Will UCI ever legalize disc's?

[Raineman]

I think the biggest issue is neutral service, at present they just have to know whether campy or shimano/sram. Throw into the mix different axles and rotor size and things start to become very complicated. Once that gets sorted out then I reckon the change will happen fairly swiftly

[BCSS]

I have electronic di2 with the disc, and what a setup.

Great! What bike do you ride if I may ask. What's been your experience, any downsides you discovered, anything that you think they should improve in a second iteration of disc brakes. Do you ride 140 or 160 rotors? Have you traveled with the bike, any issues putting the bike in a box?

Would be very keen to hear your experiences

PS I agree I couldn't care less about UCI accreditation but unfo manufacturers seem to be stuck moving forward until there is a 'ruling'

[limniki]

I selected a black on black Colnago CX Zero 52s w/Ultegra DI2 and Shimano Hydro Brakes. The discs are 140mm, any larger would be a distraction. perhaps on my mountain bike. I have not traveled with the bike, although my concern was the disc brake caliper when the wheel was off the bike. they have orange spacers to place into the actual disc caliper to prevent actuation should you hit your brake lever. I did look at Pinarello Dogma Hydro and the C60. Price was a concern, especially when you start pricing the final bike build. However, my senses came to me and I did not want to spend $12,000. on a bike, even though $9,000. was the final for this one. I put Zipp Firecrest 303 Disc Clinchers on the bike and this combination is top notch. I could not go back to mechanical shifting or mechanical brakes. I do enjoy old school, yet when new technology slaps you in the face, its hard to ignore the benefits. Once on hydraulic disc brakes, you will not want rim brakes again...Oh, on the second iteration of the brake, I think the foundation, based on the Shimano Deore Xt and raced for years has been a proven technology. Some of the issues have been heating of the disc, they can get nearly red hot from a long descent, but at least your not leaving rubber seared coating on your rims. I think the other issue is weight and aerodynamics. Small issues for my little world.

[limniki]

I like to compare the difference with rim brakes to disc brakes like this...Would you put the best drum brakes or disc brakes on your high end automobile(Porsche,Ferrari,Lambo,etc) I believe the tests for effectiveness of disc brakes plays out well in the automotive arena...Ooops, drum brakes are (nearly) obsolete...All of the rim brake aficionado's probably still have an 8track stereo and 27inch tube tv...

[dogg]

I think the biggest issue is neutral service, at present they just have to know whether campy or shimano/sram. Throw into the mix different axles and rotor size and things start to become very complicated. Once that gets sorted out then I reckon the change will happen fairly swiftly

with 11sp it doesn't matter if they're on campag or shimano. cassette spacing the -same-

[dunbar42]

I rode a top level S-Works Tarmac with DA Di2 and Shimano R785 hydraulic disc brakes for 30-40 minutes at a Specialized Test The Best event. Under normal (non-panic) braking I didn't think it braked as well as the Venge I rode right after it with carbon clinchers and 6800 rim brakes. There was a dead spot on the hydraulic levers when you first started to squeeze the lever to apply the brakes. It also didn't seem to have any more stopping power / mechanical advantage compared to rim brakes. IMO the only real reason I can see to run disc brakes is for really rainy and/or muddy conditions.

[Calnago]

+1 Last week I spent an afternoon on a Giant Defy equipped with Ultegra Hydros. Was really just testing out the frame so wasn't really concerned about the componentry, but I had the exact same feeling. In the dry at least, I prefer my Campy Super Record mechanical brake setup. I am looking for a decent rain bike however, and my biggest concern is not whether it's disc or not, but whether it has enough clearance for a proper install of full fenders. Disc brakes do make for better fender clearance in the absence of rim brakes, but on balance I'd just prefer the rim brakes.

If I was commuting every day to work all winter long in the wet weather we have here, then I would be looking at discs (along with bigass tires) but that is really the only scenario at this point I'd put them on a nicely set up high end road bike. Just looking at those things make me sad . For the times that they might actually be better, I will probably not be heading out on my bike (i.e., torrential downpour as I contemplate going for a ride), and that leaves the times I actually get caught out in a torrential downpour, and I can cope with that the few times I need to with nicely adjusted rim brakes.

And do I really want mountain bike spacing on my road bike (the horrors). Or through axles up front (God No). Or ugly disk tabs all over the fork and rear stays (Oh my, stop me now). Or big rotors hiding my beautiful perfectly balanced symmetrical hubs (say it ain't so). And thick cables (be it hydro or mech) running down my fork to the pistons... might as well go back to a wired computer while we're running these things down there. And if I believed aero made a rats ass difference to my enjoyment on a bike, what about the eggbeating air being churned up in front and wrecking my slipstream as it passes over my finely honed body in it's shiny winter "skinsuit" (now that truly would be a horror of horrors).

Anyway, for those that want 'em, have fun.

[maxxevv]

Think somebody significant in the UCI has a real soft spot for Campag and are probably waiting for them to release a viable disc brake solution before approving the whole thing.

They are the only big player who doesn't have an in-house and viable disc brake solution at this point. I don't see how else and why the UCI would drag their feet on this for so many years ! ??

[mentok]

going from my mid-range disc'd crosser (trp spyre cable discs) which is running slicks at the moment then jumping over to my mid-range rim braked roadie (tektro something or others), i am always surprised how poor the rim brakes are in comparison. if i don't ride the crosser for a few days i come accept that the rim brakes are good enough and that I don't want for more, but when i'm swapping back and forwards the discs really are better.

[mattr]

"Tektro something or other"
That'll quite possibly be bargain basement, built to a price rim brakes then, likely sub 105 quality, and pads to match, not to mention the performance. And the TRP Spyre are amongst the better (possibly even the best?) pure cable discs around. Not really a like for like comparison.

Problem is that depending on how your "mid range" bike is specced (at say €1200), you could end with anything from bottom of the range Tektros (but a shiny rear mech and a posh carbon frame) or a set of ultegra calipers.

Try getting some decent pads in your road brakes for starters, or even get some decent calipers and new cables.

[mentok]

pads are swisstop yellows on my carbon rims and swisstop green for my alu and cables are typically in good nick. yeah, i could replace the calipers with something better, but as i said "rim brakes are good enough". they're just not great like my discs.

as for having preference on factors such as feel, i get the impression that people who mtb lots would be more inclined to like the disc feel than traditional roadies. they both definitely have their own particular style.

[mattr]

Hmmmm, i am an MTBer, through and through.

I'd hate to have discs on my (road) race bike.

(try some equivalent, middleish of the range, cable discs. They are truly terrible compared to even something like 105 calipers)

[HillRPete]

@moderator: A bit over hyperactive aren't we?? Not sure why my post doesn't warrant it's own topic, it's not only about UCI, what happened to freedom of speech and a bit of own judgement on this forum...the censorship you guys are entertaining here is a bit a joke!

No hard feelings, but I think you might want to check what freedom of speech and censorship actually is.
Sometimes it's annoying in the short term to have your thread merged into an overarching one, but in the long run it is quite helpful to cut down the fragmentation. If the board software had a nice way of indicating which post is being replied to, without the need for quoting, that might make those sub-threads more helpful.

[Raineman]

I think the biggest issue is neutral service, at present they just have to know whether campy or shimano/sram. Throw into the mix different axles and rotor size and things start to become very complicated. Once that gets sorted out then I reckon the change will happen fairly swiftly

with 11sp it doesn't matter if they're on campag or shimano. cassette spacing the -same-

Yes it doesn't matter for 11sp but they will still give the appropriate wheel for the drivetrain. Even some of shimano's neutral service wheels have campag cassettes (hence 3 wheels on the back of the bikes). My point was more variables would make neutral service much more difficult.

[stormur]

To not mention time of wheel exchange, and possible (unavoidable / panic situation /) troubles with it… that's big concern.

And late this "beloved" ding-ding-ding…..

Someone mentioned CX races… well, How many times last Eu season ( not the 1st one ! ) Elite race has been won on bike disc brakes equipped ? 1? 2? ….. Nys & Albert used disc once/ twice and… bye. Canti still are #1 . And for a good reason's. Plus I deeply believe that Trek is veery interested for using db by Sven… And couldn't force him to do so.

However this year we will see plenty of "whistles" in paddock : incl hydraulics ( Giant is 1st from row example from last weekend ) …

it MUST BE reason to buy new bike and plenty of new wheels