is more than welcome to use any of my wheels but has a disk braked bike .

You just have to buy all those wheels again, but for disc brakes - simples

Only bike i got thats not disc braked is the shiv, as disc brakes aint required on that......and all my wheels for disc brakes are all interchangeable, including the carbon ones

 

[Cuchilo]

You just have to buy all those wheels again, but for disc brakes - simples

Only bike i got thats not disc braked is the shiv, as disc brakes aint required on that......and all my wheels for disc brakes are all interchangeable, including the carbon ones

At a rough guess that would cost me @ £5000 not including the cost of the brakes .

 

[jowwy]

At a rough guess that would cost me @ £5000 not including the cost of the brakes .

Best get buying then lol

 

[Wafer]

I'm happy with my disc braked bike and my next bike will also have discs, along with a hopefully cunning plan to have some half decent wheels that will fit both bikes. I don't have a garage full of old wheels though!
Personally, and it's an opinion of course, I'd cut back on the groupset and brakes and put more into the wheels in the above formula. I can see the cheap wheels on a grand bike, find it disappointing on a 2.5k bike....

Hence why I'm looking at getting LBS to build something based on a frameset I guess.