Very disappointing. I was expecting or at least hoping that Shimano and SRAM would have hydraulic discs up and running at Eurobike – doesn’t look like that’s the case though.

(Yes, I’ve seen the Hope and Tektro bodge solutions but neat as they are, they’re still bodges)

Or are they holding off until Interbike next week (seems unlikely)?

Or maybe nobody is doing hydros coz cables are a better/more cost effective solution?

Maybe. I’m not convinced though.

OK on the basis that others might agree with druidh though how about some new more racy cable operated calipers then – the avids, etc we already have are pretty chunky, designed for mtbs and haven’t changed in a bit.

in my humble opinion, hydro discs seem more ‘tech’ and therfore more valuable than cable discs.

whatever the pros and cons may be, if either of the S’s think they can make a few quid out of hydro discs for roadies, they will make hydro discs for roadies.

(apologies for suggesting that road bikes and cx bikes are in anyway similar)

There won’t be any pro riders using discs on the road as the disadvantages are too significant. They won’t make hydro brifters just for cx.

They won’t make hydro brifters just for cx

I’m willing to wager that someone will in the near future. Its not just CX, but commuting/touring that it will appeal to too.

Tourers won’t want hydros. Cables are easier to bodge in the event that something breaks.

yeah, but 20 years ago people were saying exactly the same thing about mtbers…

and suspension.

and aluminium frames.

and gears.

and pneumatic tyres.

and anything not crudely woven out of hay.

aP – Member
There won’t be any pro riders using discs on the road as the disadvantages are too significant.the UCI don’t allow it.

FTFY though to some extent it’d be interesting to see if some did use them if they were allowed. With bikes easily getting under the current weight limit, they could easily fit discs that weighed a bit more and still be on the limit. Plus for the mountain stages, it would massively improve the useability of carbon rims and remove the design constraints of needing a braking surface.

And most MTBers these days seem to be in playparks where they are no more than a couple of miles away from their car. Bit different if your crossing the sahara on your full-sus fat bike 🙂

druidh – Member
Tourers won’t want hydros. Cables are easier to bodge in the event that something breaks.

Though on the same point, a lot of tourers (using flat bars) go for hydro discs because they’re so reliable and don’t wear out rims…

oh god it’s all so complicated!!!

Complicated??

We haven’t even got to discussing different mounting standards for aero forks and stuff yet!

I didn’t think ‘proper’ CX racers used their brakes?

Not really but let’s face it most CX bikes sold never get raced.

They’re coming, just be patient.

True, they get sold to IT mangers who just mince around on them…

OH..

😉

“Speed-mince” if you don’t mind.

Ohhh, you’ve upped your game then…

Not really but let’s face it most CX bikes are sold never get raced.[i]to people too ashamed to buy a toruer/hybrid/commuter bike so spurge their £1000 cyclescheme voucher on a ‘raceing’ bike thats slacker and comfier, a bit like a tourer/commuter/hybrid really[/i]

FTFY

But wouldn’t the lever be a bit large and bulky and rather expensive if you wanted an STI unit?

Quite possibly TINAS though the more open minded can see that a CX bike is good at so much more than just racing.

I still don’t believe that there’ll be discs on road race frames any time soon, you’ll be saying next that they’ll have to have bolt through axles as well 🙄
Apparently according to the twattoed 69er I saw on BKB recently I drive an audi, got my bike on B2W and anyway I shouldn’t be riding it off road. Probably because it doesn’t have disc brakes.

Just a matter of time – I thin discs on CX are still in infancy so its a stop gap – if discs take off then I expect full hydro STI’s will ikely be on the cards?

TBH, if you want a CX bike with discs just buy a rigid 29er.

**runs away**

I imagine the amount of R&D involved in developing a Double Tap/STI lever with an integrated fluid reservoir, and a small, lightweight caliper to go with it far exceeds the 9 month or so timescale since the UCI approved discs.

Give it about 3 years I reckon!

Shock Horror!…Bicycle Industry fails to respond to whims of STW forum members.

Coleman – Member
Shock Horror!…Bicycle Industry fails to respond to whims of STW forum members.

I know it’s outrageous. I’m going to write a strongly worded letter to someone about it.

or… actually it’s not just STW but that wouldn’t be so much fun now, would it… 😉

I think the market is far too small to warrant development of a hydro STI shifter. A few hundred cyclists in Belgium is hardly worth building a business plan around… ;o)

I am quite haps with using hydros on a tourer. I have never had a hydro hose fail. No less reliable than a cable disc.

Note Shimano’s new CX groupset. I think that is them laying the foundations for new discs as they don’t want to put them into one of their existing road groups.

The fact that Shimano lobied the UCI to change the rules for discs in ‘cross would suggest that they think there is a market, and demand from the racers. I wouldn’t be suprised to see some racers on Shimano prototypes this season, although whether that will be hydro or cable (or one disguised as t’other during development?) I don’t know.

Di2 discs? 😆

As mentioned above, most cross bikes are sold to non racers so the market must be pretty large though I still think the development will be (pro) racer led.
I don’t agree with the old adage that you don’t need good brakes for cross, especially with all the dead turns and such on modern courses, I see plenty of overtakes by out-braking. In the dry cantis can be set up well enough to be sufficient and keep weight down but in the wet discs would really come into their own, especially with carbon rims. I would be very surprised if we don’t see some pros on proto disc set-ups for a few races this year. Di2 hydros would be ace but perhaps that market is too small?

Surely Shimano will do this with D2i. Then they don’t need to find space for all of the shifting gubbins in the STI and can fill the space with hydro disc gubbins.

Probably be eyewateringly expensive though.

How ace would electronic brakes be? no more messy hoses to try and route round your frame, then electronic uppy-downey seatposts…

EDIT – or am I confusing electronic and wireless 🙄

Electronic brakes? What would be the fail-safe mode???

Maybe it would be better if Avid started making a better version of the BB7?

What would be the fail-safe mode

fully on, obviously! 😆