Disc brakes on a touring bike

[midliferider]

Thank you all for your replies. Just for the record
I did have a Merc and I opted for automatic gears. But since I no longer need a big car and don't even do 10000 miles a year, I now have a smaller car.
It is not fun looking for a mechanic in a country where you don't speak the language etc. I have had troubles in finding a decent cycle pump after repairing a puncture.

I think I need 2 or may be 3 more bikes.
One with disc brakes to cycle at home to get used to them.

One with disc brakes to tour in Europe or where I can find a mechanic

One with rim brakes to tour outside Europe.

 

[Nigeyy]

fwiw, I have disc brakes on my sardar but they are avid bb7 cable actuated. Never had a problem...

But I only tour in non-remote easy to find a bike shop sort of places. Maybe if I was touring somewhere really remote I might have second thoughts, though if I did that I would probably take one spare caliper and disc. But that is assuming they are cable discs, and of course I'd be touring somewhere really remote!

Knowing where I tour though, I wouldn't hesitate to get hydraulic discs now. I think some people are nervous of them when in reality they are very reliable (well, the good ones). Back in time I bet people used to say don't tour with those new fangled derailleurs... too complex and unreliable....

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I've just read from a bicycle maker that "...if you transport your bike by air, your disk brakes will need bleeding due to the pressure changes."

Is that true? Sounds like a myth.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I've just read from a bicycle maker that "...if you transport your bike by air, your disk brakes will need bleeding due to the pressure changes."

Is that true? Sounds like a myth.

Absolute BS.

 

[raleighnut]

A

I've just read from a bicycle maker that "...if you transport your bike by air, your disk brakes will need bleeding due to the pressure changes."

Is that true? Sounds like a myth.

myth, however you may need to do it after your bike has been 'handled' by this kind of fella,

View: https://youtu.be/vz_Sxh4526w

 

[Dayvo]

Absolute BS.

That's one answer. Another might be 'no, that's not true.'

 

[Smokin Joe]

People treat disc brakes on bikes like they are some kind of complex new invention rather than something which has been tried and tested on motor vehicles for decades and are a universal fitting. The only time I have ever touched brakes on cars and motorcycles is to change the discs or pads when they are worn out. I've never needed to bleed hydraulic brakes in my life, there is no reason it should be any different on a bicycle.

 

[mmmmartin]

All this good advice sounds very sensible. FWIW I'd say it depends where you're going with the bike. If you're crossing India I'd go knowing for sure something will go wrong and would take the simplest bike you can find. OTOH if you're pootling around Belgium where there are bike shops used to dealing with top-end racing bikes, then discs will be fine. Although I'd suggest taking spare discs in case the ones on the bike become damaged.

Also I'd suggest having a chat to a decent UK bike retailer (eg Spa or Thorn, etc) and ensuring they know all about the bike so you can ring up from Patagonia and say which bit is bust, can they post a replacement first class - now. Thorn are used to this, do it all the time. But buy a bike from Halfords and try explaining to Spa which cheap and nasty bit has broken then fitting a replacement using borrowed tools in a village in remote Spain? Nah.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

People treat disc brakes on bikes like they are some kind of complex new invention rather than something which has been tried and tested on motor vehicles for decades and are a universal fitting...I've never needed to bleed hydraulic brakes in my life, there is no reason it should be any different on a bicycle.

I've never owned a bicycle with disk brakes but I've worked on motorcycle brakes a fair bit. In my experience any issues occur slowly and when you fix them you immediately know if you have done it right or not since they either work or they don't. There's no finickiness or unreliability.

So I feel or felt the same way you do but so many people seem to have trouble with them (both on the internet and people I know) I can't help but wonder if they are less robust that automotive brakes. There seem to be so many issues of screeching, rubbing, suddenly going spongy etc.