Is 2018 the year proper race bikes with discs gain momentum?

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alastairb
Posts: 106
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:36 pm

by alastairb

Seems like all the major players are building their top flight race bikes with discs for 2018. Guess this is the make or break season; will the pro peloton succumb to supplier / sponsor pressure?

Is this an inevitable evolution or justification to sell us stuff there's no need for? Particularly interested to hear from those that own both...

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pastronef
Posts: 1640
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:33 am
Location: Asti, ITALIA

by pastronef

it's still early. this will be the 3rd year of trial (2016-17-18) it depends what the UCI and the sponsors decide.
I'd wait for 2019 to see how it pans out

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Miller
Posts: 2764
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:54 pm
Location: Reading, UK

by Miller

At ground level, so to speak, I now see lots of people on new road disc bikes. At this rate the pros will be holding out longer than normal people. Face it, discs are inevitable. Pro racing is a commercial enterprise and it needs to showcase what the bike industry is doing.

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TonyM
Posts: 3376
Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2015 4:11 pm

by TonyM

This is definitely a polarizing issue - also among the pro riders....Sagan said either all or nobody with disc brakes.
But Specialized hasn't released their Tarmac disc yet.

For the Pros themselves I don't see the big advantage having disc brakes. They race when the roads are closed etc....But I read that many of them are however riding with disc brake in training.

I am not a big fan of the disc brakes per se (heavier, more expensive, more maintenance etc...) but I have now for one week a disc brake road bike for safety reasons as I will use this bike as my winter and rain bike. And for that type of weather disc brakes are a big plus in terms of safety when you ride among cars etc....

TobinHatesYou
Posts: 12457
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

Pros are basically indifferent to or pro disc outside of a loud minority. With disc Emondas hitting the UCI minimum weight limit, we’re going to see a lot more disc usage on hilly stages, especially used by strong descenders and breakaway artists.

Trek World was last week, and they were basically saying 2017 was the tipping point and 2018 will be absolutely huge for disc road bikes.

Geordiepaul
Posts: 62
Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2017 7:15 am

by Geordiepaul

British Cycling is making a decision on disc for racing any time now. I'm hoping they give it the go ahead.

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corky
Posts: 1732
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 5:53 pm
Location: The Surrey Hills

by corky

It’ll come little by little, the acceptance that they make sense on winter bikes, that bigger guys will want them for descending purposes, that they are allowed in UCI races, that tubeless tyres and technology is also advancing/spreading at the same time, That the industry wants/needs them.......chip chip chip.

who is doing anything to advance the performance of the rim brake?......ok there have been recent advances in rim technology, carbon and alloy but the calipers.?

My take is that it is inevitable......

TobinHatesYou
Posts: 12457
Joined: Mon Jul 24, 2017 12:02 pm

by TobinHatesYou

corky wrote:who is doing anything to advance the performance of the rim brake?......ok there have been recent advances in rim technology, carbon and alloy but the calipers.?

My take is that it is inevitable......


Just look at what HED is and isn't doing. They're not making rim-brake full carbon clinchers. Period. With disc-brakes you also gain the ability to safely run tubeless clinchers. With disc brakes you can start using fewer carbon plies with smaller amounts of graphene infused resin or other new advanced resins.

Monkeyfudger
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 7:26 pm

by Monkeyfudger

God I hope not, just 'cos I've yet to own a fully reliable hydro set up on my MTB. The race bike only gets used once a month or so and also gets stored upside down from time to time, both things that hydros seem to hate. Can't count the amount of times I've put a MTB in the back of the car with working brakes to get to the trails and need some line flicking brake pumping style bleed and then have off brakes all day, *f##k* that on a road race bike. I really really don't want to have to do the elastic band on brake levers style storage, looking at you SRAM.

Noctiluxx
Posts: 1336
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2017 7:17 pm
Location: Southern California

by Noctiluxx

I believe 2018 is the turning point. Giant's entire line of endurance (Defy) and Aero (Propel) are disk, exclusively. I wont be surprised the next iteration of the TCR will go completely disk too. In the meantime I'm shopping for a Colnago C60 or Bianchi Oltre XR4, rim brake :mrgreen:
Bianchi Oltre XR4, De Rosa SK Pininfarina, Trek Madone SLR, Giant TCR Advanced SL, Cervelo R5 Disk, Giant Revolt

ddsg
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 10:30 pm

by ddsg

TobinHatesYou wrote:Just look at what HED is and isn't doing. They're not making rim-brake full carbon clinchers. Period. With disc-brakes you also gain the ability to safely run tubeless clinchers. With disc brakes you can start using fewer carbon plies with smaller amounts of graphene infused resin or other new advanced resins.


Not sure if HED should be the reference point. They've refused release carbon clincher rim brake models for years due to safety concerns despite other manufacturers not having any issues. They had developed one a few years back but had issues with braking and canned the whole project (I assume they weren't prepared to invest additional money into R&D for that when their aluminum brake track Jets were selling well enough).

I do agree that disc brakes are the way forward though... just having a hard time accepting the weight penalty given that a lot of us would pay massive $s to save 1.1 pounds (which seems to be roughly the disc brake weight penalty).

uraz
Posts: 116
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:48 pm

by uraz

6.5 kg bike with hydraulic disc brakes and power meter is not a problem, even on moderate budget so I would not be concerned about weight penalty unless you are targeting sub 5 kg bike.

AJS914
Posts: 5397
Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:52 pm

by AJS914

It seems like the problem for the pros is quick wheel changes. Even if neutral support has a wheel that will fit a bike what are the chances that the rotor lines up? Spend an extra 30-60 seconds aligning the caliper?

uraz
Posts: 116
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 9:48 pm

by uraz

Caliper alignment is not a problem with thru axles but amount of incompatible standards is a huge problem in pro peleton (axle diameter, axle length, disc rotor diameter, disc rotor width, etc.) And I'm assuming that there are no bikes with traditional QR involved :)

Mtek
Posts: 105
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 4:27 pm

by Mtek

Disc brake development for cycling is still in its infancy compared to rim brakes. I think I’m a few years, we will see a standard system, lighter, more aero, stronger, etc. disc systems. The momentum is going to keep gaining until rim brakes have no advantage.

by Weenie


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