[Closed] New roadie, disc or not

Year round bike, disc.

Summer bike I’d be tempted to stick with rim brakes and use the Zipps, although you could sell them to part finance a new pair? 404 are maybe in the realms of aero trumping weight (within reason).

Guess it depends on what the bike will be used for.

Go disc, sell the zipps, buy new ones.

or at least change the hubs, to accept discs, if possible?

If you're riding zipps I'd say swap in some disc hubs, just so you don't weep when the rims wear thin

(unless aero really matters to you as I assume discs are a teenytiny bit worse there)

(edit: for discs you might want a higher spoke count than your zipps currently offer, I guess)

Disc if

It’s very hilly or mountainous where you live.

You only have one bike and ride in filthy winter / rainy conditions.

rim brake if

flat or undulating where you ride.

you have another bike for winter.

Obviously the real answer is to build a winter disc bike and have a nice summer bike on rim brakes.

I have a very nice Genesis equilibrium with guards which gets used on the commute / filthy weather rides, whilst I'd like discs for it I like it too much to change it.

So it is a good weather bike really, though if you do big events and the like you nearly always end up riding in rain....I ride mostly new forest and South Downs, so a mix of flat and windy, and reasonably lumpy around the SD

rim brakes probably make most sense then.  10year warranty on rose own brand carbon wheels is tempted thoughn and no need to worry about wearing out rims if disc

eTap is fabulous, but definitely rim brakes and 404s. Will always be better wheels than the OEM discs. Even with Zipp hubs 😉

500g is a water bottle. Not a big difference, but you have the wheels for a nice build.

Calipers are so much nicer to look at, and much more traditional.

+1 for CFH.

Though I do have both, the Tim brake bike is so much nicer to look at.

Aesthetics are purely subjective...I think disc brakes look cooler and nicer than rim callipers. The fork crown is cleaner, so silly cables dropping down from the handlebars down to callipers, so much neater cable/hydraulic hose routing, and the calliper tucks in neatly between the chainstay/seatstay junction, so leaving the top of the chainstay bridge area looking nice and clean.

And who gives a sh1t about traditional? Modern road bikes are hardly traditional in terms of their appearance, materials used, construction techniques, geometry etc. If you're building up a vintage bike then fair enough (well you don't get an option in that case), but keeping 'traditional' brakes on a non-traditional bike is a nonsence. Like having a crank starter on a new BMW.

Personal opinions on aesthetics aside, The question is why not go with discs? Lower maintenance, better performance in all conditions, the use of them does not slowly destroy your nice rims, if you lose a spoke or buckle your wheel whilst out on a ride then you can get home, makes better use of moving to wider tyres and rims.

And who gives a sh1t about traditional?

+1.

Go for discs.

I've got one bike with each.

If I had to buy a new bike it would be disk braked but I won't be replacing my rim braked bike for the sake of it (it does help it has decent clearance for a racing frame already).

So I'd sell the Zipps or swap the hubs (assuming there isn't something special about the rims like they can only be laced radial).

I doubt the aero gains come into it unless you're wearing a skinsuit to your local clubrun. That said are disks less aero once the rim shape is optimised? You've only got a calliper in the Lee of the fork leg vs a much bigger calliper on the front of the crown. Most bikes aren't TT bikes with integrated/shielded callipers.

If buying new, discs every time.*

Sell the rim-brake Zipps, put the money into the new bike.

*unless they're really shit cable-operated ones!

I’d say go disc.

Rim brakes are great in the dry - so if it won’t be used in the wet that’s great, but assuming you would like to use it in races / sportives / events of some description and want to take your “good” bike along then with rim brakes you’ll end up with worse braking and eating your nice zipp rims.

Having said that, we are only grown ups riding round in circles for run and fitness and rim brakes work too, so go with whichever lands you with a bike that makes you want to ride it.

Unless you're racing where the margin aero and weight benefits of calipers could be of benefit, but discs for everything else these days.

I've raced pro road in the past, also criterium and tour series etc, I own a lovely Colnago C60 with calliper brakes and carbon wheels.

I'd go disc - everytime.

Well that is conclusive.  If I didn't have nice wheels i would be going for the discs.

how do the new mavic r sys rate these days?  I remember reviews saying they were a bit rubbish in the past, surely they've been redesigned?  Rim version comes with r sys, which could be a useful second set of wheels with the 404s for dry rides.

R-Sys are ok, but still use the V.narrow rim bed and the front spokes still aren't very aero.  not been redesigned as far as I know other than stopping the self exploding front spokes.

The squealing disc brakes may make you regret them though ...

7th ride - and mine started squealing yesterday: I not too impressed by discs to be fair!

R-Sys are the most un-aero wheels going - a ride buddy has a pair and on a fast descent where we're freewheeling he often goes from the front of the bunch to the back.

eTap HRD is really good, I've been really impressed. I have rim braked bikes and I still use them, with Chorus11, but any further new bikes now on will be disc.

R-Sys are the most un-aero wheels going – a ride buddy has a pair and on a fast descent where we’re freewheeling he often goes from the front of the bunch to the back.

is he half the weight of you? maybe he's just a pussy?  his wheels ain't doing that.

I'm buying a new summer bike at the moment and going rim. For a winter bike/commuter I would go disc but I have a stock of nice rim brake wheels and I'm happy enough with how they work to stick with that.

Why NOT disc?

From what you've said I can't see any good reason not to go with disc brakes. The Zipps can be sold easy enough.

Good haul here.

🙂 Flash, deep down you know it makes sense