End of the road bike era?

[Butterbean]

I had exactly this one, but now have the same frame with disks so I can compare apples with apples.

 

I ran Paul canti brakes, as good as it gets and they worked beautifully. I would happily go back to them.

 

BUT, there was noticible brake shudder from the front brake under hard braking

(this is a problem with all canti brakes and is due to the design of the system with the calipers on the fork and the cable anchored on the frame).

 

Also, the modulation is not nearly as good as on disks so the risk of lock up was much higher.

 

Overall, no matter how good cantis are, all other things being equal, disks are better.

I agree. I feel that the manufacturers have tried to push disks into production road bikes too soon.

 

The only time I'll be moving to disks is when the following happens:

 

I can find a road geometry steel frame with disks. Preferably another ritchey road logic.

 

Road wheels are disk specific. I don't want a wheelset with disks and a brake track. I'm also interested at the aero and comfort gains manufacturers will achieve without the brake track limiting width and shape.

 

When ultegra grade hydraulic calipers are available.

 

Would also love to see a different material on the brake disks themselves. I still don't like the idea of searing hot brake disks in a bunch crash on the road.

 

Once those things are sorted, I believe disks will be far superior to cantilever brakes. But for now, the cost is not worth the underdeveloped products made for road.

 

***im not applying this to cyclocross, only road applications***