Recommendations for a bike with disk brakes for commuting?

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g00se

Veteran
Location
Norwich
I've got cable disks on mine. A bit agricultural :tongue: but work fine - Hayes MX4s. Work great in the wet and mud.

Kona Dew hybrids would fit the bill if a hybrid is what you want. The Dew Plus has mech discs at £450 and the more expensive Deluxe and Dr Dew are hydraulic. The Dew Drop (drop bars) is mech as there are no hydraulic brifters yet.
 
Location
EDINBURGH
I have BB7's on the trike, great brakes, but only 30cm of cable on each so expected really.
 

djb1971

Legendary Member
Location
Far Far Away
These easily outperform dual pivots and cantis, especially when loaded or in the wet. They also do excellently off road!! All of my other bikes have dp/canti brakes but they don't come close to feel or stopping power to bb7s. It isn't just to do with the stopping power of brakes , it's the feel they give enabling to stop quickly without locking. These piss all over my other brakes in bad conditions, and braking on bends/descents I've hit a little too quickly :tongue:

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Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
Also it might be fractionally easier and quicker changing a wheel on a road bike with conventional rim brakes. In both set ups you have to get the wheel centred in the drop outs but with a disc brake set up you have to get the brake disc centred in the caliper as well.

Also a disc brake set up for a road race bike would considerably increase weight of rotating mass on the wheel, it may also affect aero dynamics, important on a TT bike.
 

Steve Austin

The Marmalade Kid
Location
Mlehworld
Crankarm said:
Also it might be fractionally easier and quicker changing a wheel on a road bike with conventional rim brakes. In both set ups you have to get the wheel centred in the drop outs but with a disc brake set up you have to get the brake disc centred in the caliper as well.

its quicker removing wheels with discs, just undo the QR and it falls straight out. no need to adjust the brake at all.
as for re-fitting, its so easy!. no need to centre wheeland disc, it all jsut slots into place. its so easy

Crankarm said:
Also a disc brake set up for a road race bike would considerably increase weight of rotating mass on the wheel, it may also affect aero dynamics, important on a TT bike.

Disc brakes actually decrease the rolling mass. The disc, and caliper are in the in the centre of the wheel, so less rotating weight. the rim can be made lighter as well, as there is no need for a braking surface.
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
Steve Austin said:
its quicker removing wheels with discs, just undo the QR and it falls straight out. no need to adjust the brake at all.
as for re-fitting, its so easy!. no need to centre wheeland disc, it all jsut slots into place. its so easy



Disc brakes actually decrease the rolling mass. The disc, and caliper are in the in the centre of the wheel, so less rotating weight. the rim can be made lighter as well, as there is no need for a braking surface.

Not sure about that as a disc brake hub has more weight as it has a carrier to support the disc and the weight of the disc and bolts which a conventional current road bike does not have. This then rotates with the wheel.

You don't need to adjust the brakes on changing a conventional road bike wheel. Just use the lever to open the caliper slightly, undo the QR, slip the wheel out and refitting is the reverse. Takes seconds. With a disc brake you have to make sure the disc is square in the caliper to the pads, more so than when aligning a road bike wheel in a canti set up.
 

djb1971

Legendary Member
Location
Far Far Away
Crankarm said:
With a disc brake you have to make sure the disc is square in the caliper to the pads, more so than when aligning a road bike wheel in a canti set up.

Mine slide straight into the back of the dropouts and are fastened easily. The caliper is already aligned to do this. If you need to mis align your wheel in the dropouts the caliper isn't fitted right.

The only thing to watch when changing with a disc is that the disc is going into the caliper when re-fitting.

easy:biggrin:
 
Location
EDINBURGH
Steve Austin said:
Disc brakes actually decrease the rolling mass.

Really? So adding a disc and the disc mount to the hub decrease the rolling mass?

Want to try that one again?
 

Cyclist33

Guest
Location
Warrington
http://www.bikedock.com/posit/shop/search.php?searchtext=NBFX29&format=1

summerdays said:
Mr Summerdays is in the early stages of thinking about getting a new bike. This is more just to get a few suggestions bikes to look for rather than about to buy. His current bike has front suspension and he fitted the disk brakes himself. He isn't bothered about having suspension and would consider going towards the road bikes but definitely wants the disk brakes. He has a preference for hydraulic brakes rather than mechanical though not essential.

What is out there for a max £1000 although he would probably prefer less than £800.

He would like the bike to be lighter than his current 15 kg one.

As more bikes with disk brakes are appearing for the commuting market is it worth hanging on for this next years new bikes?
 

gavintc

Guru
Location
Southsea
Debian said:
Yes - drive on the right = left hand lever operates front brake. Drive on the left = right hand lever operates front brake.

Some riders swap them anyway, this is why I say check your brakes first thing every ride whether it's your bike or a borrowed one. You do not want to find out that your brakes don't work / are reversed when you're screaming downhill at 40 mph!

Yes, when I was having my bikes serviced. The shop wanted to switch the brakes over to the continental style. I told him to leave them.

But, we then bought an automatic scooter with brakes on the levers and I was amazed to find the right hand was front and left hand rear. I expected it to be the same orientation as for continental cycles.
 

Norm

Guest
gavintc said:
But, we then bought an automatic scooter with brakes on the levers and I was amazed to find the right hand was front and left hand rear. I expected it to be the same orientation as for continental cycles.
If it is that way, it's because motorbikes have the front brake on the right hand and the clutch on the left hand.

The right hand is generally both stronger and more sensitive so the rider can modulate the braking power easily, whereas the clutch lever, in the left hand, is used more like a switch.
 

gavintc

Guru
Location
Southsea
Norm said:
If it is that way, it's because motorbikes have the front brake on the right hand and the clutch on the left hand.

The right hand is generally both stronger and more sensitive so the rider can modulate the braking power easily, whereas the clutch lever, in the left hand, is used more like a switch.

Yes, it fits with my previous motor cycle experience - just confused that bikes seem to be the exception.
 

bauldbairn

New Member
Location
Falkirk
djb1971 said:
These easily outperform dual pivots and cantis, especially when loaded or in the wet. They also do excellently off road!! All of my other bikes have dp/canti brakes but they don't come close to feel or stopping power to bb7s. It isn't just to do with the stopping power of brakes , it's the feel they give enabling to stop quickly without locking. These piss all over my other brakes in bad conditions, and braking on bends/descents I've hit a little too quickly :wacko:

30052010172.jpg



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Nice bike - by the way! :sad:

What is it exactly?? :smile:
 
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