Poll on disk brakes

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Moderator: robbosmans

What's your opinion on hydraluic disk brakes for road bicycles?

Yes absolutely. The sooner every bike has disk brakes the better. Safer in the rain, more powerful and more modulation. They say they're almost maintenance free too.
27
16%
Yes. Disk brakes are in my future, my next bike will almost certainly be disk. I might keep my rim brake bike for summer days and hill climbs though.
28
17%
Yes. I think sooner or later every bike will be disk brake but we need more time for development, especially in terms of weight and standards.
20
12%
Maybe for some applications such as gravel bikes or commuting bikes yes, but not all applications.
25
15%
Maybe yes if they were no heavier than rim brakes and I was certain I'd never get brake drag.
13
8%
Not that bothered to be honest. There's a stack of advantages and a stack of disadvantages to disk brakes.
18
11%
Not for me personally. But it's great to have more choices, for some people and some conditions I can see the logic.
26
15%
No way! If it ain't broke don't fix it. Disk brakes have no place on road bikes whatsoever, they're just for MTBs. It's just a marketing gimmick to sell more bikes.
12
7%
 
Total votes: 169

User avatar
Lewn777
Posts: 1266
Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:35 am

by Lewn777

Personally I'm on the fence.

addictR1
Posts: 1878
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:11 am

by addictR1

Same here... Good thing I can't afford the new BMC


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User avatar
TonyM
Posts: 3376
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2015 4:11 pm

by TonyM

Compared to the rim brakes they are heavier, make the bike less agile, are more expensive and need a different maintenance than rim brake.
BUT when there is a rainy weather and/or when riding hills/ mountains with traffic, they are safer!!


And as I also do ride in the rain, especially now during the winter season, I decided one month ago to buy a disc brake road bike as my rain bike.

User avatar
Lewn777
Posts: 1266
Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:35 am

by Lewn777

TonyM wrote:Compared to the rim brakes they are heavier, make the bike less agile, are more expensive and need a different maintenance than rim brake.
BUT when there is a rainy weather and/or when riding hills/ mountains with traffic, they are safer!!


And as I also do ride in the rain, especially now during the winter season, I decided one month ago to buy a disc brake road bike as my rain bike.

There are stacks of advantages and disadvantages to both rim brakes and disk brakes. I think if they can do more work to eliminate most of the disadvantages and improve the advantages of disk brakes they might be able to win more people over.

I think you summed it up well.

Stickman
Posts: 75
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 1:58 am

by Stickman

I've got a disk brake alloy road bike, next one will likely be carbon with rim brakes, dry weather only. For winter, I'll hop on the disk bike.

elSid
Posts: 254
Joined: Sun Aug 02, 2009 6:59 pm

by elSid

This has been discussed to death.

csteenbe
Posts: 84
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 5:53 pm

by csteenbe

A solution for a non-existing problem !

Ticlimax
Posts: 92
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2016 2:44 pm

by Ticlimax

I just like that it won't wear out my carbon rims.

Broady
Posts: 678
Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 5:02 pm

by Broady

Main benefit, gumwalls don't get covered in dirty brake pad dust.

joejack951
Posts: 1162
Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 6:50 pm
Location: Wilmington, DE
Contact:

by joejack951

Broady wrote:Main benefit, gumwalls don't get covered in dirty brake pad dust.


Probably the most significant reason for gumwall fans like myself :)

User avatar
corky
Posts: 1732
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 5:53 pm
Location: The Surrey Hills

by corky

Great for winter bikes.....

angrylegs
Posts: 166
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 2:32 pm

by angrylegs

Been overly discussed, that's for sure. I'll weigh in again anyway as I have had more time on bikes with disc brakes:

I'm not really feeling the need for them on road bikes. I've raced and trained for years on rim brakes - all conditions and terrain. Never really had a problem. There have been a couple times I could have used them, such as getting caught at the top of a mountain in a sudden rainstorm, just in time for the descent, but even then I came down just fine, albeit a little more cautiously. If I had been on carbon wheels, that descent would have been ideal for disc brakes for me - it's just in al my years riding if there's enough of a threat of rain and I am planning a mountainous ride, I just don't bring the carbon.

There are some circumstances where they are good imho: gravel bikes, cross bikes, commuter bikes, all-weather riding with carbon wheels, all-weather training bikes. For my purposes, it's so rare that I end up with carbon wheels on in dodgy conditions and terrain that I don't wish to take the penalties involved.

And here's the thing - I'd take the penalties involved if I didn't notice them, but I seem to. Rode a Domane and a Parlee, each with disc brakes and Ultegra (one was Di2), each for almost a month. Was trying to decide between disc and rim for my next build so rode these a while. Both felt a little sluggish to me in the wheels. Once up to speed they were fine, but they didn't feel fantastically nimble. Felt a little harder to hold the speed. Could have just been the overall weight (usually that doesn't bother me too much), but my heavier Allez training bike with 105 and rim brakes just felt better in the wheels department, and overall acceleration. Ride qualities in other areas fell far more in the favor of the other two bikes for sure (though the Domane wasn't lively and felt like a Cadillac so I still like the aluminum Allez better then the Domane). Wheels were not exactly the same, so there's the rub, but they were in the same overall level of wheel. I'd really like after that experience to spec two bikes exactly the same, only one with disc and one without, because I'd think the central added weight of the rotors would not affect wheel performance, but it felt like it did. My next build for the spring is going to be rim braked due to those rides and the above - I'm not alpine descending in the rain so much, and don't do cross or gravel. My winter training bike (Allez) has aluminum rims and I've ridden through everything with it.

Shrike
Posts: 2019
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2016 5:08 pm

by Shrike

Went for the second option. I think by the time I've outgrown my current aero bike and want to buy a new high end aero frame, that the DB tech will be light and aero enough to pull me in.

For me the key advantage that outweighs everything else is that I can ride posher wheels more often without worrying about wearing down the rims.

bilwit
Posts: 1526
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2016 5:49 am
Location: Seattle, WA

by bilwit

I will eventually get a custom steel or Ti hydraulic disc brake bike with full fenders and 28mm hoops for rainy/winter commutes. For dry and fast days, rim brakes all the way.

baldy
Posts: 142
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 6:01 pm

by baldy

Have too much kit to add another style of wheels in the mix. And I would only have one pair of wheels if things went wrong. I seldom go down massive hills in the wet, and don't worry about wearing our rims as other things always seem to go wrong before the rim wears out. That is an excuse to upgrade/get more modern kit, as so much changes in a few years. Aluminium rims for the wet has always worked for me and my Shamals have always been great wheels. And the bike looks ugly with discs.

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