Disc brakes: your greatest dreams, and fears confirmed.

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RocketRacing
Posts: 964
Joined: Thu May 10, 2018 2:43 am

by RocketRacing

So i just got my first hydralic disc brake road bike (ok, tri bike... felt ia disc).

Sorry disc haters, disc brakes just work so much better than rim brakes. Different league. I can now rail the descents will total confidence and braking is both strong, and well... perfect.

Sorry disc lovers... my sram hydraulic disc brakes (ender shimano fan boys) rub up front from day 1.

Let the debate continue!!!

Edit: straightened a disc rotor for the first time ever, using a park tool rotor straightening tool (wrench) and a wheel stand (upside down on my couch).
Last edited by RocketRacing on Wed Sep 11, 2019 3:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

skyliner1004
Posts: 120
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 6:38 am

by skyliner1004

disc brakes add about .5 - .75lb to your bike. you argue it stops better, i argue that if your forearms are strong enough to lock up the wheels, the brakes aren't limiting you. Its your tires. my 2010 sram rim brakes could throw me over the bars any day of the week. The long time arguement a road bike needing disc brakes: road bikers use their brakes 99% less than a mtb, we can go miles and miles and miles and probably never even touch our brakes.

Disc brake benefits: better braking in bad conditions (wet, snow, gravel, mud)

having said that, i now have a dura ace disc brake bike. they look cooler, they make my bike look newer, they work.
2018 Supersix Evo Hi-Mod Disc Dura-Ace
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spdntrxi
Posts: 5791
Joined: Sat Jul 20, 2013 6:11 pm

by spdntrxi

why....

lock it up.. it's just more of the same.

but I'll play...

Dreams - one finger braking
Fears - I have just as many wheelsets as I did when I was on rim brakes.
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none
Posts: 291
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2018 11:29 pm
Location: NE PA

by none

Brakes, who needs them; they only slow you down.

RossLB
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:18 am

by RossLB

I have three very similar bikes. A 2016 Cervelo R3 rim brake, a 2018 R3 disc and a 2018 R5 rim.

I bought the disc R3 last year because I thought discs were a great idea. Better braking, and I could use carbon wheels without fear of brake failures or delamination.

In practice, the braking was not better. My rim brake bikes brake just as well. In fact, with swiss stop pads and alloy rims, braking is better on my rim R3 than on my disc bike. Braking also feels more direct and more controlled with rim brakes. I also have Fulcrum and Enve carbon wheels for my rim bikes and the braking is more than adequate on both.

The feel of the bike is different on the disc bike. It is like riding a block of concrete. It feels solid and unyielding. The bike doesn't feel fun to ride. The two rim brake bikes both feel springy, lively and fun to ride.

The disc bike has been in the LBS repeatedly for adjustments, and the front caliper finally had to be replaced under warranty. Even when working perfectly, the brakes are noisy. And it is not the pleasant jet engine sound of rim brakes on carbon wheels. It is the sound of a cat screaming in pain. And the pads wear out every few months on the disc bike. I am always worried about whether there is any pad left on a long ride.

In summary, my disc brake experience has been disappointing and frustrating. Which is why, when I decided to buy a new bike, I went for the R5 rim. The disc bike exceeded my worst fears, and did not live up to my expectations in any respect. My R5 rim is definitely a dream by comparison.

Imaking20
Posts: 2260
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:19 am

by Imaking20

none wrote:
Wed Sep 11, 2019 2:08 am
Brakes, who needs them; they only slow you down.
This.


Having just built up a really nice disc bike that I am really liking - I do not understand why disc brakes have already become a religion. They're very good, and my bike is lighter than a lot of rim brake bikes. Some people have said disc brakes work like very well setup rim brakes on alloy - and I'd agree with that.

I think the revelation is that a ton of folks spent years on rim brake setups that were whack...

Moral of the story is take the time to setup your rim brakes and make adjustments if you're not content! Also, disc brakes do actually stop a bike well. And 9170 shifters are maybe the most comfortable I've ever ridden.

robertbb
Posts: 2179
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:35 am

by robertbb

@RossLB: Swisstop BXP's on alloy rims are as good as it gets on rim brake bikes. Better even than exalith/mille wheels and as good as any disc setup I've tried.

shotgun
Posts: 319
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:38 pm
Location: Philippines

by shotgun

I was all praises for Disc, and I still like them and they're still on my primary bike. However, I recently used rim brakes and alum rim wheels (shamals) and was pleasantly surprised that they worked pretty well too. I think we've been so accustomed to using carbon rims which really pale in comparison to disc.
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RocketRacing
Posts: 964
Joined: Thu May 10, 2018 2:43 am

by RocketRacing

Fyi, Those that like rim, are generally using aluminum.

Aero is so key, you need deep wheels. Deep wheels with aluminum brake tracks are a increasingly rare breed.

I would quantify that aluminum rim vs disc... pretty similar. Disc just beats carbon rib brake tracks hands down.

ChiZ01
Posts: 477
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2014 6:20 pm

by ChiZ01

RossLB wrote:
Wed Sep 11, 2019 2:21 am
The disc bike has been in the LBS repeatedly for adjustments, and the front caliper finally had to be replaced under warranty. Even when working perfectly, the brakes are noisy. And it is not the pleasant jet engine sound of rim brakes on carbon wheels. It is the sound of a cat screaming in pain. And the pads wear out every few months on the disc bike. I am always worried about whether there is any pad left on a long ride.

sounds more like someone who never bothered to learn how to maintain hydro disc brake, if you hear "cat screaming in pain", it is a clear sign your pads are contaminated.

RocketRacing
Posts: 964
Joined: Thu May 10, 2018 2:43 am

by RocketRacing

9BDA0EAF-3C1A-47BC-BA94-619D8C576C07.jpeg
And just because i can not resist... here she is!

0.5-1lbs means nothing on a 20+ lbs bike.

RossLB
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:18 am

by RossLB

ChiZ01 wrote:
Wed Sep 11, 2019 3:07 am
sounds more like someone who never bothered to learn how to maintain hydro disc brake, if you hear "cat screaming in pain", it is a clear sign your pads are contaminated.
You're right, I forgot to mention the much greater and more frequent maintenance required for disc brakes.

Cemicar
Posts: 472
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:40 am

by Cemicar

My DURA-ACE rotor often rubs especially after descending the hill, but honestly I don't care at all. I know it may add some resistance, but the hubs of Mavic/Campagnolo/DT/Chris King bring much louder sound...
RocketRacing wrote:
Wed Sep 11, 2019 1:29 am
Edit: straightened a disc rotor for the first time ever, using a park tool rotor straightening tool (wrench) and a wheel stand (upside down on my couch).
Perhaps you need to face your frame/fork as well...
https://www.bike24.com/p2206740.html

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Alexbn921
Posts: 751
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2019 6:39 pm

by Alexbn921

RossLB wrote:
Wed Sep 11, 2019 3:33 am
ChiZ01 wrote:
Wed Sep 11, 2019 3:07 am
sounds more like someone who never bothered to learn how to maintain hydro disc brake, if you hear "cat screaming in pain", it is a clear sign your pads are contaminated.
You're right, I forgot to mention the much greater and more frequent maintenance required for disc brakes.
For the most part disk brakes require less effort to maintain perfect braking. I had to remove my rim pads on a monthly basis to remove aluminum fragments and sand off the glazing. I also had to clean and use steel wool on the brake tracks every month or two. This is on dura ace wheels with swiss stop pads.

On my XC mountain bike I went for almost a year with zero maintenance on my disk brakes. Then I installed new pads, cleaned the pistons and went a whole year again.

There is no comparison in pure power or modulation. Disks are better in every metric, except weight and setup time. Maintenance is just different.
Ride fast Take chances

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pdlpsher1
Posts: 4016
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:09 pm
Location: CO

by pdlpsher1

RocketRacing wrote: And just because i can not resist... here she is!

0.5-1lbs means nothing on a 20+ lbs bike.
Jesus. What’s your BB to saddle height?


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