[Closed] Would I be an eejit if I bought a roadie with rim brakes, rather than discs?

I wouldn't worry too much. Discs are in their infancy on road bikes, it's more about modulation than power on road bikes.

Not at all, rim brakes have been refined to a very high level of performance and are very low maintenance.

Discs make more sense on a winter bike or commuter than on a "best" bike IMO.

And I put my money where my mouth is and bought a new road bike with rim brakes last year.

Test ride some with new bikes with and without discs. See what you think.

Personally, I'm not fussed as most of my riding on the road bike is training in a not very hilly part of the country. If I commuted in all conditions in traffic, or if I lived somewhere with lots of long steep downs, then I'd probably be more likely to fancy discs.

if i liked 2 bikes equally and one had disks then id go for that one. But it would be fairly far down the list of things i'd want on a road bike.

I'm on the brink of a similar decision, but I do think we're a way off them becoming ubiquitous. Even if they decide the entire peloton en masse has to go to discs it's not going to be until the 2016 season at least, and even then they'll probably only be widely available from MY2017 bikes. There's always something on the horizon, life's too short!

I'll be going rim brake.

Edit:
tpbiker said it eloquently 17 seconds quicker than me:

if i liked 2 bikes equally and one had disks then id go for that one. But it would be fairly far down the list of things i'd want on a road bike.

ive just bought a rim brake despite the better braking of my disc cx its not as important to me on the road tbh unless its heavily laden touring or the depths of winter. id rather wait to see what they come up with a few years down the line before i go for road discs as im sure they will be much better then

Have a think when and where most your riding will be. If you will be frequently riding steep downhills with tight turns (in wet and grime) then I think the discs have an advantage (my pair of 'quickly' worn mavic open pro rims support this theory). I bought a cheep disc braked winter bike and don't have to grimace at the sound of the rims being worn away.

My cross/winter/tourer bike has had discs for a few years after years of cantis and whilst it is heavier for it (hyrds) it was a choice I'm glad I made. Definitely a better bike for it, for what I use it for. That said my summer road bike is still rim brake and I have no huge urge to change that.

njee20 and tpbiker sum it up for me as I too have had a similar debate. I suspect if I was buying in 2 years time the answer would be "yes, get disks" but today, I'm not so sure.

If I was buying a new road bike I'd definitely want disks. However, the one I have will likely do me just fine for years and that's maybe the difference. I'd be intending to keep any new bike for just as long. If you reckon you'll be buying another in 2/3 years (by which time discs may have become ubiquitous) then you've only the resale value to consider.

So another perspective to consider. If you're buying a whole new bike now then why not all other things being squall. But at the same time given that everything is very much in its adolescent stage of development it probably only makes a compelling case to go disc if a) you are buying the very best examples that we have right now (so dura ace level) because at least that way the very top end of kit now will still be relatively competitive and functional three to five years down the line and b) if you really want to run carbon wheels now or in the near future then definitely discs make a lot of sense.

I bought a new bike last year but it was only a frame so didn't make sense to chop a whole lot of good kit in just to go discs.

When does this countdown to ubiquity begin?
I personally can't wait for the S/H roadbike market to be flooded with incredibly cheap barely used top end rim brakes, frames and wheels.

I wouldn't and am not sure if discs will ever be lighter than caliper brakes - though they may phase those out of course.

Rim brakes for me...

cynic-al - Member
I wouldn't and am not sure if discs will ever be lighter than caliper brakes - though they may phase those out of course.

Rim brakes are fine and will still be fine in years to come.

You'll be an eejit whatever you buy

I've recently purchased a cervelo s3. I think it's pretty much the last chance Ill have to get myself a new roadbike without getting dragged into having discs.

I have ultegra rims on summer good bike and shimano hydro's on the winter/tourer/cross. The performance in the dry is similar but the discs come in to their own when its wet. As the good bike rarely goes out in the wet I don't really notice it, however if I was replacing the Defy I'd be getting one with hydro discs..

What bikes have you been looking at IHN?

If it helps, we're still selling LOADS of rim braked road bikes right now, it seems the majority of disc brake bikes are still more your "winter trainer" type of bike for now.

Doesn't the UCI still specify a minimum weight? If so, then there is plenty of manufacturers who can build their bikes below that weight already, so weight of the brakes will be irrelevant. I'd imagine that being able to get an aero position for the calliper, and how easy it will be to take a wheel from a neutral service car will have a bigger impact on the pro tour teams using the kit.

paulo. don't forget rims can be designed to be both lighter and more aero without the need for a braking surface.

Living in Sheffield and living to ride in the Peak I'm thinking of going for discs on my next road bike which I buy new.

(Discounting any vintage style project I decide will be nice to build, that is.)

Colnago do an alloy disc bike I think.

Here you go.

http://roadcyclinguk.com/gear/eurobike-2013-colnago-cx-zero-classics-bike-breaks-cover.html#evrW7IEpKBioMXVK.97

Given that one of the designers who regularly posts on here reckons that the standards for disc equipped roadies are likely to change, I'm hanging on for as bit.

I like the idea of discs on road bikes, but I'm not prepared to risk it at the mo.

I was reading something from one of the pros the other day where he was more worried about the risk of injury in a mass pile up than any improvement in wet weather braking. As he said amateur riders dont generally get involved in mass crashes so he can see why they are gaining popularity but didnt think they were safe enough to be afopted by the pro peleton

I ride with a South London club which isn't short of people who like chi-chi kit or short of a few bob and no-one has a disc-braked road bike yet. I suspect the demand really isn't there yet, so mass takeup will be a while off.

Also - my summer road bike has c12k+ miles on it over 5 years and I'm still on the original brake blocks - I basically don't brake that much - most of the riding is riding along for miles and miles.

My commuter is a totally different kettle of fish - blocks need replacing every 3 months in winter - it's wet and there's loads of stopping at lights and junctions etc.

I don't think discs are necessary on most road bikes - CX and commuters maybe...

Just been through the whole process. Looked at loads, tested a few, bought one with rim brakes.

Edit: It is entirely possible that I am an eejit though.

the change in standards is what put me off. I think they may be switch towards bolt thru. I noticed a few bikes coming with them. Im keeping my old cross bike until it settles down.

If I wanted the absolutely lightest carbon clincher rims, I'd go cable disk. Otherwise, I'm very happy with Shimano's dual pivot finest. After a small off at the weekend, I'd think twice about the crashworthyness of hydraulic levers.

If you ever thought you might try a race, forget disk for now. I never thought I'd race, but now do so two or three times a month.

My next road bike will definitely have disk brakes, my current road bike has them and I wouldn't want to be without them now!

I have never found the rim brakes (Mavic SSC)on my summer bike lacking,but with discs the real advantage would be in heavy rain,or on a loaded up tourer.TBH on the summer bike if it's silly wet I just dial the speed down anyway.My next tourer/commuter will have discs.

Looking ahead if I change my good road bike disc brakes are the last thing I'll be looking at. Like brooess my current summer bike is on its original pads. Winter trainer....... thats a different matter.

I was reading something from one of the pros the other day where he was more worried about the risk of injury in a mass pile up than any improvement in wet weather braking.

Pros talk even more shit then bike journos.

Do we see them braking fingers or otherwise injuring themselves die to contact with spokes?

No...so unlikely they'd do similar with discs.

As above. In summary, it depends on your riding, and where you ride.

Living in Hong Kong where roads are steep, the surface is poor and it rains a lot, discs were great along with compact gearing. I have since moved to Singapore where roads are flat, well surfaced and you can ride all year round in the warm sunshine and discs are a bit irrelevant to be honest. We are however about to move back home to the UK where I think on balance I will be happier with disc brakes.

For the Alps or Peaks, discs have a definite advantage. For a winter bike (and by inference any bike that you want to ride all year round), discs have a definite advantage. If you just want a road bike for sunny days to enjoy and plan to ride the mountain bike in foul weather, go with rim brakes. They are plenty powerful enough and have evolved probably as far as they can.

The one debate to ignore is that of the pro peleton. Professional riders brake less than us mortals, they have superior handling skills than us mortals, and worry more about aerodynamics (because they actually go fast enough for it to make a difference!) and of course the UCI and their sponsors. Too many amateurs model their purchase on what the pros ride when in reality their needs would be better served by something with a different position, different gear ratios and different braking. Buy what suits the kind of riding you do and choose your brakes based on an honest assessment of how much steep descending and wet weather riding you will be doing. That is in reality the main benefit of discs.

Don't be a herd animal. Choose what is right for you. Rim brakes will be around for at least the life of whatever bike you choose, so don't worry about obsolescence. Just worry about whether the weight and appearance of discs is worth it for the riding that you do.

All of my bikes (road, CX and mountain) are disc braked, but that's just me. I ride the road with plenty of guys still on rim brakes (in fact the majority) and whilst I can out brake them, the difference is minimal, and I do sometimes lust after the lighter weight of their bikes going uphill.

Possibly al but he seemed somewhat concerned at the thought of a spinning circular saw attached to the hub 😉

I just ordered a new road bike (high end),with rim brakes.

For the kind of riding I do, in the conditions I generally ride in, rim brakes are plenty good enough. There isn't masses of barking involved in most road rides. I don't really see much need or desire for disc brakes for most road applications. If I lived in a mountainous area, road cx or was commuting then maybe.

Having said that, if the industry decides they want to move everything that way (and if the UCI buy into it), to drive sales then rim brakes could go the way of 26" wheels on MTBs. Hopefully that won't happen but you never know.

The bike I just bought is likely to last me for the next 10 years assuming no crashes or structural issues so I'm not really worried about what might happen next year or the year after. When it's time for a new bike I'll go with whatever is around at that point.

Discs win for me because they stay cleaner and require less maintenance. Basically don't need any adjusting, ever. One concern I have though is the possibility of grabbing some brake and locking up on wet roads accidentally.

next road bike I buy will have discs. Forgot how shit even high end caliper brakes are in the wet.

solarider makes some good points there.

My winter bike has disk brakes and I don't see that changing any time. At the same time, my summer bike has rim brakes, this is looking increasingly likely to be changed for another rim brakes bike.

I want a new road bike. I'm in favour of disc brakes and through axles. However, it already looks like there are two disc mount "standards" and suggestions of 12mm front axles instead of 15mm, plus when the seals leak in a shimano lever you have to bin the entire STi.

My heart says get discs. My short term brain says get discs. My long term brain is saying I should wait for things to settle down.

I'd expect a road bike to last me around ten years or more, so if I buy caliper brakes now, that's a lot of disc use I'll miss out on. If I buy discs now, I might back the wrong standards and get stung down the line.

Ironically, the most likely outcome is that I postpone the purchase of a new road bike for a couple of years because of this.

I'm sure my post is of no help other than to let you know others have the same dilemma.

Cheers all, some interesting points.

I think, given that:
- I don't live in the Peaks (any more, 🙁 )
- The bike would be a best-ish bike (the existing one would stay for hideous weather and/or commutung should that ever be possible)
- The whole 'discs on roadies' thing is still settling down

... I'll stop worrying about it and go for rim brakes.

[i]You'll be an eejit whatever you buy [/i]

It's a fair point. 🙂

onzadog - that's entirely my thought process.

I reckon plumping for rims now, for a bike that I'll also have for probably ten years, is a fair shout given the type of use it will get. When I eventually replace it the whole disc thing will have settled down (in theory) and that's the point I'll get discs (and I'll probably have no choice buy then).

I run discs on both my roadies and have for well over a year. There's more chance of Jupiter falling over than me going back to rim brakes. You can persuade yourself all day that rim brakes are fine but it's not even close, really.

At this moment in time, I'd buy a road bike without discs over on with discs. I think it's progress for progress's sake.

I'm not bothered a lab test will tell you that you get x amount of extra modulation and power. Rim brakes have been fine on road bikes for many, many, many years.

One day, there wont be a choice, and that'll suck because it's another old standard that's being fazed out to make money on new bits.

[i]Rim brakes have been fine on road bikes for many, many, many years.
[/i]

That's an argument I don't buy though. The same was said about canti's on mountain bikes before v-brakes, v-brakes before discs, suspension forks...

You can persuade yourself all day that rim brakes are fine but it's not even close, really.

They are fine, they're not as good as discs (no one's saying they are), but they're fine. Particularly for dry weather use.

[i]What bikes have you been looking at IHN?

[/i]

Sorry, just seen that.

A few in an idle, poking about on the web kinda way; Supersixes on offer at Pauls Cycles, I really like the red Genesis Zero (the 4 I think?), various others. And, of course, Hora's new Ritchey Road Logic when he sells it 🙂

That's an argument I don't buy though. The same was said about canti's on mountain bikes before v-brakes, v-brakes before discs, suspension forks...

It's a different application though. Bit like 4x4 off road, clearly better and everyone who drives much off road uses it now. On the road the benefits are less obvious, plus you have extra weight, cost and complexity.

I like discs purely because rubbing rim brakes are a disgusting thing. So I would never buy another bike without discs. The discs on roadies revolution is a fab bit of progress.

I like discs purely because rubbing rim brakes are a disgusting thing.

I agree, but is that really an issue on the road? Never has been for me. 😕

Far more common to get a slight rub on a disc brake, where tolerances are far tighter.

Far more common to get a slight rub on a disc brake, where tolerances are far tighter.

With the advent of road hydraulics this will become far less of an issue with self centering pads - even the bb5s on my commuter (which aren't the greatest tbh & require a bit of fiddling to keep working optimally) have needed less maintenance than the rim brakes on my old commuter through thousands of miles of crap weather every year.

Also - with the disc caliper being near the centre of the wheel any flex / wobbles at the rim are pretty much negligible but with rim brakes can be felt much more so as a few mm of movement at the rim can be easily enough to rub brake pads (or fork legs in the case of my old commuter with rims of cheese)

Having said that - I wouldn't be put off buying a nice road bike with rim brakes if I was only going to use it in good weather, for longevity I wouldn't stick factory wheels with proprietary rims on it though.

For a road bike that isn't used in a seriously hilly or mountainous area, in reasonably good weather, rim brakes are "fine". Plenty good enough for the job.

Disc brakes will be "better" in terms of power and probably modulation/feel. They may be an advantage if you do live in a very hilly or mountainous area or ride in really bad weather.

Just to throw in another option - if you want more power, how about hydraulic rim brakes? The SRAM Red hydraulic brakes look like a good halfway house -

[url= https://www.sram.com/sram/road/products/sram-red-hydraulic-rim-brakeset ]SRAM RED Hydraulic Rim Brakes[/url]

they have superior handling skills than us mortals

😆 no, just no, some have, Sagan certainly has, but Schleck minor? 😆

Commuter/tourer has Avid BB7s, road bike has rim brakes. Most of my road riding is in the Dales where one or two hills might be involved and rain is not unknown 😆 Having rim brakes hasn't been a problem even on descents like Park Rash.

If a bike I liked/was interested in had disk brakes then fine, but equally I wouldn't dismiss a bike just because it had rim brakes.

no, just no, some have, Sagan certainly has, but Schleck minor?

I reckon plumping for rims now, for a bike that I'll also have for probably ten years

Well most likely you will have had to replace the wheels at least once in that time. They do wear out after all, some (alarmingly) faster than others.

I have said this soooo many times but the case for discs on a road bike is far more about what wheel choice it allows than braking performance (which is an added benefit).

You can run carbon clinchers and not worry. When you get mass take up of people running carbon wheels the price will start to come down massively, making them even more affordable.

In five years time I reckon 70% of the sport market will be on discs and carbon rims. In ten year it will be closer to 100%.

On the road the benefits are less obvious, plus you have extra weight, cost and complexity.

No doubt the same retro-grouch arguments were advanced about STI levers.

I'm not a road racer, but I'd be thinking about future resale if i were buying a new bike this year.

The value of 26" bikes on the SH market has plummeted this year. I can imagine the same happening with roadbikes.

Consequentially, why not buy a nice SH roadbike with conventional brakes and minimise the potential loss.

for longevity I wouldn't stick factory wheels with proprietary rims on it though

What would you do then? You can't use (rear) disc hubs in a rim brake frame, so you'll need new wheels anyway, what difference is it if they're factory wheels versus custom builds?

This much worry makes me wonder just how much road riding many of the posters here have actually done.
None of the guys I regularly ride road with are even vaguely interested in discs. that's a mixture of fairly new road riders, sportive riders, club riders and guys who regularly race at various levels.
The one guy I have ridden with with who did have discs on his roadbike used his brake levers far too often and far too early for every single corner during the 40miles we rode together.
Personally I have never ever worn out the braking surface on any road rim. I rode the entire winter last year with only a front brake. plan your route, look ahead and read the road properly and you rarely have to brake at all.

njee20 - Member
You can't use (rear) disc hubs in a rim brake frame

Really? Why?

You can't use (rear) disc hubs in a rim brake frame
Really? Why?

Frame spacing.

Get a rim brake frame and some 26 inch wheels, you'll look a proper eejit then. particulalry at the bottom of the first hill.

I'd get discs if i could, cos they look cool, but \i'd probably end up with rim brakes cos they're a bit cheaper, they'll be fine for years yet.

mrblobby - Member

Frame spacing.

But you can buy 130mm disc hubs without any problems...

But you can buy 130mm disc hubs without any problems...

But you'd be a fool to do so, as the industry has all but settled on 135mm as the standard for disc equipped road bikes. Seeing as the suggestion was that you could future proof your wheel purchase, buying an obsolete standard of hub seems counter productive...

But you can buy 130mm disc hubs without any problems...

I think the suggestion was that you could just use normal disc wheels, which you can't. I guess if you want to get some specially built on 130mm hubs then fine, but what's the point?

njee20 - Member

But you'd be a fool to do so, as the industry has all but settled on 135mm as the standard for disc equipped road bikes. Seeing as the suggestion was that you could future proof your wheel purchase, buying an obsolete standard of hub seems counter productive...

They're easy enough to adapt, I've got a 130mm WI disc hub running in my Pickenflick frame. Just an axle adaptor and disc offset was required...but, I do see your point.

I wouldn't be put off buying a nice road bike with [b]rim [/b]brakes if I was only going to use it in good weather, for longevity I wouldn't stick factory wheels with proprietary rims on it though.

[i]What would you do then? You can't use (rear) disc hubs in a rim brake frame, so you'll need new wheels anyway, what difference is it if they're factory wheels versus custom builds?[/i]

For the avoidance of confusion - I would quite happily buy a road bike which only ran rim brakes, however having gone through 2 sets of shimano factory wheels (rims only - hubs were fine with regular maintenance) in 2 years on my old roadie commuter (which got used pretty much every day in Glasgow through everything except sheet ice), i'd go with handbuilts instead so that after a while I didn't have to retire a whole wheelset due to non-replaceable (well, not economically) worn rims. Plus I like sitting surrounded by hundreds of small pieces of metal with nothing other than steely determination + several bottles of harmfully strong lager to turn them into a functioning bike wheel I can be almost proud of 😕

Also - I have a couple of pairs of disc wheels for my old Charge Filter which use 130mm rear disc hubs (Novatec D352SB http://www.bdopcycling.com/Hubs-D352SB-10.asp) - one pair are built with Alex xd-lite rims which are disc only but the other pair I built with Halo Aerotrack rims for use with 25/28mm tyres so can use those on a road bike at a push (then permanent marker over the wear on the black surface 😉 ) Think White Industries also make one but that's on the spendy side for me!

J

Personally I have never ever worn out the braking surface on any road rim. I rode the entire winter last year with only a front brake. plan your route, look ahead and read the road properly and you rarely have to brake at all.

Fixed?

Personally I have never ever worn out the braking surface on any road rim. I rode the entire winter last year with only a front brake. plan your route, look ahead and read the road properly and you rarely have to brake at all.

I would agree with you in the summer, but I'm not sure how you manage that in the winter. When it's dark, there is slush or maybe ice on the road combined with a lot of run off debris (the roads around the Surrey Hills really suffer from this) and the overall state of the surface is poor, I can't see any other way to be cautious than to brake (and I ride the road a lot - about 300km a week).

As for there not being much evidence for demand/uptake, the road scene has always been reticent about adopting new technology; we're a conservative bunch steeped in tradition and not helped by the luddite attitude of the UCI (OK so I agree with some of their thinking but not all of it).

Again, greatly improved braking peformance is a bonus. Discs = mass uptake of carbon rims, which will only be a good thing.

Im looking forward to the market getting flooded with cheap outdated quality wheelsets 🙂

That said my cx does have discs for crap weather/muddy braking

This much worry makes me wonder just how much road riding many of the posters here have actually done.

I've been a regular road rider for the last 15 years, and mtb for over 20. You?

I've worn out both road and mtb rims to the point that they've failed, causing the inner tube to explode.

Maybe if you only do gentle cruises to the cafe on a nice summer's day, then it's not an issue.

As for there not being much evidence for demand/uptake, the road scene has always been reticent about adopting new technology; we're a conservative bunch steeped in tradition and not helped by the luddite attitude of the UCI (OK so I agree with some of their thinking but not all of it).

Everyone in my road club uses clipless pedals and combined shift/ brake systems. Both are relatively recent inventions in the history of road riding. I'm pretty sure we'll all be on discs in 5 years or so.

I would agree with you in the summer, but I'm not sure how you manage that in the winter. When it's dark, there is slush or maybe ice on the road combined with a lot of run off debris (the roads around the Surrey Hills really suffer from this) and the overall state of the surface is poor, I can't see any other way to be cautious than to brake (and I ride the road a lot - about 300km a week).

Yeah, I too think discs probably make most sense when using carbon rims

Everyone in my road club uses clipless pedals and combined shift/ brake systems. Both are relatively recent inventions in the history of road riding. I'm pretty sure we'll all be on discs in 5 years or so.

I completely agree. I think in contrast though, mountain bikers have been much quicker to take up new technology (and also more radical innovations). We seem to have gone over to bigger wheels in less than two years; full suss took a little while to catch on but I think that had more to do with it being a very long development cycle before it got right; disc brakes on MTBs was very quick but then the benefits are much greater there.

The road initially resisted clipless pedals and there was so much criticism for the combined brake/shifter - arguments tended to centre around what happens if you crash etc. We tend to get there and as I said, I think you're right that within five years, discs will be ubiquitous on road bikes.

didn't realise Surrey was in Europe

Rule #24 😀

I've been a regular road rider for the last 15 years, and mtb for over 20. You?

I've worn out both road and mtb rims to the point that they've failed, causing the inner tube to explode.

Maybe if you only do gentle cruises to the cafe on a nice summer's day, then it's not an issue.

If you do regular club runs in winter I'd still hardly expect much brake pad wear, as if the route is well planned then stopping isn't very regular activity. I'd totally believe you could do the majority of a road ride using a front brake only, as rarely touch the rear brake even on my commute.

Rule #

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