Why don't lightweight road bikes have discs? Is it just weight?
PS answer here
8 reasons not to get disc brakes — find out the hassles before you switch
Read that, disagree with much of it, and their examples are taking top quality rim brakes of the type never found outside the professional race team and comparing it to the lowest of the low disc brake.
And thats just reason 1.
2. Disc brake rub can be an issue.
This is obviously a problem with caliper brakes too, as we have known for a very long time, with dozens of different remedies offered up as solution.
The truth is rim brakes need rims to be true or the same problem applies, and I have hung about bike shops and in particular a certain wheelbuilders long enough to know his main customers are roadies, which says big skinny wheels are prone to going out of true.
I've run discs since 1996, and rarely had a rub issue that wasnt easily resolved by centering the caliper and making sure it was in good working order.
3. Disc brakes are less aerodynamic.
If this was an issue, the tour de france riders wouldnt be using them, and there they are to a man. So clearly discs offer riders more than is being understated by road cc, whom i might add have been haters of everything non road since they began, in fact you should see the thousands of threads on fixies and how brakes need not apply to them.
4. Choosing discs is a minefield.
Again, no it isnt. Theres a choice of 2 compounds sintered or resin. When however it comes to rim brakes theres a whole slew of different compounds and all made by different manufacturers, including dual compounds.
For disc resin pads tend to not make a sound, unless water is present,but once the water is scrubbed off, simply by applying the brake the noise stops.
Sintered brakes, which have metal particles in them to help dissipate heat more rapidly do squeal, but the benefits of the more efficient braking is offset by this, and being able to brake even in the worst downpour is more important than whether they are noisy or not, and rim brakes also squeal in the wet and have their performance seriously restricted.
5. You need to bed in new brakes.
This is as true for rim brakes as disc brakes. So seems pointless trying to include it in the Road CC list
6. Maintenance involves a new set of skills.
" Depending on your cycling background, disc brake maintenance might be entirely new to you. "
Which it would for any task involving cycle maintenance Headset, rim brakes, cranks, chainrings etc etc. Cant see how learning is considered a downside.
7. Disc brakes squeal
As covered above with pad compound but yes, yes they do, but they still work, and work well. Squealing rim brakes are also a problem, but not enough to be included in a reason not to have them.
Ever tried setting up rim pads. you have full XYZ axis to get right. A bloody nightmare, and ive been doing it for decades. Always do the old tricks, place a piece of paper at the front of the pad. Use a third hand tool to squeeze the pad to the rim...etc..etc.
8 Rotors wear out.
But with rim brakes the entire rim wears out, so instead of 30 quid replacement rotor, you need a new rim, plus a rebuild, and if we go with the type of high end road bikes the above reasons list of implying, you could be over a hundred pounds EASY.
The other down side is a worn rim and 130psi pressure tyre. Nothing to tell you this rim is about to explode. Imagine that going bang as you have a bus behind you and the front end gives up.
Worn rotors. To be truthful here on my shopper bike, ive yet to wear out a rotor after 4 years of use, and in fact I've probably replaced the pads only once, and those werent totally used up.
All in al thats a rubbish and very misleading list from a forum that hates all bikes that arent road bikes.
While this is a woodworking and such forum, there are other bike forums im on and the biggest bike forums on the web at that. Road CC is a hate site and well known for its opinionated nonsense.
I would not want anyone to be put off either buying a bike with discs, or fitting them aftermarket because of the nonsense they spout. Discs are the safest system, and less affected by British weather than any other braking system yet made.
that would be me then.
I'm the bike mechanic, qualified as such and everything (because qualifications are really useful when a person turns up with a BSO and complains it isn't working).
Me too, though I dont have the actual cytec qualifications, just the standard stuff you get to accredit you when working for a bike charity, but I've been building my own bikes and repairing all aspects of others for the last 27 years. In that time ive only had the one new from a shop bike(Cannondale m200) and one new frame(1999 Orange Clockwork/or C16r to be exact) and the rest I've built and maintained myself.
My bike list- all built up with period parts to great expense. I've always taken pride in doing such things properly.
1991 Muddy Fox Adventurer,1991 Claud Butler Ventoux 400 ,1992 Raleigh Diablo ,1992 Rudy Project, 1995 Cannondale M200 ,1997 Santa Cruz Tazmon ,1997 Specialized Stumpjumper ,1997 Specialized Rockhopper ,1997 Marin Quake 9.0,1998 Marin Pallisade trail ,1998 Raleigh Torus,1999 Orange Clockwork ,2003 Cove Stiffee FR ,2005 Kona Hahanna ,2007 On-One Inbred ,2007 Kona Kikapu deluxe ,2010 Orange Pure7 ,200? Omega DNA 6al/4v Ti Interbike prototype, 2021 Scott Genius e-ride 920
Also I was probably the foremost Hope collector in the UK and still hold a number of extremely rare Hope kit, inc prototypes, outside of Hope's own museum.
I have 2 main interests in life -
1 - Being a qualified furniture maker/designer
2 - Bicycles
