Road Upgrade.. Lateral? Or disc?

[Veebee]

This is exactly what id thought the outcome would be... Some sort of devide... And even MORE CONFUSION as to what to buy... Atleast im getting advice from both sides. But ja, more confused than ever... However, leaning towards the idea of if i am gonna be on my bike for 2 3 4 hours.. Might as well make it as comfy as possible... Because getting home at 11.32, or 11.58 on a Saturday morning prob gonna make no difference.

Do i need to come to a DEAD STOP... When on the road when there is ABSOLUTELY nothing in front of you? Unlike when going downhill on a mtb

Or do I, who is already 11kg overweight wana save 300g?

Good G, im rather gonna take up running which i absolutely HATE.

THIS biking thing, ek weet nie meer so mooi nie...

just BUY THE ONE YOU LIKE !!

 

Rim or disc, doesn't matter. Just buy whichever bike is going to make you want to ride more. More riding = more happy days.

[Thomo]

I posted this in another thread but seems appropriate for this one too. LOL

Good luck deciding ....

[Jewbacca]

Disclaimer ... almost 40 years since I have been on a road bike.

 

 

I have been following the road bike disc development with interest ... remembering those rainy days when I used to apply slight pressure on the brake levers to dry the brake surfaces ....

 

 

Disc brakes certainly helps in ONE area ... while adding weight to the bike. This contradiction in benefits is evident in the use of technology by the top teams.

 

 

Technically you could benefit IF you are planning on rainy rides ...

 

 

Frankly, it is close enough (forva weekend rider that can avoid rainy rides) that you might as well buy with your hart ...

As a caveat, it certainly does help with stopping, but what it helps with is wheel tech and aero as well as longevity of expensive race rims.

 

It also allows bikes better clearance for tires as the brake arch isn't in the way.

 

With no braking surface, wheels can be made more aero, have thinner walls and run better tubeless tires as there is no more heating up and cooling down of the surface/sealant.

 

The rims no longer wear from brake pads.

 

There are a heap of benefits to it apart from braking. Just like there are benefits to rim brakes.

 

Looking at the pro's and deciding what to buy is the exact reason every one in SA landed up on Spaz Epics for too long.

 

IMHO if you aren't racing very  much, get something that excites you. If you get something vanilla because it will give you 17 seconds over 100km then it's probably going to land up on the classifieds before too long.

[Focusspeed1]

Hi, so there a few comments i wouldve liked to highlight and respond to, i just dont know how to do it... I think the take is... Buy what you want and what is gonna make you happy... I have to be honest, since i AM BUYING WITH THE IDEA that i would like something new, something fresh... (and honestly 17secs over 100km means nothing to me) infact the extra 300g means nothing i could probably lose that in a day... To take total weight to bike plus human = 90kg and not 90.3kg...

 

Sooo am learning towards disc... Wil i regret it? I dont know.. I wouldn't know what to compare it to either way...

 

But thanx for all the advice, it is most welcome.

[CAAD4]

Yes ignore all the KOM talk. If you like the latest (disc) technology, buy the disc bike that "talks" to you..

[Thomo]

... Wil i regret it? I dont know...

I've never met a cyclist who's regretted a cycling related purchase, even a disc purchase.

Enjoy it, and post pics when you have it.

[Jewbacca]

Hi, so there a few comments i wouldve liked to highlight and respond to, i just dont know how to do it... I think the take is... Buy what you want and what is gonna make you happy... I have to be honest, since i AM BUYING WITH THE IDEA that i would like something new, something fresh... (and honestly 17secs over 100km means nothing to me) infact the extra 300g means nothing i could probably lose that in a day... To take total weight to bike plus human = 90kg and not 90.3kg...

 

Sooo am learning towards disc... Wil i regret it? I dont know.. I wouldn't know what to compare it to either way...

 

But thanx for all the advice, it is most welcome.

Theres it......

[ChrisF]

this is one case where buying with your hart certainly buys an excellent bike.

 

 

Now to decide on colour and frame lines that makes you feel young ....

 

ENJOY !

[Andreas_187]

I don't understand the future proofing argument. Will shops stop selling rim brake pads? Rim brakes are simpler, cheaper and more importantly lighter.

If you live in the alps buy a disc bike, if you live in SA get rim brakes

[Jewbacca]

I don't understand the future proofing argument. Will shops stop selling rim brake pads? Rim brakes are simpler, cheaper and more importantly lighter.

If you live in the alps buy a disc bike, if you live in SA get rim brakes

Can I ask 2 questions?

 

Why if stopping is only 1 proponent of what makes them work and 2, did you read the OP's answers, consider them and take them into account before posting?

 

I'm not having a go, just wondering.

 

He already says weight isn't an issue and that he has his heart set on disc brakes. The constructive thing to do here is ask what the budget is and start suggesting rad disc brake bikes.

[Land]

My 2c...

Been plenty of occasions out on a ride where I've needed to react to something and either 

a) Stop immediately or
b) Swerve around obstacle

Riding with discs gives me confidence that I can choose to do either a or b, whichever is most safe and applicable to each situation. 

Sometimes swerving is not an option and even in dry conditions on a flat road the stopping power and modulation of hydro discs has saved my skin (and carbon).
 

[NC_lurker]

... Buy what you want and what is gonna make you happy... I have to be honest, since i AM BUYING WITH THE IDEA that i would like something new, something fresh...

 

Sooo am learning towards disc... Wil i regret it? I dont know.. I wouldn't know what to compare it to either way...

 

But thanx for all the advice, it is most welcome.

If you haven't already, have a look at gravel bike options. More disc brake options available, often more comfortable endurance focused geometry plus it gives you access to another riding experience.

Depending where you live, the ability to comfortably take on gravel roads might open up a whole new world of routes.

 

...and no, this doesn't mean you'd need another set of wheels. Pick tyres that best suit 80% of your riding and you can always slap on a pair of bigger gravel specific tyres if you decide to go on an adventure or enter a gravel race.

[MudLark]

So, I have a pretty new Trek Emonda SL 6 Disc. On 28C tyres which I run fairly soft (five bar in the front and six bar at the back) on Continental GP 5000s. I recently bought my wife a used Bianchi C2C (I think about 2013 model) as a starter bike. It has a Campagnolo group set. The tyres are hardshell Gatorskins (fixing punctures isn't my wife's exact forte). I took the Bianchi for a spin… And I am amazed at how much of a better bike it is than my bike. It's just as stiff (as far as I can tell, anyway) but the ride quality far exceeds my bike's; my bike feels harsh and uncomfortable in comparison. On paper, it should be the better bike. And yes, the disc brakes are sharper and they grip better At the brakes on my wife's bike work just fine and provide entirely adequate braking. But if I had to start again, knowing what I know now, I would go look for a Bianchi like my wife's. It's just a far better bike – and it cost me a lot less than my bike. Disc brakes are not the be all end all in my view – unless you plan on doing a lot of riding in the rain, in which case they may offer sufficient advantage to justify restricting your choices only to bikes with disc brakes. IMHO, YMMV. 

Edited August 16, 2020 by MudLark

[Quadzilla]

[Andreas_187]

Can I ask 2 questions?

 

Why if stopping is only 1 proponent of what makes them work

Sorry, not sure what you are asking?

I'm merely pointing out that the future proofing argument doesn't make sense and therefore should not scare the OP into making a decision against them

[NC_lurker]

So, I have a pretty new Trek Emonda SL 6 Disc. On 28C tyres which I run fairly soft (five bar in the front and six bar at the back) on Continental GP 5000s.

Bit off topic, but depending on what you weigh you could probably drop those pressures quite a bit. It'll do wonders for the ride quality.

 

Failing that, if your Trek is a size 56 I'll give it a good home ????