Discs or Vs?

[gambatte]

How could a brake that is more controllable, with better feel that is more reliable, predicatable, and actually progressive not be a benefit?

Is that the question. Or is it with a bike that’s going to be £500 quid, for commuting, is an ‘upgrade’ from Vs to discs the best use of the available money?

Personally I reckon there’s probably other areas of the spec that would be better addressed.

But if you have to have discs, get hydros.

 

[domtyler]

Looks like it will be at least ten years before they rule the road racing world.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

And in my experience they can be unreliable and unpredictable.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that hydraulic disks are necessary on a road bike, especially one for around 500 quid, but the people who suggest they are unduly heavy, unreliable, unpredictable or difficult to set up, etc, have had very different experiences to me.

I have found all three sets in our household to be completely the opposite. It's hard to think of another component that has been so faultless for so long.

So I think on a mtb they are a no brainer and on the ultimate commuter they should at least be considered, but don't discount them for any technical short comings.

 

[Nigeyy]

I'll opine on this one: First and foremost a bad disc brake is always going to be worse than a good v-brake setup, and a good disc brake is always going to be better than a poor v-brake setup. Much has to depend on the quality of the brake you get.

Personally, I think good discs are better than good v-brakes, but I definitely don't think discs should be used or that I'd recommend them every time. And of course good discs do come with a price: financially, usually in weight, usually more complexity (rear rack fitting issues are not uncommon) and not to mention they do make your bike more attractive to thieves. I'm not sure I buy that discs can be easier setup and maintenance wise than v-brakes -just my experience but since I can't stand dragging disc brakes I've found I've spent far more time adjusting disc calipers and straightening discs to avoid that dreadful "shrrap shraappp" noise.

I think what you do get with good disc brakes are usually better modulation and power and better control, as well as improved braking in the wet and less rim wear. And as previous posters have mentioned whichever v-brake I'd have, I'd put Koolstop salmons in them (recently I've been using an old ht mtb with LX brakes and levers running koolstops and I've been surprized how good they are.)

I have discs on my touring bike; I really wanted them, but now in retrospect I think they were not really necessary, just a really nice "to have" thing. Not that I'd ever take them off as I prefer them to v's or cantis, but for the cost involved I'm not sure they're worth it. Good v-brakes with salmon Koolstops are more than adequate for the road -however having said that if your bike came with good discs I wouldn't take them off.

You pays your money, you takes your choice.

 

[Rykard]

hmm some interesting points there. I know that if I take discs out of the equation is opens up a lot of other bike options... at the rough price I think I will be lucky to get good discs, I am using cantis at the mo, so Vs would be an improvement. I picked up the rear wheel of a guy at work yesterday and couldn't believe how heavy it was compared to my real wheel .. so I think I will steer away from discs and back towards Vs..

thanks for the views guys...

 

[Membrane]

There is another option: hydraulic v-brakes. They have some of the properties that people like about hydraulic disc brakes like less spongy response (particularly on the rear brake), light operation, and share some of the drawbacks like fiddly, price, weight.

 

[TheDoctor]

Sora dual pivots with decent blocks (Fibrax salmon as I couldn't find Kool-Stop!) will lock either wheel on my road bike. Can't see any need for anything more powerful, as the brake isn't the limiting factor for me.

Would be nice to lose the grey brake crud though.

 

[Rykard]

I hadn't considered hydraulic vs , haven't seen them on anything as std.

 

[Membrane]

I hadn't considered hydraulic vs , haven't seen them on anything as std.

That's fairly rare alright, one example is the Focus Aventura: http://www.focusbikesuk.com/07/focuscitybikes/city_bikes_aventura.php

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Hydraulic Vs have had their day. There may be some advocates amongst tandem riders or retro mtbers, but they offer no advantages over cable V's in addressing the issues of rim wear, brake block wear and grey filthy mess in the wet.

As to the chance of seeing disks on UCI road racing bikes, I think there might be one big 'driver' for this to happen and that is carbon rims. Although carbon blocks have returned some vestige of effectiveness to brakes with these rims, disks would solve the problem entirely. Also without having to provide a braking surface, there are more rim shape options available to designers. (and I don't just mean 'round'!)

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Sora dual pivots with decent blocks (Fibrax salmon as I couldn't find Kool-Stop!) will lock either wheel on my road bike. Can't see any need for anything more powerful, as the brake isn't the limiting factor for me.

Would be nice to lose the grey brake crud though.

GEARGH! I have having this argument with one of my friends last night over a couple of beers.

Its not about extra power, its about the ability to have incredibly fine control over your braking power.


p.s. I very much doubt that you can lock your front wheel in the dry.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Is that the question. Or is it with a bike that’s going to be £500 quid, for commuting, is an ‘upgrade’ from Vs to discs the best use of the available money?

Personally I reckon there’s probably other areas of the spec that would be better addressed.

But if you have to have discs, get hydros.

If we are talking £500 commuter I would steer clear of disks.

If we are talking ultimate commuter hydraulic disks are a must.

 

[Membrane]

Hydraulic Vs have had their day. There may be some advocates amongst tandem riders or retro mtbers, but they offer no advantages over cable V's in addressing the issues of rim wear, brake block wear and grey filthy mess in the wet.

Good v-brake blocks are softer than the rims, rim wear should be minimal. The little rim wear might still pose a problem for fragile light weight road wheels, on a solid commuter wheel I cannot see it as a problem. Disc brake pads also wear.

I don't know anything about MTB, but it wouldn't surprise me if hydraulic v's have lost market share in that segment. MTB rims are going to be soiled with muck, much less so with discs. A commuter is an entirely different story.

Let's not forget that discs require greater spoke strength to deal with the much greater forces that need to be transferred to the hub.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

I still don't get it though, if you can afford a decent disk brake, why would you get an inferior product just because you thought you didn't need a disk?

Thats like being able to afford central heating, but only using a fireplace.

Argh, maybe I'm just being bloody minded ni the opposite direction!!

 

[Membrane]

I still don't get it though, if you can afford a decent disk brake, why would you get an inferior product just because you thought you didn't need a disk?

<Robert de Niro>Are you talking to me?</Robert de Niro> (quote please)

Answering as if you were: v's aren't better or inferior to discs, both have pros and cons. What works best for a given situation depends on a fair number of variables. Let's leave it to the OP to decide what is likely to work best for him.