Poll on disk brakes

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Moderator: robbosmans

What's your opinion on hydraluic disk brakes for road bicycles?

Yes absolutely. The sooner every bike has disk brakes the better. Safer in the rain, more powerful and more modulation. They say they're almost maintenance free too.
27
16%
Yes. Disk brakes are in my future, my next bike will almost certainly be disk. I might keep my rim brake bike for summer days and hill climbs though.
28
17%
Yes. I think sooner or later every bike will be disk brake but we need more time for development, especially in terms of weight and standards.
20
12%
Maybe for some applications such as gravel bikes or commuting bikes yes, but not all applications.
25
15%
Maybe yes if they were no heavier than rim brakes and I was certain I'd never get brake drag.
13
8%
Not that bothered to be honest. There's a stack of advantages and a stack of disadvantages to disk brakes.
18
11%
Not for me personally. But it's great to have more choices, for some people and some conditions I can see the logic.
26
15%
No way! If it ain't broke don't fix it. Disk brakes have no place on road bikes whatsoever, they're just for MTBs. It's just a marketing gimmick to sell more bikes.
12
7%
 
Total votes: 169

Noctiluxx
Posts: 1333
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2017 7:17 pm
Location: Southern California

by Noctiluxx

I have disk brakes on three of my six bikes. Unfortunately all weight more than 24lbs, have full suspension, and are made for trail. :mrgreen:
Bianchi Oltre XR4, De Rosa SK Pininfarina, Trek Madone SLR, Giant TCR Advanced SL, Cervelo R5 Disk, Giant Revolt

fogman
Posts: 1066
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 10:36 pm

by fogman

On my cyclocross bikes, disc brakes with thru-axles.

On my road bikes, rim brakes. I have too much invested in various different wheel sets to switch to discs on my road bikes.


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avispa
Posts: 262
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:36 am

by avispa

One thing that bothers me about disk brakes is that the system has thrown aesthetics away once again.

I must say I am one of those that think the bike is more of a tool to get one job done. And I don't lose sleep over how the bike looks too much. But, as of recent, there has been a move to make the road bike cleaner looking by concealing cables and interface boxes. But with the arrival of disc brakes, now we are faced with these damn cables coming out of all places once again.

I am holding on as long as I can to jump on the disc wagon and hope that by the time I do so, the cables exiting the handlebars will be better concealed. It defeats the purpose of having interface boxes and other cables concealed when these brake cables will be all over the place again! :evil:
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flying
Posts: 2861
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 9:16 am

by flying

Not for me personally.
But if others want them happy to see it is available for them...Enjoy :beerchug:

MoPho
Posts: 767
Joined: Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:48 pm
Location: NorCal

by MoPho

avispa wrote:One thing that bothers me about disk brakes is that the system has thrown aesthetics away once again.

I must say I am one of those that think the bike is more of a tool to get one job done. And I don't lose sleep over how the bike looks too much. But, as of recent, there has been a move to make the road bike cleaner looking by concealing cables and interface boxes. But with the arrival of disc brakes, now we are faced with these damn cables coming out of all places once again.

I am holding on as long as I can to jump on the disc wagon and hope that by the time I do so, the cables exiting the handlebars will be better concealed. It defeats the purpose of having interface boxes and other cables concealed when these brake cables will be all over the place again! :evil:


Huh?

Image



.

CallumRD1
Posts: 151
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2017 2:54 pm

by CallumRD1

avispa wrote:One thing that bothers me about disk brakes is that the system has thrown aesthetics away once again.

I must say I am one of those that think the bike is more of a tool to get one job done. And I don't lose sleep over how the bike looks too much. But, as of recent, there has been a move to make the road bike cleaner looking by concealing cables and interface boxes. But with the arrival of disc brakes, now we are faced with these damn cables coming out of all places once again.

I am holding on as long as I can to jump on the disc wagon and hope that by the time I do so, the cables exiting the handlebars will be better concealed. It defeats the purpose of having interface boxes and other cables concealed when these brake cables will be all over the place again! :evil:


As shown in the photo you attached, how is the cable routing to the front brake any different than a rim brake? The entry port into the fork is quite literally less than 2 inches from where the cable would attach to a rim brake. More so, hydraulic brakes allow for the hose to be routed completely internally, like on the BMC Teammachine shown above. One certainly cannot complain about unsightly cables on a bike like that!

egebhardt
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:38 pm

by egebhardt

I don't want to buy a whole darn new bike just yet.
the UCI governing body standardized on the following but not all manufacturers are on board yet.

front hub 12x100 with 160mm rotor
rear hub 12x142 with 140mm rotor

How else are you going to have 'neutral' wheels at races if they aren't all the same?
Eric in San Carlos, CA

avispa
Posts: 262
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:36 am

by avispa

MoPho wrote:
avispa wrote:One thing that bothers me about disk brakes is that the system has thrown aesthetics away once again.

I must say I am one of those that think the bike is more of a tool to get one job done. And I don't lose sleep over how the bike looks too much. But, as of recent, there has been a move to make the road bike cleaner looking by concealing cables and interface boxes. But with the arrival of disc brakes, now we are faced with these damn cables coming out of all places once again.

I am holding on as long as I can to jump on the disc wagon and hope that by the time I do so, the cables exiting the handlebars will be better concealed. It defeats the purpose of having interface boxes and other cables concealed when these brake cables will be all over the place again! :evil:


Huh?

Image



.

Huh, what? Show me other brands!

Besides, That seems a picture fixed up for marketing... there’s no cable going into the caliper...

CallumRD1
Posts: 151
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2017 2:54 pm

by CallumRD1

avispa wrote:
MoPho wrote:
avispa wrote:One thing that bothers me about disk brakes is that the system has thrown aesthetics away once again.

I must say I am one of those that think the bike is more of a tool to get one job done. And I don't lose sleep over how the bike looks too much. But, as of recent, there has been a move to make the road bike cleaner looking by concealing cables and interface boxes. But with the arrival of disc brakes, now we are faced with these damn cables coming out of all places once again.

I am holding on as long as I can to jump on the disc wagon and hope that by the time I do so, the cables exiting the handlebars will be better concealed. It defeats the purpose of having interface boxes and other cables concealed when these brake cables will be all over the place again! :evil:


Huh?

Image



.

Huh, what? Show me other brands!

Besides, That seems a picture fixed up for marketing... there’s no cable going into the caliper...



That's a real picture of the actual bike. The cable is very subtle and well hidden. I would say that the vast majority of modern disk brake bikes have more elegant/clean cable routing than their rim brake siblings because the hydraulic hose can take much more dramatic curves and requires very little visible hose prior to the caliper. The newer aero frames with hoses integrated through the bars and stem allow for quite literally no visible cable anywhere except for the inch and a half before the calipers.

(And the Teammachine isn't the only bike with well hidden cables. It seems like most of the newest crop of aero disk brake bikes have fully hidden cables. The new Giant Propel disk, KTM Revelator Lisse disk, and Specialized Venge Vias disk are others.)

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Calnago
In Memoriam
Posts: 8612
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2010 9:14 pm

by Calnago

Or the new Trek Emonda disc, with external cabling and zip ties holding it in place.

Oh, and since it’s a poll... thumbs up for rim brakes still, at least on the highest level of road bikes. For a daily commuter, weather be damned... then sure, discs and full fenders. Full fenders mandatory, discs still optional.
Colnago C64 - The Naked Build; Colnago C60 - PR99; Trek Koppenberg - Where Emonda and Domane Meet;
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ

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wheelsONfire
Posts: 6280
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2014 8:15 am
Location: NorthEU

by wheelsONfire

Disc for sure
Bikes:

Ax Lightness Vial EVO Race (2019.01.03)
Open *UP* (2016.04.14)
Paduano Racing Fidia (kind of shelved)


Ex bike; Vial EVO D, Vial EVO Ultra, Scott Foil, Paduano ti bike.

Boshk
Posts: 462
Joined: Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:59 am

by Boshk

Its usually more maintenance with hydraulic disk brakes right compared to rim.

sharkman
Posts: 1399
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2004 8:32 pm
Location: the Netherlands

by sharkman

Own both and beside really steep descends or rainy conditions even the best disc bikes are no match for equally priced rim brake bikes.
For now a combination of a nice rim brake bike for good conditions and a affordable disc brake one for bad conditions would get my choice.

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