Is anyone using road disc brakes at road races?

[Spinnekop]

no idea what took so long.

 

quite how anyone can buy a NON disc road bike the past two years is beyond me.

Very easy.

 

I still brake okay with my road bike with normal callipers.  And I save 1kg.  Jip....1000g over your disc bike just by not falling for the latest money making scheme of the bike industry.

 

Road discs have been "legal" to compete with for quite a while now in the funrider groups.  UCI approved this months ago and CSA a few month after that.

 

The amount of *** those discs bring to the party is laughable.  The bike shops love it cause they make money off it. 

Not everyone can install them their selves.  

Break rub.  Cable issues with bubbles.  Horrible aerodynamics.  Heat.  (with higher speed comes higher heat and road discs are notorious small) 

 

But they don't tell you that.  Only the positives gets put forward.

Talk to any pro-tour mechanic that builds bikes daily and he'll tell you.

 

It all boils down to braking.  Yes discs break better.  But what you will have to ask yourself is......with how much crap will I have to deal with for that "better braking"?

 

In SA where the avg rider don't ride in the rain and where we don't have mountains, there is NO reason for you to buy a disc bike.  Only the suppliers and bike shops will push it.  Money is the game.

[Mongoose!]

Very easy.

 

I still brake okay with my road bike with normal callipers.  And I save 1kg.  Jip....1000g over your disc bike just by not falling for the latest money making scheme of the bike industry.

 

Road discs have been "legal" to compete with for quite a while now in the funrider groups.  UCI approved this months ago and CSA a few month after that.

 

The amount of *** those discs bring to the party is laughable.  The bike shops love it cause they make money off it. 

Not everyone can install them their selves.  

Break rub.  Cable issues with bubbles.  Horrible aerodynamics.  Heat.  (with higher speed comes higher heat and road discs are notorious small) 

 

But they don't tell you that.  Only the positives gets put forward.

Talk to any pro-tour mechanic that builds bikes daily and he'll tell you.

 

It all boils down to braking.  Yes discs break better.  But what you will have to ask yourself is......with how much crap will I have to deal with for that "better braking"?

 

In SA where the avg rider don't ride in the rain and where we don't have mountains, there is NO reason for you to buy a disc bike.  Only the suppliers and bike shops will push it.  Money is the game.

 

100% agree.

don't be overwhelmed by marketing stuff

the cycling industry is greedy... and they know (most) cyclist are suckers...

[Jewbacca]

Ok, so here's the thing.

 

Stopping power is only 1 very small thing that disc brakes bring to the party.

 

Without a brake strip, rims can now be made thinner, lighter and way more aerodynamic as they no longer need to incorporate pads. Rims are also no longer subject to heating up and cooling down on a regular basis which means they are less prone to fatigue and tubeless is not subject to the sealant going through the same process.

 

Installing them 0nce... seriously, installing them is not difficult and if done properly you will have no problems whatsoever. Please. Brake rub? Again, my missus can adjust her brakes to avoid cable rub and she hardly rides.

 

Also, you mention riding in the rain and dirty roads. With disc brakes you can still ride in the rain, get your carbon rims as dirty as you want and when you brake you won't scratch them, so you can ride your fancy carbon rims in any weather without having to have multiple sets of wheels.

 

Everyone gets hung up on the stopping power, but really that is a moot point and not the main reason discs are an advantage.

 

However, for the average joe riding to the coffee shop I agree, it's not worth shelling out a gazillion bucks. But then why not? You aren't buried with your money and having nice things is sometimes good. If you have a sick bike it might make you more excited to go riding and there is no harm in that.

 

Necessary? No.. but the practicality cannot be shut down because you think it's a waste of money.

 

Guys rode Freedom Challenge with tubes, elastomer shocks, 26 inch wheels and V-brakes. They rode it fast and they finished. Now people get to do the same route in the same time with all the modern trimmings. Arguing that road bikes should stay traditional and not use or at least try using proven tech is like arguing that air shocks are a waste of money and tubeless is stupid.

[Patchelicious]

100% agree.

don't be overwhelmed by marketing stuff

the cycling industry is greedy... and they know (most) cyclist are suckers...

I am overwhelmed by the difference in braking power and the confidence that give me.

 

As a person lucky enough to have a disc bike AND a rim brake bike, and switch between them often, I can assure you that some of us are not just victims of the greedy bike industry.

[Patchelicious]

...

[Monark]

I ride a disc road bike and have experienced none of the issues mentioned in this thread.... only the benefits.

 

I guess that's the difference between experience and reading stuff on the net.

[Patchelicious]

If you dont like disc brakes, then thats cool, you dont need to buy them, thats your choice.

 

But not everybody that has made the decision to buy a disc bike goes through the same decision making tree in their head that you did. They are also not all zombie consumers who are slaves to these evil marketing machines.

 

There is merit in them and if people think the pros outweigh the cons then thats their choice.

[Patchelicious]

 

 

It all boils down to braking.  Yes discs break better.  But what you will have to ask yourself is......with how much crap will I have to deal with for that "better braking"?

 

In SA where the avg rider don't ride in the rain and where we don't have mountains, there is NO reason for you to buy a disc bike.  Only the suppliers and bike shops will push it.  Money is the game.

 

No reason, not a single one?

[gummibear]

I had a disc BMC for a few days while my bike was in for repairs and it was an eye opening experience.

 

The bike was fitted with 28mm tyres and 140mm brake discs.

 

First day was ok as the route was flat but eish....the second day was crazy.Had a long 4km descent with a few hairpin bends and on 2 occasions the brakes got hot and the power faded and i almost crappped myself.Not sure of the type of resin on the pads but they  also wore down very fast.

 

3rd day it was raining and there is just to much braking power for the thin tyres.Tyres locked up a few times and is not funny when you not expecting it.

 

Theres a reason why motorbikes have ABS and i hope the next move for road bikes is ABS with the discs     

 

I'll stick to my rim brakes for now thanks 

[JanJan]

Everyone gets hung up on the stopping power, but really that is a moot point and not the main reason discs are an advantage.

 

I have never ridden a disk-brake road bike before, but I wonder to what extent the braking power is actually better, exactly as you mention. I feel the friction between tyres and tarmac is already much less than the amount of friction that can be applied with rim pads.

 

The 'other' advantages are very clear!

[Vetplant]

Someone with discs on their road model, please give me some feedback, I need practical feedback not the "I read that...":

 

The one argument against Discs is: that you already have enough braking power on rim brakes to lock up your wheels, so why bother if the tyre is just going to skid?

 

Is this not a case where rim brakes are more prone to lockup whereas with hydraulic discs the modulation is much better, you won't easily lock up the brakes? 

 

This is a question for dry conditions. I know in the wet everything changes, including the tyre contact with the road surface and the braking of rim brakes means you are in for some serious risk. Up to the point where I would not ride with a group of people in the wet on my road bike whereas the disc braked MTB would gladly go out in the downpour and the mud.

[ChUkKy]

Hi all,

 

.......

http://road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/main_width/public/canyon-ultimate-cf-slx-disc-8.0-di2.jpg?itok=PXGK4y56

 

I really hope none of my mates see this comment...

I'd buy this bike 

[Patchelicious]

Someone with discs on their road model, please give me some feedback, I need practical feedback not the "I read that...":

 

The one argument against Discs is: that you already have enough braking power on rim brakes to lock up your wheels, so why bother if the tyre is just going to skid?

 

Is this not a case where rim brakes are more prone to lockup whereas with hydraulic discs the modulation is much better, you won't easily lock up the brakes?

 

This is a question for dry conditions. I know in the wet everything changes, including the tyre contact with the road surface and the braking of rim brakes means you are in for some serious risk. Up to the point where I would not ride with a group of people in the wet on my road bike whereas the disc braked MTB would gladly go out in the downpour and the mud.

The argument that there is enough braking power to lock up the wheels is a valid one for cars too.

 

I could lock up my oupas old Toyota With drum brakes too.

 

Power is one thing, modulation is whole other.

[Patchelicious]

26ers are perfectly fine, don’t fall for this 29er marketing nonsense!

[Spinnekop]

If you dont like disc brakes, then thats cool, you dont need to buy them, thats your choice.

 

And this is what grinds me to NO END and pissed me off.

 

We.  The consumer.  DON'T have a choice.

 

2020 (or at least within the next five years) you won't have an option to buy a normal frame from manufacturers.

Your wheels, your spare wheels and your groupset will HAVE to be replaced if you want to buy a new frame.  

And if you crash and HAVE to buy a new frame?  Then you'll need to save up for new groupset and wheels.

 

No choice.

That is my gripe.

 

But whatever.

This whole point will become mute over time.

 

I think what saddens me is that I have not had it thick in life and I have built up this amazing bike over many many years meticulously deciding what to use and what not.

And if I go for a new frame, I will have to do everything over again and I don't have that much time in life left anymore.

[Allrounder]

I have never ridden a disk-brake road bike before, but I wonder to what extent the braking power is actually better, exactly as you mention. I feel the friction between tyres and tarmac is already much less than the amount of friction that can be applied with rim pads.

 

The 'other' advantages are very clear!

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