It’s a massively divisive subject on which everyone seems to have a strong opinion. However, has anyone switched camps and if so, why?

Sort of related, but I always hankered after a disc braked CX bike; that is, until I replaced my frogs legs for CX9 vee brakes. I swear they are better than the discs on my MTB!

Nope.

Got hydro discs on my Defy. Won’t be going back.

No. Have got both rim and discs. No doubt in my mind as to which I would rather use.

The right question to ask.

I’ve gone from not seeing the point, to seeing the point but won’t be buying in.

My ‘nice’ bike is only sees rain a couple of times a year, and callipers do the job adequately in the dry. And if it does rain then I just plan ahead a bit, it’s not exactly mentally taxing to remember to scrub off a bit of speed before a corner even if that means dragging them a bit.

My tourer/commuter/gravel/winter bike has canti’s and has since the 80’s when it was new, whilst not brilliant in the wet they’re no worse than they were 30 years ago (better because they’re now CX70’s). I can see the reasons to spec disks on a new version, but it’s not gotten worse, they still work.

If I had a cross bike it’d be disk brakes, when it’s almost exclusively used in the wet/mud canti’s are definitely wrong unless a pro with ninja mud bike handling skills and sticking with what you know.

Thanks molgrips, I’ve just been out for a potter on the road with the Mrs and we got caught in a bit of a shower. I must have changed my mind several times during that ride. Just wondered if anyone had evolved their choice based on experience or whether everyone has stood my their original assumptions.

While it was dry and we weren’t really giving any beans, the brakes didn’t require much use at all, despite it being busy. I even wondered if the lack of hard work might lead to glazing. At that point, I’m thinking calliper brakes would be fine. Once the downpour caught us, I was really happy to have that instant response of disc, without having to wait for one full revolution and the fine control they give.

It’s been almost two decades since I last road a rim braked road bike in anger. Just wondering about the spec of a new road bike.

Nah, disc all the way for me.

Cheers, Steve

Got both. Rode the rim braked bike in the rain today. Would have preferred the disc. I’d buy discs again.

About 200 miles in and very happy so far.
Much better in the wet.

Depends which road bike.

I’d go rim brakes or hydraulic discs.

I wouldn’t faff with mechanical again.

Had hydro discs (shimano RS685) last year

Got a new bike, with caliper brakes (6800 Ultegra). Just feels really quick, simple, very clean.

Even if the weather is poor, the caliper brakes with suitable winter pads and regularly cleaned rims seem fine for road riding?

Still got hydro discs, but just on the MTB

If I was building an all-year commuting road bike (where immediate stopping power is beneficial whilst in heavy traffic) , I’d get an alloy Defy disc and throw some shimano hydro STI and disc brakes on there.

Hydro discs on the road bikes have helped improve my descending confidence – no issues on a mtb chucking myself down anything but the road has me clenching sometimes

I’d switch back though I think if a frame I wanted came up

Had a demo a couple of weeks ago on a disc braked giant. Colour me distinctly unimpressed. Not significantly better than my D-A using ilinks and some decent/suitable pads. Di2 was nice though. Next bike will have that.

Was more impressed with the braking on the latest gen carbon rims, even in the poring rain. Last time i used them in anger it was some terrible corimas. Even in the dry you needed to keep your wits about you.

I’d still have discs on a training bike tho. Just to save on cleaning and rim swaps.

Love my discs, wouldn’t go back. The added benefit is not wearing out rims!

My road riding is commuting in London, all year round, was doing 20miles a day for several years,
I hate riding rim brakes now, dangerous in busy traffic/ pedestrian areas, more so in the wet. Plus no more rims falling apart!

I was thankful for having discs when riding through winter. In the wet it was great having a reliable constant biting point. No waiting for the rim brake pads to clear the water off the rim before biting. Over spring/summer (in the dry) the calipers on my ‘nicer’ bike have been more than adequate. The dual pivot 105 brakes and Swiss stop pads are great.

Been on discs on my cx/road bike for about 3yrs. Road a road bike a few weeks back with rim brakes and found no wanting for more power even down some steep alpine decents. I’m sure you had more feel for what was happening too. Also cable discs need faffing with every so often to stop them rubbing.

Now I haven’t ridden road hydros yet, so that could change things completely !

I almost exclusively use my disc braked CX bike for road riding duties now. Partly because of the shit roads round this area anyway, mostly because the disc brakes are just so much better than even the Dura Ace calipers on my regular road bike.

If/when I get a new road bike, it will be a hydraulic disc one.

5 bikes, 4 with hydraulics, one with no brakes 🙂 . 2 MTB’s, carbon road, gravel and track. I found the road hydraulics a game changer..

I don’t really understand why it’s so divisive.

Whether you think it’s a “game changer” or couldn’t care less I do think depends very much on you as a rider, the type of riding you do, and where and when you ride. If I commuted in all weathers in traffic on poor roads I could see that I might be interested. As it is I mostly ride on decent quiet roads I know well so at the moment couldn’t care less about discs for the road bike.

LOVE my shimano hydro discs on my escapade, OK it’s not quite a road bike, but I’ve not bothered to put pedals back on the road bike since I got the escapade. One finger braking from the hoods is brilliant

I like the performance of my discs but am currently facing a six week wait for a warranty replacement caliper.
I am not that pleased about the situation. I still enjoyed my ride on a bike with rim brakes it’s still a bike.

I am in pretty much total agreement with TINAS, I see the value of them, I am in favour of their use at all levels of cycling, but I won’t be going out of my way to acquire a disc braked road bike, and I think there’s probably more important things to Base your choice on when buying a road bike…

I don’t really understand why it’s so divisive.

Tradition, blah blah, aero, blah blah, weight, blah blah, fast wheel changes, blah blah, bidon, blah blah, neoroadies, blah blah.

One of the few places I can think of where people foolishly cling on to older, worse technology for no real reason.

Anyone who wants a balanced view on this should ask somewhere other than a MTB forum ,at an event today there was 50+ bikes parked up, no discs, not one.

^^^ used the term game changer as my local roads are hilly country C and B class ones, often wet (west of Scotland) and in damp weather often festooned with cow shit and other delicacies. Rim brakes are great when these roads are dry and dirt free, otherwise the discs make the whole experience safer, quite and more fun 🙂

The OP should have put in a caveat that to answer the question you should at least have ridden a disc road bike for a decent amount of time.

at an event today there was 50+ bikes parked up, no discs, not one.

Well, if you put it like that…

Oh, and at the Dauphiné earlier, there was [sic] about 150 bikes being ridden, no discs, not one.

That’s it. Discs are rubbish.

I’ve got both, and see the point in both.

I didn’t say discs are rubbish, that sort of polarised statement is why you are a web troll or just thick, I’m not sure which and don’t really care,

I’m sure they have a there place andI’m also sure there are places they shouldn’t be.

On my nice bike and for road racing I see no point in discs at all, but for winter riding, CX or mtb then yes to hydraulic discs. Cable discs are sh*t and to be avoided in my experience, worst of both systems.

soon as there’s a sensibly priced aftermarket bolt-through road disc fork (preferably that complies with a fairly established standard), I’m in

(it’ll be cable, btw – I’m not changing anything else on the bike … and BB7s are excellent on my cross/winter bike)

used the term game changer as my local roads are hilly country C and B class ones, often wet (west of Scotland) and in damp weather often festooned with cow shit and other delicacies. Rim brakes are great when these roads are dry and dirt free, otherwise the discs make the whole experience safer, quite and more fun

So yes, in that scenario, for your riding, a game changer. If you did the same riding I do I doubt you’d be that bothered about discs.

Tradition, blah blah, aero, blah blah, weight, blah blah, fast wheel changes, blah blah, bidon, blah blah, neoroadies, blah blah.

Really? I don’t see much reluctance from most roadies to embrace new technology when it’s beneficial to them.

I really want some.

Don’t feel the need, haven’t changed my opinion. Very light carbon tubs may have a case. Standard Ultegra and Dura Ace calipers grabbing alloy rims provides all the power and modulation I need, wet or dry. I’m not heavy and seldom brake from the hoods.

I’ve changed my mind several times – mostly just before and just after I’ve adjusted the (generally shite) Tekro Lyra cable discs. Great when they are properly adjusted, bloody dangerous when the cables stretch and the pads wear down.

Haven’t tried hydro’s on a road bike yet but would swap over to them on the Jake if it wasn’t so expensive (considering it’s just my commuter bike)

Having said that, the rim brakes on my Sunday best bike are absolutely fine – plenty powerful enough and zero maintenance. Then again, I don’t ride that bike in the rain….