How many of you have converted to Disc Brake?

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Mockenrue
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by Mockenrue

mpulsiv wrote:It would be super helpful to mention whether any of you race with caliper or disc brakes. Gotta love threads like this with slew of personal opinions. 2017 is on the horizon and I fail to understand the advantages of caliper brakes in a foul weather, especially if you don't race.


I race and have just finished my eleventh road season. I've yet to hear anyone associated with or participating in road racing express even the slightest interest in disc brakes on road bikes. With average speeds often the wrong side of 25mph - even on hilly courses - slowing down is the least of people's problems IMO.

Alumen
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by Alumen

Let's be frank, disc brakes certainly have their benefits. As a former MTB marathon racer, where I have raced with both calipers and disc brakes I know exactly where the limits of both break systems are. In both dry- and wet weather conditions.

But..., am I missing disc brakes on my road racer ??? Not at all, not even on wet roads descending, where you have do be careful anyway.

But..., within ten years from now will the majority of the road racers sold be equipped with disc brakes ??? Yes, absolutely ! Once the pro teams are allowed to use them during races combined with marketing powers to refresh caliper breaks based racers, it will go fast...
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nycebo
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by nycebo

de zwarten wrote:You are doing it wrong. You have MUCH more benefit from going disc in winter. So swap your disc by to winter use and your rim bike to summer use for the time being. :D

The biggest benefits of going disc (and electronic / wireless shifting) are for foul weather bikes. No more rusty cables and noisy braking.


I KNOW!!! :beerchug:

Sadly, that's how the dice rolls. My new summer race bike was spec'ed specifically to have disk brakes. Unfortunately, my older race bike, which now got relegated to winter duty, must make do without disks and without electronic.

Have no fear however; in the future, I'll upgrade again and then the winter bike (which is my current summer bike) will have proper disk brakes.

Or, perhaps you can keep pointing out my stupidity and embarrass me into a NEW winter bike. But then I'd probably also have to find a NEW wife. :shock:

Clean39T
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by Clean39T

Calnago wrote:Agree with what you are saying and yes, increased speed helps deflect the crosswind, but when it hits you unexpectedly there is much less margin for error. With "buffeting crosswinds" you are at least on guard and quick to respond to those gusts. It isn't just once that I've been hit by such winds. It can happen in a lot of situations and the better the ability to flow "through" the obstacle, the less severe the push is. It happens in the mountains quite frequently where even the direction of wind can change frequently. It's hard to predict. Another situation I was in, and I admit a very exaggerated situation, was when I was touring down the Pacific Coast, and crossing the Astoria bridge from Washington State to Oregon. Bridge is 4 miles long and winds were coming straight across. I was on a fully loaded touring bike. Trucks and traffic, rain and hard winds. That laden touring bike with panniers was just wanting to get blown over. Wouldn't have been nearly the same on a normal road bike without all that surface area being exposed to the wind. Was never so glad to be over with something. Went to the first motel I could find, hugged the hostess, and got a room. I was done for the day.
Image
Anyway, the simple point i was trying to make is simply that the more surface area exposed to a crosswind, the more that crosswind is going to be felt. Do rotors add that much?... probably not, but they do add some. And in these days where everyone is counting the most minute marginal effects of everything I guess you'd have to say "it counts.


Gorgeous picture of the Astoria bridge - hopefully you made it to Blue Scorcher bakery before leaving town..


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L3X
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by L3X

For me the main problem is that the electric + hydro groupsets are unavailable / not enough value when the trickle down groupsets come in. For example, eTap HRD is not in stock and DA is just crazy overpriced compared to Ultegra (at least it was in previous iterations). So I'd therefore rather wait for a new Ultegra DI2 and then make the move to discs.

Tamu8104
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by Tamu8104

I went disc a couple of years ago when I stopped racing road and was only racing cx. Was moving to a disc cx bike and made the jump at that point because I like my stuff to be interchangeable. Haven't regretted the change at all and wouldn't buy a caliper bike now.

For road racing it will be similar to Pro Tour CX racing. Pretty much all the pros are on disc brakes now, even those who were reluctant when they first came out.
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jlok
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by jlok

Just another disc brake convert here. Want it for "all-weather" riding with carbon wheels (I can only have N+1 bike, where N=0) and the satisfaction of easy late brake going down hill. It's the motivation of climbing.
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clm2206
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by clm2206

Discs on a road bike, what a wonderful idea ... come on, the only advocates are the ones cheated and stuck with propietary disc brake standards. Next year manufacturers marketing geeks will come out with the absolute need to install suspension forks on every road bike. Gimme a break!!

dvq
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by dvq

I'm out there climbing HC mountains every weekend because they're in my back yard and who doesn't like to climb right? I also like to climb steep technical climbs. Unfortunately what goes up must come down. I also like light carbon wheels and that combination of an hour of descending and/or steep technical descents has meant relatively short lifetime for carbon wheels (<=20,000 mi/wheelset). Road disc has made a lot more sense to me as replacement rotors are $80/set vs. $2800 for a set of ENVEs. The decrease in lever effort on steep descents and damp conditins is also welcome.

I still have my spare rim brake bike as a backup bike, and I had to ride it all last week -- back to back -- the difference in braking confidence is pretty shocking. Not going to be buying another rim brake bike anytime soon.

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

I used to drop dvq on descents when he was on rim brakes. Not anymore.

hanakuso1
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by hanakuso1

I've upgraded to disc but I rarely see rain. The looks of disc have grown on me and I actually prefer the look but I don't care for the increase in cost and the performance. Before I got disc I thought the difference in modulation would be day/night but it's really not much of a difference.

The best part of disc for me is the fact that won't wear down carbon wheels like rim brakes can.

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TonyM
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by TonyM

Moving to BC, Canada, meant for me having to ride more often on rainy days. Because of that I have bought a new winter bike with disc brakes and a new summer bike with disc brakes.. I am very happy with the excellent braking power of the disc brakes in terms of safety. My old winter bike is now on the home trainer and I actually don't really need my old summer bike with rim brakes.

But without having moved here, I would never have switched to disc brakes for my road bike.
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sychen
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by sychen

I'll add to this..

Yes I have a disc brake road bike. No it is not "needed" but it sure is fantastic.
Having raced downhill (mtb) in the late 90s on Vbrakes.. no decent road caliper brakes(with the right pads/rims combo) will be "inadequate" for me.
That being said, the benefits of disc in a road sense(for me) for me is clear enough to move to.
I do have the benefit of not being a roadie for long enough to accumulate wheelsets and bikes so compatibility isn't an issue. Also don't race so no issues for me there.

On the pro peleton front.. I actually (while I like seeing them on disc) dont think its needed. They go as fast as possible and very very rarely need to brake full grab. Plus that they are on Tubs and not clinchers negates most of the safetly arguments with the current generation of carbon wheels. Yes from a media / sales front the sponsors will push them to discs but there is no technical need for their use case.

What I don't understand is the hate and trolling that this argument generates. Is there that many dyed in wool traditionalists that cannot handle the influx of "mtb" tech which in turn have to ridicule and troll personal choice of other members on this forum? Not saying this is what I'm replying to but has happened on other threads.

Road tech have stagnated no doubt due UCI rules but is it that surprising that the companies that makes and market your beautiful bicycles want to stay in business and stay profitable? Without change and innovation, most of us happily ride the same bikes for 10-20yrs if the next years model add no specific benifits.

Yes some days I wish my bike was a rim braked / mech equiped steel/Ti beast but more often than not, I'm thrilled riding a hydro disc / Di2 carbon wonder.
But I guess thats whats N+1 is for.

Peace out.

spdntrxi
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by spdntrxi

I warned the wife and my bank account it's coming... I've slowly sold off some wheelsets and sold off my Zipp Super9 this week. Probably 12-18 months I see atleast 1 disc bike in my garage.
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monkeytusmc
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by monkeytusmc

I haven’t even thought about it yet. I would like to ride with it first. We got a couple guys I ride with who made the switch and some like it others don’t notice a big difference. Maybe in my future a couple years down the road. I think for now I’m interested in going wireless before that switch.


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