Looking for a new road bike for next year, but while i fancy disks on a few Giants ive looked at i also love the spec of the Canyons which dont come with disks ….. but canyons arent in stock for 4 months !
Not sure which way to go ??
Edit : This will be for better weather use only hopefully !

No.

But then I wouldn’t have bought a 2014 or 2015 one without discs either.

Road bikes with rim brakes will be at least as good in 2026 as they were 2006.
Other options do not make them worse/better. Just buy a bike with the brakes you like.

I just bought a new road bike, never had disc brakes on a road bike before.

Took the gamble and chose a Charge Plug 5 with discs.

Much better than rim brakes in my opinion. Plenty of feel, just like off road bike, nothing to dislike for me.

I’d only go for disks on my second / winter bike which is probably what I’ll do at some point. Disks better in the bad weather and not needed so much in the summer plus they add weight.

Pretty much that. I have s second road bike/tourer/cross thing with disks so I don’t mind having a dedicated “faster” road bike with rim brakes.

I guess it might make a difference when it comes to resale if the market has moved on and everybody wants disks.

Yes, especially if it’s for better weather use only.

As a proper best summer/race bike I wouldn’t buy a road bike with discs-just really don’t see the need. I know they’re all going to head that way as the manufacturers are pushing it so hard, but only on a tourer/commuter or winter bike for me.

Yes brought a Trek Emonda few months back but only for spring/summer use.
Use a cyclo-cross bike with discs for the winter riding then I can do a few tracks while out on the road.

Yes I would. I purchased a cervelo s3 this year specifically as I didn’t want a road bike with discs.
In a couple of years time I’ll probably look for a disc road bike when the technology and axle standards settle down a bit and they look a little less shit.
At the moment most look like the brakes have been slapped on as an afterthought.

I wouldn’t buy a road bike with disk. Full stop. A road bike with decent calipers will stop fine in foul weather and fine. Do you plan on swapping wheels with another bike? I do this all the time. Unlike the problems with neutral service, I like to be able to stop when I want to ride a less nice bike with better wheels.

Caveat here – I have five road bikes 😳 . They all serve a purpose and they all have Ultegra dual pivot or V (aero) brakes. They stop fine.

If I wanted a very best spec carbon-wheeled machine, with the lightest most fragile rims for the lightest tubulars, THEN I would consider discs. As will some of the pro teams next year.

By contrast (and for balance and full disclosure) I wouldn’t ride a cross or mtb without hydraulic brakes (but I ride singlespeed offroad).

Discs are better brakes than calipers. Much better. But they are overkill on the road. (ie. you never need the full power)
I think you have to make your own decision!

Yep; in my eyes, the benefits on discs on road bikes are negligible. My road bike even has discs! I enjoy being able to stop a bit better when it’s pissing it down, plus I won’t wear out my rims. Other than that; I’d have rim brakes.

axle standards settle down

There’s this load of horseshit to consider aswell. Road biking is becoming the new Mountain biking. I can’t really see how there’s a better standard then the current 9/10mm axles and QR skewers. But someone will try to tell you otherwise.

Probably not.

Definitely disc brakes for a winter bike for for a Sunday best it woudln’t even be in my top 5 considerations.

Definitely discs for me.

But then, I only have one road bike that gets used all year round and I don’t race.

Not sure I’m understanding the difference between winter and summer riding. Is it just that the days are shorter in the winter?

No not in Cotswolds have not seen a dry road for weeks wet covered in mud etc and your right the days are shorter.

For legend

Summer looks like

Winter looks like…

I bought a carbon Defy because I wanted a carbon Defy, it just happened to have disks on it. And I’ve been massively impressed ever since. Only negative is it was supposed to be for ‘best’ with the old bike kept with guards and winter tyres. But I’ve now decided to just ride the Defy because its so good. And without doubt having to use rim brakes after the disks is not a great experience. Which for me speaks volumes.

Absolutely, I bought a Colnago C60 in the summer as my dream bike with a money (almost) no object build and avoided discs as I just didn’t like the looks of them on this particular bike despite Colnago being a big pusher of disc brake bikes. I may revisit this in a few years if I feel disadvantaged but doubt it.

Not sure I’m understanding the difference between winter and summer riding. Is it just that the days are shorter in the winter?

Normally summer = warm and wet
Normally winter = cold and wet and gritted/generally filthed up to the eyeballs

@ wait4me , which defy did u go for ? …been looking at the Defy Advanced 1 myself

I went all in on an Advanced Pro 1. So its got the hydraulic brakes. So if I wasn’t pleased with it I’d be pretty hacked off. Most expensive bike I’ve owned by a fair bit. Lovely machine, better than I’ll ever be.

I won’t adopt discs again until Shimano make some decent sized STIs Got rid of my bike with RS685 brakes as the hoods were horribly bulky and uncomfortable; SRAMs offerings look similarly clunky.

@ wait4me ,Thats the one i want but a little too many £ for me 🙁 … any idea on weight with the disks ?

I did weigh it when I first got it, can’t honestly remember to be honest. I’ll get on scales if you’re really interested?

Surprised about comfort on the 685s, not had any issues even on 100 mile rides and love one finger braking from the hoods. I’ve got pretty big hands I guess so maybe that’s relevant.

As said, was the frame I was most interested in, for the mid 40yr old non racer it seemed like the perfect bike and I’ve never regretted its purchase.

Discless will work fine, just as they have for the last few decades. However, I’m sure resale value will be less compared with bikes with what is becoming the “norm”

I had an Advanced Pro with 6800 and 1500G wheels, still came in at close to 18 lbs.

I wouldn’t buy a 2016 road bike with discs

… I’d wait ’til 2017 – I think there’s some buggering about with hub widths, dropouts/axles, mounts before it all sattles down

road BB7s on my “shitweather” bike are way better than rim brakes, though

Its 650b all over again.
Pretty soon you won’t be able to buy non disc bikes…

What Piemonster said for me.

Yes no discs here, my biggest problem is deciding between a Parlee or Time! 😀

Yes, Cinelli Nemo Tig. I wouldn’t buy it if they slapped discs on it.
Colour is more important than if it has discs.

Nope. I have a Cube Peloton with 105s. My brother has a Rose Xeon CDX with shimano hydros (and Di2 but that’s another argument). Going back to riding my bike after riding his is shit, the brakes are a decent sized part of that

^ pretty much sums it up IMHO.

If it’s fair weather use pick whatever you prefer, the new 105\ultegra\DA road callipers are very good.

I’ve gone for discs as I want one nice road bike I can use all year round. I thought it would be more of a summer thing, but when the weathers nice I tend to ride my MTB and when it’s crap like now I ride my roadbike.

I prefer it to my rim brake roadie, more predictable braking, lighter feel, prefer the STI shape and I’ve found the bike is cleaner after a wet dirty ride too (keeps the tan wall open tubulars clean too :P).

I just need to change the tyres and remove the mudguards for spring\summer.

If I could have a good weather bike and a bad weather bike, the good weather one would have Ultegra rim brakes, the bad weather one would have discs. And proper mudguards. And clearance for 28mm tyres.

As I can only realistically have, it would be the disc version for all weather practicality.

It’s getting to the point where I wouldn’t buy a non-disc road bike. My racing days are virtually over and from 2017 it’s almost a dead cert that they’ll be allowed in road races anyway so that won’t be an obstacle.

By then the standards around axles and disc mounts should have settled down a bit, bikes will be better designed to integrate the hoses and there should be a better range of aftermarket parts available too.

I want SRAM e-tap with hydro discs. That’s worth waiting for!

cloudnine – Member

Its 650b all over again.

Nah.
There’s a point to disc brakes.