grumpyoldgit
Über Member
- Location
- Surrey
If the works manufacturers decide that discs are the way to go,watch the weight fall off,& the strength increase.
Disc brakes on road bikes
- Thread starter earth
- Start date
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Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
Most things are going to be speculation until discs on road bikes go mainstream and we start seeing how manufacturers try to get around the limitations.
I am not claiming any certainties, merely stating that, maybe not clearly enough, that some of the concerns around disc brakes are (probably) over egged because manufacturers working on the state of the art kit can usually negate a lot of issues through clever engineering.
I am not claiming any certainties, merely stating that, maybe not clearly enough, that some of the concerns around disc brakes are (probably) over egged because manufacturers working on the state of the art kit can usually negate a lot of issues through clever engineering.
400bhp
Guru
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
So, you agree that at the moment, disc brakes are relatively heavy road bikes.
Well, yes and no.
But I thought this thread was refering to the future introduction of mainstream disc brake road bikes, not a few random niche bastard child bikes 
lukesdad
Guest
and the price
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Except that on MTBs they still aren't lighter than canti's or Vs despite years of development, so why ahould road bikes be any different?
I'd very much like to think they could be made as light as a caliper system, and hassle free too, but it doesn't seem likely if recent MTB history is much to go by.
Frames or forks are unlikely to get lighter either as a consequence. You can't weaken the fork crown by removing material as the forces going through it will be greater by virtue of the leverage imposed by braking forces applied at the other end of a fork blade. And the forks themselves will be heavier to both mount the caliper and to prevent twisting caused by having a disc on only one side so torsional stiffness will need to increase.
I really would love to see it happen at a weight that makes it viable over calipers, but I just can't see it. I'd like to be proven wrong though.
400bhp
Guru
Well, yes and no.
:cough: nope
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
That makes no clear distinction, lol!
TBH, I don't even know why I am debating so much, on a topic I have little interest in because I don't mind either way, boredom I suppose. The reality is, I am a sucker for bling and a set of nice road calipers far out bling any disc brake on my scale.
TBH, I don't even know why I am debating so much, on a topic I have little interest in because I don't mind either way, boredom I suppose. The reality is, I am a sucker for bling and a set of nice road calipers far out bling any disc brake on my scale.
400bhp
Guru
I know it doesn't, you seemed to imply it did.
Bling on bikes - nah leave that to cars.
AndyPeace
Guest
- Location
- Worcestershire
The best reason for disc brakes is surely their ability to work well in difficult conditions like mud, standing water,etc... when the breaking surface on rim brakes may be compromised. Good for a MTB or a hybrid...but no real advantage on a road bike, or am I missing something?
lulubel
Über Member
- Location
- Malaga, Spain
Having recently (in the last few months) started riding a MTB with hydraulic disc brakes, I wouldn't hesitate to use them on a road bike if they became readily available.
I remember having major issues with the brakes when I first started riding road bikes. I remember going straight across the A30 at about 20mph on my first ride in the wet because I braked and nothing happened. I'd obviously got used to the poor performance (relative to the V brakes I'd used previously) of road bike brakes in the years I'd used them, but hydraulic discs have been a revelation.
They're so smooth. Progressive braking is effortless (and I think that's the reason I can stop a lot quicker on my MTB without locking the wheels). A slight twitch of one finger regulates the speed (compared to the death grip I need to control my road bike's speed from the hoods).
From my perspective, they're more difficult to set up and maintain - I haven't had to bleed them yet - but once I've got over the initial worries about it, I'm sure I'll be as relaxed about maintenance as I am about rim brakes.
I remember having major issues with the brakes when I first started riding road bikes. I remember going straight across the A30 at about 20mph on my first ride in the wet because I braked and nothing happened. I'd obviously got used to the poor performance (relative to the V brakes I'd used previously) of road bike brakes in the years I'd used them, but hydraulic discs have been a revelation.
They're so smooth. Progressive braking is effortless (and I think that's the reason I can stop a lot quicker on my MTB without locking the wheels). A slight twitch of one finger regulates the speed (compared to the death grip I need to control my road bike's speed from the hoods).
From my perspective, they're more difficult to set up and maintain - I haven't had to bleed them yet - but once I've got over the initial worries about it, I'm sure I'll be as relaxed about maintenance as I am about rim brakes.
AndyPeace
Guest
- Location
- Worcestershire
What rim brakes were you using, for example 105's... I've used disk brakes which are weaker than quality rim brakes. Cheap brakes, wether they're disk or rim will always be poor.
lulubel
Über Member
- Location
- Malaga, Spain
I've used a number of different ones over the years. None of them come anywhere close to the control I get from the Shimano hydraulic discs on my MTB.
MattHB
Proud Daddy
- Location
- Deepest darkest Dorset
Hydraulic discs are the business, but i doubt they'd be able to get the weight of a hydraulic system low enough for roadies? Surely they'd be mechanical only
Colnago seem to have managed
Welcome to a new era of high performance road bike braking, the Colnago C59 Disc.
Colnago have taken a bold step towards the future of road bike evolution with the introduction of the C59 Disc. Featuring fully hydraulic front and rear disc brakes it is set to bring a whole new level of performance and safety to the Colnago road bike line. The frame and fork are fully compatible with standard PM calipers too.
With twin 140mm diameter discs the frame and fork have also been redesigned in the key areas where the brakes are mounted. The fork is completely new, whilst at the rear of the main frame the chainstays and the seatstays are also new, to cope with the increased loading that the disc brakes generate at their mounting points. The C59 Disc is compatible with both electronic and mechanical groupsets.
Along with the main chassis changes, Colnago have also designed their own matching wheel system, the Artemis Disc. These wheels feature disc-specific hubs and full carbon composite wheel rims.
Now, no matter the weather, you can have the most powerful and controllable braking system available on a road bicycle. The system is easy to service, should it ever need servicing - as the system is essentially closed and there are no cables to replace or wear out. The regular maintenance will only consist of checking the brake pads for wear, and replacing them when needed - which is a simple five minute job.
