Disc brakes vs. 'normal' brakes??

[BigonaBianchi]

I was just wondering why some bikes have disc brakes but mos troad bikes don't? I am ignorant of brake issues..just so long as they work is where I am at..but clearly each has its pro's & cons..what are they?

 

[jamin100]

I think road bikes don't have road brakes because if the added weight of disc's

 

[ianrauk]

My new road bike has discs...being delivered this week hopefully.
I bought it for my commute for 2 reasons 1: Better stopping power (especially in the wet) 2: I'm sick of rim brakes eating the rims.

 

[slowride]

Whilst I'm waiting for my cycle scheme voucher to arrive, I did pick the Cube Hyde partially due to the disc brakes.

I've not tried them before but having not ridden for 10 years and starting to commute through London I want all the braking power I can get. If the cost a bit more to maintain (just an assumption cause I really don't know) then to me it'll still be worth it.

But on the other hand I'm sure there have been improvements on rim brakes during my hiatus.

 

[ColinJ]

I think disk brakes will gradually find their way into the road market. They are not allowed in road racing, so if you race, they are a no-no. Apart from that, they have a lot of advantages. They don't wear rims out, for a start! They don't heat your rims up on long, Alpine descents so you won't risk blowing a tyre off. Hydraulic brakes feel good (no cable friction). Disk brakes should work better in the wet

Stopping power is neither here nor there because it is easy to lock wheels up using conventional brakes.

I don't think that the weight difference would be a huge issue. You could get pretty close to the weight of standard brakes. Okay, it might be for racers, but as I mentioned above - racers can't use disks anyway!

 

[Dave W]

Disc brakes are ace, bloody noisy in the wet but at least they still work. Also as someone mentioned above, no rim damage.

Hydraulic discs for me though every time. Some bikes at work had cable discs and they were a pain in the backside. I don't mind rim brakes on a dry weather only road bike but my hybrid commuter and MTB have discs.

 

[Globalti]

I'm waiting for the first hydraulic road disc brake....... will it be Shimano or SRAM?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I was just wondering why some bikes have disc brakes but mos troad bikes don't? I am ignorant of brake issues..just so long as they work is where I am at..but clearly each has its pro's & cons..what are they?

because the pro boys get free rims and real world cyclists don't.

 

[Andrew_P]

SRAM are indicating this year for Hydro brifters.

http://www.bikerumor.com/2011/09/22/eyes-on-volagi-di2-hydraulic-disc-brake-road-bike-in-white/ 17lb road bike, no UK dealer I priced up one for import, £3400 which sadly was beyond what I was prepared to pay! That was with cable BB7 and Ultegra

 

[2Loose]

I think disk brakes will gradually find their way into the road market. They are not allowed in road racing, so if you race, they are a no-no. ...

Which must be why SRAM are also looking at hydro rim brakes, Magura style.

Disks can't be made as aerodynamic as callipers, for TT's and such, where minuscule differences matter.

 

[kishan]

disc brakes :
*powerful braking
*noisey when cold/damp
*great for muddy conditions the mud dont effect its braking power
*dont wear rims out
*does make the bike heavy

nromal brake system :
* does make noise when wet or cold
*not the strongest braking power
*loses braking power in wet and muddy conditions
*wears rims out

 

[Andrew_P]

I would counter the making a bike heavy what is gained on calipers can be lost on the wheels due to no need for the braking surface.

The current downside is that no mass production carbon out and out road bikes are being made with discs so the wheelsets are very limited.

If and it is a big if they become UCI legal for road racing I think it will go main stream really quickly.

 

[lukesdad]

My new road bike has discs...being delivered this week hopefully.
I bought it for my commute for 2 reasons 1: Better stopping power (especially in the wet) 2: I'm sick of rim brakes eating the rims.

You want to stop stopping at all those bl**dy traffic lights then Ian !

 

[fossyant]

Disc brakes are fugly on a racing bike. Can go on any other though. My road rim brakes eat rims at the rate of one every 12 months on the commuter.

 

[ianrauk]

You want to stop stopping at all those bl**dy traffic lights then Ian !

Best get a fixie then...