My winter road bike currently has long drop callipers front and rear and they appear to have been forged from toffee. Slowing on a steep decent, in the wet/off camber etc, is interesting at best. Even with new swiss-stop green pads. Let’s just say my dentist is on speed-dial.

Providing geometry isn’t affected, the easiest upgrade to disc brakes is to swap the fork for this:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kinesis-cx-dc37-carbon-road-fork-disc-mount/

and get a TRP Hy/Rd hydraulic caliper and disc specific front hub.

What do people think of front disc set-up only? Too much of a variance in braking between front and rear? Would look a bit shit?

I’ve got front disc only and it works fine for me. Dawes SST with a Cotic Roadhog fork and BB7, looks aren’t great but the fork is rather industrial 🙂 but far more confidence inspiring than the rim brake. And not unbalanced

Can’t see any issue and it’s actually something I’ve been considering given how much I like the discs on my winter bike.

FWIW, I’ve got a road wheel with disc hub going spare if you’d be interested – would be spot on for a winter bike. Open pro rim (worn but obviously fine for disc brakes). email me if you’re interetested.

FWIW, I’ve got a road wheel with disc hub going spare if you’d be interested – would be spot on for a winter bike. Open pro rim (worn but obviously fine for disc brakes). email me if you’re interetested.

Cheers clubber, I want to read up/have a look at the TRP calipers first but they are supposed to be ‘plug and play’ with all STI’s (mine’s Tiagra). Will get back to you. Ta

No rush 🙂

This might be of interest BTW

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tektrotrp-spyres-and-maybe-hyrd

I ran mixed brakes years ago on a mountainbike that didn’t have rear disc mounts, it was fine. Motorbikes ran drum back and disc front for years, nobody had a problem.

I’ve got cable discs on my road bike, they’re plenty good enough. I’d just stick a cable disc on the front if it was me.

I’ve got HyRd’s on my Whyte Saxon Cross, better than the BB7’s they replaced.

Been running like that for the last 12 months on my Pompino, works a treat.

The more I read about the Hy/Rds, the more I’m thinking of the tried and tested BB7s or Spyres.

Dibbs, do you notice the Hy/Rds meant a long lever throw? Seems a common issue.

I just put some Spyres on my commuter (Pompetamine) and they’re more than enough. Very easy to set up too.

I’ve been running a Surly Cross Check with a Disc Trucker front fork for getting on for eighteen months and 8,000 miles. Most of this is commuting but it’s also used as my winter bike when out for club runs. The fork has a road BB7 on it with an XT hub. It’s been great, no problems at all and far far better than the rim brake. Not only is braking better and more reliable but I don’t wear the rim out anymore.

This place invariably leads to me spending money…. Thanks for thoughts 🙂

> double post <

drofluf, the more recent, less industrial, tapered leg, disc only Cotic forks are available on their own now. Well bright orange ones are anyway.

Another solution, especially for the rear:

I am liking mine a lot, should have bought the bigger front though.

I’ve got that fork with a BB7 on my roadie, well CX that I use as a roadie, with a canti on the rear. It’s the bollocks

Dibbs, do you notice the Hy/Rds meant a long lever throw? Seems a common issue.

The lever throw is long but I’ve got used to it now, topping the reservoir up with the pistons slightly out helped too.
I wouldn’t go back to BB7’s.

BTW the lever throw may seem long when trying the brakes in the shop, but you never need to squeeze the brakes that hard in the real world.