Disc brakes - wheres the magic?

[CJVDM]

Why is disc brakes so popular? As everyone is riding disc brakes currently and propably all new MTB's come out with them i didnt even think twice when i purchased my bike.  I wanted minimum discs + hydraulics.  But whats the fuss all about?

 

Do they stop faster, are they lighter?

 

All that i know is that the space between the dics is so damn small, i struggle to keep the rotor from not touching one of the sides.

 

And then, when i actually manage to ensure that the rotor does not touch anything it just starts chafing again the moment im done with a ride.  Ive even tightened the wheel as much as possible, thinking that the wheel has moved from impact or something.

 

And why do the discs lock when you take the wheel out and acidentally touch the lever?  And then one has to struggle to pry them apart.  Do they also stick like that while im riding.  It certainly felt like it yesterday...

 

Since this is the rant forum im venting my frustration.

 

How you the rest of you maintain your brakes and ensure that it doesnt touch the rotor (when its not suppose to )?

 

[Aurora]

get the book - Bicycles for dummies

[KingPigeon]

Go back to V's! make sure its XTR or avid, none of that ridiculously light rubbish (KCNC etc.). And a good set of wheels and SwissStop pads REALLY helps. Cant go wrong with that.

[dirtrider]

Yes I agree go back to the dark ages , don't forget to also get the matching wood wheel set .

 

Now back to the problem , Since we do not know what brakes you got it will be difficult to diagnose . I just finished another bike and now got 5 bikes with disk brakes and not one got brakes that rub !! dirt-rider2009-10-07 13:35:08

[downhilldemon]

learn to fiddle with your brakes. it'll take a while to set them up properly (i eventually took a file to my adapters) but when you get them working properly they can be less hassle than v's. there is no cable stretching with the hydraulic brakes and they are less hassle and better braking in wet weather. i find v's better in some circumstances, but mostly prefer my disk brakes.

[KingPigeon]

cable stretch is very easily solved by simply turning a barrel adjuster. now bleading discs on the otherhand...

[downhilldemon]

we'll i'll add to cable stretch is the cables getting dirt in them vs hydraulic where you cant get dirt into. it's not a huge problem - as i said i like some aspects of both and i ride bikes with disks and v's. i hated disks in the begining, but when you get them set up properly they can be very sweet 

[Trapper]

Nothing better than disks

 

But make & Model matters

 

Setup matters

 

Bleedin' Bleeding correctly matters

 

Unless you're back in the dark ages.

 

I've got Magura Louise, with 180/130 rotors. Set it up, bled it once. Never touched it again for nearly a year now... well, unless I need to brake, then i touch them lightly

 

 

[CJVDM]

 

Yes I agree go back to the dark ages ' date=' don't forget to also get the matching wood wheel set .

 

Now back to the problem , Since we do not know what brakes you got it will be difficult to diagnose . I just finished another bike and now got 5 bikes with disk brakes and not one got brakes that rub !! [/quote']

 

Thanks, luv the sarcasm.  Ive got the Hayes Stroker Ryde's. I know they not the best but i cant stop every 5km to check whether they rubbing or not.  Beginning of ride they spin freely, end of ride they barely move...

 

[CJVDM]

 

 

Nothing better than disks

 

But make & Model matters

 

Setup matters

 

Bleedin' Bleeding correctly matters

 

Unless you're back in the dark ages.

 

I've got Magura Louise' date=' with 180/130 rotors. Set it up, bled it once. Never touched it again for nearly a year now... well, unless I need to brake, then i touch them lightly

 

[/quote']

 

Not sure its the make..  I think its propably more the way i fit the wheel and tighthen the quick release.  I can just seen the sarcastic comments now...

 

But one would think you pop the wheel in and then close the quick release, no fiddling with the wheel and hope youve actually set the rotor in the middle of the discs.

CJVDM2009-10-07 13:51:31

[bored girl]

Since you asked what the fuss is about, i'll give my humble summary here:

 

 

 

- they do stop better. The leverage that comes with hydraulics, plus the very small gap you mention makes for potent stopping power.

 

- If you buckle your wheel, no problem. Your disks will still work fine.

 

- If you ride through sand, mud and other crap, this stuff will not (or is less likely to) clog up your brakes.

 

 

 

There are also several downsides, some of which you've already discovered.

 

 

 

 

 

Would be interesting to know which brakes you have. I think the newer Shimano brakes have eliminated several of the problems that plague disk brakes.

 

 

[Jules]

Ive got the Hayes Stroker Ryde's. I know they not the best but i cant stop every 5km to check whether they rubbing or not.? Beginning of ride they spin freely' date=' end of ride they barely move...[/quote']

 

 

 

Honestly, I reckon that's at least half your problem. Get a nice pair of SLX or above from CRC and I'm sure you won't be experiencing these issues.

 

 

 

When it comes to brakes, I think the best of both worlds is to have a disk in the front and Vs at the back. The front disk will give you the stopping power you need. The back Vs will mean neater cable routing, less weight and easier maintenance.

[Eldron]

Since you asked what the fuss is about' date=' i'll give my humble summary here:

- they do stop better. The leverage that comes with hydraulics, plus the very small gap you mention makes for potent stopping power.
- If you buckle your wheel, no problem. Your disks will still work fine.
- If you ride through sand, mud and other crap, this stuff will not (or is less likely to) clog up your brakes.

There are also several downsides, some of which you've already discovered.


Would be interesting to know which brakes you have. I think the newer Shimano brakes have eliminated several of the problems that plague disk brakes.
[/quote']

 

At the risk of nit picking - vees have the better leverage given that they're situation at the rim whereas discs are situated much closer to the hub. The very small gap makes a huge difference though thanks to hydraulic multiplying.

 

The other two points are reason I ride discs - mountain biking by nature is hard on rims - they buckle - no problem! Plus there is nothing worse than hearing mud/sand/stones squeal like mad as you mash them into your rims with vees brakes.

 

My opinion - like the others said - buy Shimano. I have XTR levers on XT calipers and no worries whatsoever. Set them up once and never touched them again.

 

 

[scotty]

I have a bike with disk and one with V, i find a  good set of V's brakes is more than adequate, as the Yellow Saddle man would agree. The only downside is the brake clogging as mentioned which can wear your V pads out quite quickly (as i experienced this last weekend ), but to replace is no where near as expensive as disk replacement costs and overall maintenance is far easier.

[dirtrider]

I am not sarcastic I am been dead seriaaas . Anyway The Stroker brakes are unknown to me but from the reviews on web they are rated as the best "cheap" brakeset on the market .

[EZRider]

 

 

Since you asked what the fuss is about' date=' i'll give my humble summary here:

 

- they do stop better. The leverage that comes with hydraulics, plus the very small gap you mention makes for potent stopping power.

- If you buckle your wheel, no problem. Your disks will still work fine.

- If you ride through sand, mud and other crap, this stuff will not (or is less likely to) clog up your brakes.

 

There are also several downsides, some of which you've already discovered.

 

 

Would be interesting to know which brakes you have. I think the newer Shimano brakes have eliminated several of the problems that plague disk brakes.

[/quote']

 

At the risk of nit picking - vees have the better leverage given that they're situation at the rim whereas discs are situated much closer to the hub. The very small gap makes a huge difference though thanks to hydraulic multiplying.

 

The other two points are reason I ride discs - mountain biking by nature is hard on rims - they buckle - no problem! Plus there is nothing worse than hearing mud/sand/stones squeal like mad as you mash them into your rims with vees brakes.

 

My opinion - like the others said - buy Shimano. I have XTR levers on XT calipers and no worries whatsoever. Set them up once and never touched them again.

 

 

 

I have the XT brakes and I have had no problems whatsoever - which is good because I hate fiddling.

They don't rub, they don't lock up. I don't know if pressing the lever with the wheel out will cause problems because... i don't do it.

My LBS changed my brake pads recently and that's about it.

I don't think about my brakes, they just stop me when I need it.

TZmtb2009-10-08 00:38:56