hey weight weenies....have you regretted going disc OR aero?

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pdlpsher1
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by pdlpsher1

I think Ryan was referring to noises such as pings and rattles from disk brakes while NOT on the brakes.

spdntrxi
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by spdntrxi

TobinHatesYou wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 12:15 am
I find textured carbon brake tracks noisier than disc-brakes unless the rotors/pads are wet. When wet, discs will squeal and honk of course...you live with that I guess.
I agree with this.. overall my disc brake bike has been less noisy then my Enve rim brakes (textured) they would howl when heated up. The disc will get a ping or two after some heavy braking. I have not rode disc in the rain yet...but I'm on resin pads so hopefully it's not too bad.
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MoPho
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by MoPho

spdntrxi wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 10:27 pm
I miss the lightweight bike.. I can feel the difference going up the climbs in NorCal no doubt... My rim-brake Parlee could be under 13lbs .. so my disk brake gravel bike is roughly 4 pounds heavier.

I do not regret disc brakes though... wonderful on descents like Mt Diablo

Well to be fair, the 4lbs is a function of the different genre of bikes not the disc brakes. If your rim brake Parlee could be 13lbs, the disc brake version could be 14lbs. The additional 1lb is not going be that noticeable if at all
And agree, disc is fantastic on Mt Diablo even in the dry, and I ride fast. As I mentioned earlier I recently rode a rim brake bike (Shimano dual pivot Dura-ace) down the mountain and my first impression they were really good, but as I went down they got less consistent, grabby and by the bottom they were squealing like a pig. Additionally, they would rub when I got out of the saddle, and sure I could have dialed it out, but it would have meant making the brakes less effective.
My disc brakes very rarely rub or make any noises and I have a low tolerance for noise on my bike

dricked
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by dricked

My first road bike was a defy with disc brakes and I’ve now switched to a Propel SL0 with rim brakes/carbon wheels. With the amount of braking I do disc is not needed and the simplicity of the rim brake is nice, I also don’t ride in the rain. My propel is a large and 16lbs ready to ride, not the lightest but far from heavy and I’m very happy with the switch.

spdntrxi
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by spdntrxi

MoPho wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:41 am
spdntrxi wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 10:27 pm
I miss the lightweight bike.. I can feel the difference going up the climbs in NorCal no doubt... My rim-brake Parlee could be under 13lbs .. so my disk brake gravel bike is roughly 4 pounds heavier.

I do not regret disc brakes though... wonderful on descents like Mt Diablo

Well to be fair, the 4lbs is a function of the different genre of bikes not the disc brakes. If your rim brake Parlee could be 13lbs, the disc brake version could be 14lbs. The additional 1lb is not going be that noticeable if at all
And agree, disc is fantastic on Mt Diablo even in the dry, and I ride fast. As I mentioned earlier I recently rode a rim brake bike (Shimano dual pivot Dura-ace) down the mountain and my first impression they were really good, but as I went down they got less consistent, grabby and by the bottom they were squealing like a pig. Additionally, they would rub when I got out of the saddle, and sure I could have dialed it out, but it would have meant making the brakes less effective.
My disc brakes very rarely rub or make any noises and I have a low tolerance for noise on my bike

very true.. I could actually put all the same parts on (except my tubs).. essentially the same bike. Z-Zero vs Z-Zero XD.. frames are under 1kg ..I'm sure they were within spitting distance from each other except for the fork weight. 14.x lb gravel bike does sound tempting. However I will save the weenieism for the future aero disc bike where I can.
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chiltonp
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by chiltonp

Very helpful thread guys, thanks for all the feedback.

Looks like i'll shy away from discs for now and may look into a reasonably light aero rim frame, (Tarmac, Aeroad, Cento 10 Air).

That or just upgrade the trusty TCR SL.

TobinHatesYou
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by TobinHatesYou

pdlpsher1 wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 12:41 am
I think Ryan was referring to noises such as pings and rattles from disk brakes while NOT on the brakes.
I only get pings after very hard braking...like when I accelerate down a steep grade then slam on the brake at the stop sign at the end of the segment. And even the pings are rare in that case...I believe it's the carrier, rotor, pin interface cooling/contracting at different rates. Random pad rub had been an issue in the past when I wasn't careful with pad alignment, but I don't even get pad rub when sawing my bike to and fro out of the saddle these days.

The brakes in question are eTap HRD with Centerline X rotors. DA rotors might tend to warp a bit under extreme heat and cause rub/ting-ting noises (?)

Alloy rim brakes feel fine. Carbon rim brakes, even in dry conditions, there's this tiny delay between hearing the sound of the braking and the actual braking effect that throws me for a bit of a loop after using discs so long.

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Lewn777
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by Lewn777

Ravnsnaes wrote:
Thu Oct 18, 2018 8:01 pm
I have owned 5 roadbikes with disc brakes now. A Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Aeroad, Cannondale SuperSix HiMod, Superior Team Issue Disc and Giant TCR Advanced. I'm honestly not impressed with how much constant adjustement disc brakes needs. The clearance between disc and pads is too low, so brake rub has been a constant annoyance on all the aforementioned bikes. And it gets much, much worse when riding in the rain, because dirt, sand and road debris makes the brakes grind and rub all the time. Also, people seems to forget that most of the extra weight is rotating mass. The only reason I havent switched back to rim brakes is because of the resale value of my bike. The shops around here don't stock any high-end bikes without disc brakes anymore, so it's easy to see which way the market is going. But Shimano, Sram and Campy have a lot of work to do, before discs are any good.
^^^^^
this.
I own four disk brake MTBs and one CX. I've always thought that what you've written would be exactly my experience with disks on a road bike. I have no problem with people buying disk brake bikes...if that's what they want, especially makes sense if you live somewhere lumpy and wet. I do however have a huge issue with the bike industry taking away the option of rim brakes. I feel in 5-10 years time I and many others maybe be forced onto some kind of niche handmade titanium rim climbing bike.

I feel disk brakes have been pushed forward mostly by noobs, the interested, the marketed to and manufacturers. Just like gym memberships, the vast majority of people buy one on January 2nd with the best of intentions but many probably hardly ride then they say 'look at the sales'. I can't understand why people with a garage full of different depth carbon fiber wheelsets haven't made more of a fuss.

We need more people that can see disk brakes more objectively and stop with this whole honeymoon period love-in bs or by 2020 every new bike model is going to be disk only, and the cost of getting a mid-priced CF bike down to 6.8kg with pedals just went up $1500.

jlok
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by jlok

alignment of rotor tends to be a bit more difficult when the pads and rotor are new. After some hard braking break in processes the pads/rotor clearance will open up a bit and there would be no more ticking noise. I honestly don't find this noise on my 5 disc brake road bikes.
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Lewn777
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by Lewn777

jlok wrote:
Fri Oct 19, 2018 6:07 am
alignment of rotor tends to be a bit more difficult when the pads and rotor are new. After some hard braking break in processes the pads/rotor clearance will open up a bit and there would be no more ticking noise. I honestly don't find this noise on my 5 disc brake road bikes.
Or just save youself the hassle and buy one of these....
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hannawald
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by hannawald

I just switched from couple of disc brake bikes (Endurace, Ultimate, Foil) to a rim brake bike (Specialissima). Whatever disc brake bike I have in the past, I spent a lot of money to make it lighter..i was able to reach 7 kgs with pedals and bottle cages. So I have decided to go rim brake way although i felt a little foolish to buy a dead technology. I was afraid of braking power being terrible descender.
Now being on sub 6kgs Specialissima I don't feel faster or slower except for first couple of meters on steep hill..
On the other hand I feel that braking is about the same, i can't see any difference (etap levers, very good cables, aerolink brakes, campa bora ac3 brake track). Wheels are terribly noisy when braking, but power and modulation is very similar if not equal to discs. I have not ridden it in the rain and in the mountains. I am sure i will be afraid of overheating...but for now pretty surprised, i expected much worse.
I can also confirm that i had noisy moments with disc brakes and i had to solve air in the system every 4 months or so, even experienced mechanic has not solve it permanently to my satisfaction. But i could live with that.
So for now i think for 90 percent of riding, rim brakes are better because they are simpler to maintain and lighter. For the overall feeling of safety in the rain and in the mountains, discs may be worth it for some..

Broady
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by Broady

One thing I have picked up since going to disc that is rarely mentioned, when out on a long ride (100mile+) my hands are far less fatigued by the end of it. The roads here are constantly undulating and have variable surfaces, intermittent rain with lots of steep descents that need braking for junctions, tight corners etc. Been able to lightly one finger brake at the end of these rides is a godsend, combined with Di2 even better.

Obviously YMMV, especially if you have flat smooth tarmac, it's probably not so much of an issue but in Yorkshire it has been a revelation, I can't see myself going back to rim brakes.

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wheelsONfire
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by wheelsONfire

For long descents, many aggressive corners, i guess disc brakes would be ideal.
For flatter terrain and no long descents and no fast stop is required, i guess rim brakes are sufficient enough.
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timmerrr
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by timmerrr

I recently test road the new S5 and while it is not light by the standards of this forum, it still climbs pretty well because of how stiff the bottom bracket is. If you have a super light bike but it isnt the stiffest a heavier bike that is stiffer may actually feel like it climbs better. My current bike is at least 3 pounds lighter and I didn't think it climbs any better than the S5
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Stueys
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by Stueys

I think a lot of the issues people talk about with discs are either (a) lack of familiarity with how to set up and maintain, or (b) lack of experience/expectations on how they perform. Ultimately discs are a performance steup up from disc brakes but they aren't perfect, they have their foibles just like anything else.

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