Road Bikes, V Brakes?

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WJC1981

Active Member
Hi all,

This may be a stupid question but why do a lot of the road bikes even ones upto £1000 not have disc brakes?

If you were looking to buy a road bike what kind of brakes are the best?
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Because rim brakes work perfectly well and lots of people like or prefer them
Disc brakes cost more so you’ll get a better overall spec and lighter bike with rims, and may even get a bargain 👍
Disc brakes are still pretty new to road bikes, within the last 5 years or so

discs are potentially of value if you’re going to be commuting in traffic in all weathers, better stopping in the wet and no rim wear (although you’ll get through pads and maybe put up with brake squeal)
 
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CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
Road bikes come with disc or rim, V brakes are more popular on hybrids and some MTB. I've never seen a road bike with V brakes.

I'm a fan of rim brakes if you're riding in good weather... discs are better in the wet.
 
I specced my bike with rim brakes, mainly because I know where I am with rim brake for maintenance, control (sometimes lack of :whistle:), avoiding brake squeal and being a weight weenie they are lighter. Arguably the biggest cycling team (Team Ineos) spec all their bikes with rim brakes too and fastest ToF descents have been done with rim brakes as they simply work and work well.

Other reason other than choice, discs add to the cost and weight can be a selling attribute for a bike and at that price point disc tend to add weight.

The advantage of discs though they are powerful for stopping and consistent in all weathers (that's where rim brakes excellent in the dry less so in the wet can catch folk out) you can only stop as well as the grip on your tyre though.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Rim brakes with decent pads will throw you over the front as good as anything!

I don't see the reason for discs. On my utility/touring bike where weight isn't that much concern, I have hub brakes, which are like discs in that they stop the same in all weathers and need beefier forks, but they require less maintenance, aren't as easily noisy and aren't vulnerable to being knocked/bent when parked.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
It’s progress innit? This has been discussed here many times, there are pluses and minuses on both sides but the fact is disc brakes have fewer minuses than rims given the superior stopping power and modulation they provide. You are going to see them appearing on more bikes whether budget, premium or race models.
They have already become de riguer on Gravel bikes and tourers and in a few years times I believe rim brakes will only be found on budget bikes.
 
Road bikes come with disc or rim, V brakes are more popular on hybrids and some MTB. I've never seen a road bike with V brakes.
The only example I've seen is a friend's (that I am frequently wheel-sucking) with an aero-mini-V type thing on the back. It might have conventional road-brake on the front, I can't remember! It looks kinda trick, IMO. One of the big brands (Giant? Trek? maybe)
 

raleighnut

Legendary Member
Disc brakes are fugly.
 

ozboz

Guru
Location
Richmond ,Surrey
I bought an MTB that has discs on , at first I found them noisey and not quite as I had been led to believe they are the dogs in brakes , I had to really tug on the levers , a cheapish Shimano brand , anyway I bought a new set of XT levers and callipers , never had a peep out of them and no problems in really bad rain or deep mud , I took my Road bike out yesterday for a rest run ( drivetrain mod ,I’ve not ridden it since last August ) , that has Ultegra rim brakes ,newish blocks and well tweaked , all was ok until it rained , they worked well , but I had more confidence in braking with the discs on my MTB , if I get another Roadie I’ll get one with discs I think , just a personal preference,, one thing , if you go for them and do any work on them near the callipers , be as clean as ! otherwise it screech and squeal city ! ,
 

craigwend

Grimpeur des terrains plats
The only example I've seen is a friend's (that I am frequently wheel-sucking) with an aero-mini-V type thing on the back. It might have conventional road-brake on the front, I can't remember! It looks kinda trick, IMO. One of the big brands (Giant? Trek? maybe)
I've seen this on a couple of bikes too, though not recently, might have been TT type bikes, also at the bottom near the lower chain stays bridge and not easy to get to
 

vickster

Legendary Member
@WJC1981 what will you be using the bike for?

As mad as it seems, £1000 is a budget at the lower end for a road bike with disc brakes, especially if wanting hydraulic
 
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