Disc vs Caliper on new Road bike - price difference

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Deleted member 26715

Guest
However, he’s looking at Rose, no one else sells their bikes (post #6)
Ah in that case if they are Rose DE with a co.uk domain then I'd be looking for another bike, they are on my avoid/walk away list.
 

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
Personally I'm completely sold on discs for all the usual reasons and think that they will fairly rapidly become the new standard on mid-high-end road bikes, just as they have on MTBs. I think the presence of genre-merging gravel bikes will only serve to accelerate this process.

Tbh I'd never consider buying another new road bike with rim brakes, although a £400 difference is signficant and not reflected in the price of the groupsets on Chain Reaction (last time I looked it was about £400 for the rim brakes set, £500 for the discs). However, that doesn't include the cost of the discs themselves or the potential higher cost of associated components (frame, wheels).

Potentially a good point that the old bike might have had its price cut to clear, but equally could just be price-gouging at the top end.

As to whether the discs are worth the extra, unfortunately the only one who can make that decision is you ;)
 
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kenam

Regular
Ah in that case if they are Rose DE with a co.uk domain then I'd be looking for another bike, they are on my avoid/walk away list.
To make it even more difficult, I am temporarily south of the Irish border - so its a .ie instead :biggrin:
 
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kenam

Regular
Not sure why there is a £400 price difference but comparing Ultegra rim brakes to 105 disc brakes was night and day for me. More control, consistency and breaking power , also the brakes take far less effort to use. Best to try a test ride if possible for a few miles on a disc brakes bike to see how you get on with them and if the extra is worth it for you. The ability to fit wider tyres is helpful if the roads by you are uneven.

ye - I was looking at the 105 disc version. Bike went out of stock, but then the whole lockdown happened anyway so I put it out my mind.
When I went back to look I seen the rim version was back too and I guess I was just a bit surprised at ~£380 difference. It *seemed* a bit like gouging.

I will probably pull the trigger on it anyway as I would like a new bike (old road bike is creaking and wheezing along) and due to all sorts of factors (COVID, being over on Irish soil, less chance to shop around etc) it seems a good enough investment.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
ye - I was looking at the 105 disc version. Bike went out of stock, but then the whole lockdown happened anyway so I put it out my mind.
When I went back to look I seen the rim version was back too and I guess I was just a bit surprised at ~£380 difference. It *seemed* a bit like gouging.

I will probably pull the trigger on it anyway as I would like a new bike (old road bike is creaking and wheezing along) and due to all sorts of factors (COVID, being over on Irish soil, less chance to shop around etc) it seems a good enough investment.
Hopefully they have stock and delivery times are sensible. Enjoy 👍
 

si_c

Guru
Location
Wirral
I'd happily pay the extra for discs, especially for longer rides - the action on hydraulics is much lighter than that of rim brakes and far less fatiguing on the hands. If you have larger hands the size of the hydraulic hoods is actually quite nice.

It's generally a thing at the moment, if a company offers a disc brake version it's generally more expensive than a rim brake version, there's some difference in the component prices ~£150 but the rest is pretty much a disc brake tax. In my opinion it's definitely worth it and I'd take 105 disc over ultegra rim at the same price for example.
 
Shimano hydraulic shifters are really ugly :ph34r:

if you’re going be riding a lot in bad weather in traffic, hydraulics might be more worth considering. I wouldn’t pay an extra £400 though. How much is each bike?

I agree, but I find mine really comfortable with what seems like a slightly longer reach.

I have one hydraulic and one caliper road bike. Probably the hydraulic require a bit less effort to stop, and are better in the rain, but not a lot in it in the dry.

If you're talking about a couple of thousand plus for a bike the extra for discs might be worth it, but less than £1k I wouldn't bother. At the end of the day it depends how affordable £400 is to you.

Edit: just noticed the basic bike is just over £1k, so personally I wouldn't spend the extra. But then I'm a tightar#e.
 
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kenam

Regular
I agree, but I find mine really comfortable with what seems like a slightly longer reach.

I have one hydraulic and one caliper road bike. Probably the hydraulic require a bit less effort to stop, and are better in the rain, but not a lot in it in the dry.

If you're talking about a couple of thousand plus for a bike the extra for discs might be worth it, but less than £1k I wouldn't bother. At the end of the day it depends how affordable £400 is to you.

Edit: just noticed the basic bike is just over £1k, so personally I wouldn't spend the extra. But then I'm a tightar#e.
Good advice - buy a more expensive bike then, that's it, ye :biggrin: :biggrin:

On it..!
 

pdvm

Member
Location
Sheffield
I reckon you pays your money, you takes your choice. (Though, as above, I think 400eu is a bit on the steepish side)
I did 80,001 miles commuting in all weathers (rain, flood, sleet and snow - no driving) to work between 2003 and 2018 and wore out quite a lot of stuff!
I did have disks on one of my bicycles for a while - and yes, the braking was more "positive" and required less effort but if you "know" your rim brakes then long experience will dictate how to compensate for adverse conditions and what pressure and techniques are needed to make them work effectively. The effectiveness of rim brakes is also much dependent on their quality; both of the calipers and the pads. All in all, I found disks to be more expensive to run - the initial cost was higher, the pads were more expensive and they wore out more quickly. (I build and re-rim/rebuild my own wheels and also factored in the costs of worn out rims.) When that bicycle reached the end of its life; it was replaced with a rim brake model, specifying the best available - my reason was that the extra costs and hassles did not outweigh the benefits.
Others may find the balance more acceptable. ^_^
 

MrGrumpy

Huge Member
Location
Fly Fifer
Kind of agree with all above here, rode rim brakes for long enough through all weathers commuting. Went through quite a few rims in that time. However good rim pads are like night and day compared to cheap ones.

Would I buy another rim braked bike not sure I would unless it’s was an absolute bargain !!
 
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kenam

Regular
food for thought there..

tbh I was going disc because it just seemed the choice these days (lazily going for it). Never rode it - always rim brakes and yes I usually know exactly what to expect in terms of braking efficiency (especially as the 'cycle of wear' goes on.. i.e. the extra pressure required as the wear down, and then sometimes that few days where you need to remember not to use a particular brake because you have been too lazy to change it and its actively harming the rim!)

I didn't know that they wore out much more quickly tho..
 
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kenam

Regular
Have you tried Canyon?

There is a wider question I am looking at - I have really only had one proper bike (2010 Cube Peloton) and I don't have much comparison.

I went along with the Rose SL for aesthetics and probably similarity (A with carbon fork and upgrade of components all round). I do a lot of longer rides, and I fancy some bike touring over a few days at the end of the summer (if we can travel!) - but when I thought about it that effectively meant the same bike I have now (A not super aggressive road bike) - especially if I need luggage on it, there are loads of options these days for saddle bags without needing stays and racks etc.
 
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