I know some here are on the edge of their seat waiting for the day to get a road bike w/disc brakes.
This is, by far, the best article I've read that discusses the very significant issues known for many decades regarding the use of Disc Brakes for this application.
At the risk of sounding hopelessly old school
this seems like a bad answer to a question no one is really asking. Ok, canti’s on my cross bike stink, but the v brakes on my MTB stop just fine although my next MTB will have discs. But I have never complained about the stopping power of my road brakes. I don’t deal with long mountain descents so pads last a few years and my braking surface on my road wheels have never been worn out. I just see the high heat resulting in a dangerous situation.
Mr Van P - February 22, 2012
I totally agree.... then again I think electronic falls in the same category.
both those ideas read:
Much risk, cost, weight, complexity for perceived performance gain
Of all the ways I would improve a road bike, electronic transmissions and hydraulic brakes would be far, far, far down the list.
LawrenceS - February 22, 2012
i really like that article
too bad someone had to get hurt to bring it about. there’s lots of issues there i hadn’t thought about. it’ll be interesting to see how/if they develop.
ant1 - February 22, 2012
Great article - thanks for the link!
I use disc on my commuter bike – mostly because I learned that in the winter I need disc for riding in the snow and ice. This bike also serves as the one to tow my 4 yr old around in the trailer or on the trail behind, so the extra stopping power of disc is welcomed there.
Strangely enough I’m just not interested in disc on my road bike, and I can’t tell you why. I guess the standard brakes there work just fine They worked well on the long descents of the Angeles Mountains (when I lived there) and they work just as well on the steep, but usually wet and also much shorter hills around here.
muk - February 22, 2012
Thanks Ryan
Good write up, not every blogger would sacrifice their life and limb for the greater good!
As an aside, I can’t see disc-for-road penetrating the racing market easily.
And as if carrying both 10 and 11 speed rears isn’t enough, the neutral support would have fits if that expanded to discs too.
And there isn’t a chance on a quick wheel change!
MavicMoto - February 22, 2012
the whole blogger sacrificing life and limb for greater good...
Count me out.
Chris Fontecchio - February 22, 2012
Not to discount the blog post, or the author
because I really did find the whole thing a great read and well worth the time.
But am I the only one who, let’s say as a kid who didn’t know better, has used the heel of a foot on the side wall of the rear tyre to slow down their ride?
Just saying…..
muk - February 22, 2012
I had no idea this was an issue
I just assumed that the reason rim brakes were preferred was to do with better modulation and lower weight.
Thanks for setting me straight.
Drongo - February 22, 2012
Brake hard, ease off, brake hard, ease off
is of course a smart thing to do, even in the car. But when riding in a group, it may not work out terribly well.
On longer descents I tend to find that the brakes actually become grippier, but less smooth. Why could that be? It always gets me worried.
papyrus - February 23, 2012
The heat on the rim/rotor and pads changes how they work together in every brake.
Some work better cold, some better hot (ex.:Carbon Rotors)
Ryan_Liles - February 23, 2012
Local shop mech (retired AF C-130 crew chief . . .)
thinks that road disc brakes need fairly large carbon rotors.
thoughts?
R Mc - February 23, 2012
No; er yes
No – Technically, Carbon rotors really work properly once they are super hot.
Carbon Rotors are used in F1 Racing, so this has been developed now for over a decade (maybe 2)
Er, yes – In most Races, everyone is effectively riding on 700c Carbon or Alloy Rotors.
AKA – The Rim.
So, the Shop Mech is technically correct . . . sort.
Ryan_Liles - February 24, 2012
Buell Motorcycles has a patented brake design –
Zero Torsional Load (ZTL) perimeter floating front disc brake system.
Something like this would address the issues identified in the article, but would add rotational weight and overall weight of the brake system.
Ryan_Liles - February 24, 2012
Shocking read
I’d heard a few mumbles about disc brakes but now I get it.
Chris Fontecchio - February 23, 2012
Thanks
Never liked them on any type of bike.
tedvdw - February 23, 2012
occasionally on a winter MTB ride
i will go through a stream and the ice on my brake surface prevents me from stopping with the V brakes, but it is avoidable, and even when I decide to splash through (because riding thru streams is fun) I just need to squeeze the brakes a few times to get back to the rim surface.
Mr Van P - February 23, 2012
Some counterpoint discussion
in rbr (from message no. 7 down)
tedvdw - February 24, 2012
Very interesting read
I’m still reading, but I wonder if the crux of it is that some riders are simply underprovisioned on their brakes (i.e., rolling with single piston 160s when the weight really demands something more).
I ride with big honking disc brakes on my MTB in the Shenandoah Mountains (and so would you, Peter, if you rode with me). The transition from my V-brakes to them was one of the best things that ever happened to my MTBing. I am absolutely convinced of the benefits of disc brakes over rim brakes in the right application.
I’m not entirely sure that discs really outperform normal road calipers, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they did cantis. I’ve definitely suffered pucker-inducing fade on long mountain descents with my Dura-Ace road brakes, but I had plenty of warning ahead of time. So that sort of felt like it was just me getting what I deserved, after ignoring the signs. Cantis, on the other hand, make me feel like I’m rolling around in some ridiculously underspec’d car. Then again, I’m rolling with 88kg.
If I end up in the market for a year-round touring/commuting bike, I’ll probably go with discs. But for my A road bike? It’ll be a very very very long time before I think about anything with discs.
Sui Juris - February 24, 2012
My next MTB will have discs
since it’s really the standard now, and I can see the advantage on steep descents or bad weather. Plus being able to stop with one finger is a plus. I can say this, V’s are a huge advantage over canti’s and since my old MTB frame and fork didn’t come disc-ready, I use what I have. My next bike purchase though will be a FS 29er and I doubt v brakes would even be an option.
Mr Van P - February 25, 2012
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