Holy cow, broke out the ribble this morning so I could see how its running before a C2C in a couple of week, all my other bikes are disc now and the difference is shocking. I know there are never going to be as good but mine must be setup seriously bad, I’d be better off with an air brake.

Will be doing some fettling tonight me things

Same here. I’m a bit of a fair weather roadie and was caught out in a rain shower the other week and was astonished at the uselessness of my rim brakes. OK didn’t have any fancy pads, but even so after being used to not even having to bother about brake performance across differing conditions it was a bit of a shock. Defo disk brakes on future road bike purchases. Of all the components on a bike why would you not want the best possible brakes?

Of all the components on a bike why would you not want the best possible brakes?

I believe because they are DANGEROUS and WILL KILL YOU if you fall off within 50 metres of another disc brake equipped bicycle. Devil spawn those things. Or something.

Mine work fine, just as they always do if they’re looked after well. Pretty much the same as my disc brakes, they are never the limiting factor for my descending or braking. I do dislike the grinding in the wet, but the bike mostly gets used in the dry so no biggie.

Until discs are lighter, more aero and cheaper than rim brakes, I won’t be changing on my fast/dryish weather road bike.

Ceterum censeo Carthaginem ora ardua dumos delendam esse

Cheers!
I.

I can never resist this discussion when it comes up, as I seem to have had a run of bad luck with discs, both cable and hydraulic, which means I would only ever grudgingly put up with them on a mountain bike where I *need* the extra power/lack of effort at the lever etc.

Based on my experiences, putting discs on a roadie is just a good way of making it heavier, more expensive, noisier (my biggest bug bear, deafening squeeling in the wet) and potentially draggier, since disc brakes seem to go in and out of alignment and discs seem to warp far more frequently than calliper brakes and rims.

For now I’ll just suck up the cost of some decent callipers and fancy Swisstop pads and enjoy silent, drag free braking, albeit perhaps having to anticipate slightly longer stopping distances in the wet!

Nothing wrong with the Ultegra calipers on my road bike. Plenty of stopping power.

Of all the components on a bike why would you not want the best possible brakes?
I believe because they are DANGEROUS and WILL KILL YOU if you fall off within 50 metres of another disc brake equipped bicycle. Devil spawn those things. Or something.

I said best brakes, not most powerful. There is a difference. So you’re safer with brakes that actually don’t slow you down? wont they kill you just as well? Death is sort of a binary thing. We’re happy to spend big and accept new technology on non-essential components like drive chain, frames, handlebar tape etc. All the stuff that makes you a bit faster and your bike look a bit blingier. But when it comes to brakes most people seem to think we have already achieved the pinnacle of human and technological achievement and that to suggest there is a better way is some form of heresy. I just want my brakes to work the same irrespective of weather conditions. I don’t think that is too much to expect.

i’ve printed of some request to stop memos in anticipation of tonight’s ride home. Seems that I need to forewarn the bike of any impending stop scenarios.

8)

I have Ultegra rim brakes on the road bike and Ultegra discs on a CAADX I use for a 20 mile commute.

I’m 16st and not racing so weight and aerodynamics is not an issue.

Stopping on steep descents is.

I’m having discs on the next road bike – but lighter faster riders might be better with rim brakes.

I’m 10.5 stones, but see no reason why should I hope for the better whilst breaking during wet weather ride.

Not liking the idea of re-valuating my breaking point based on the fact if that is wet of dry.

Disc all the way…

Cheers!
I.

My road calipers stopped working very well due to pivot bushing rust.

Seem fine on a workstand, but under load they just cause too much friction and don’t transfer lever force to the pads.

Ultegra calipers seem more than up to the job for me although not all road rim brakes are created equal. Maybe it’s your particular brakes and/or set up rather than all rim brakes?

John

I cleaned the rims last night and cut away the glossy finish on the pads (swissstop green so they should be no problems there), performance was slightly better but still not really up for the cut and thrust of dodging traffic on deasngate.

@HoratioHufnagel good suggestion, I’ll have to strip them off the bike and take a proper look.

Not liking the idea of re-valuating my breaking point based on the fact if that is wet of dry.

This gave me pause for thought – i’ve never ridden a bike with discs and so never really realised that I do that all the time.

Bit like driving a manual car I guess – for most of us we never stop to consider that there are cars out there which don’t require us to evaluate what gear we should be in based on what speed we’re going. We just do it…

I’ve got a rim braked scott (non series shimano calipers with swissstop pads) and an orro disc ultegra. Theres not a lot in it and i’m 15 stone. Rim brakes were shocking until i fitted swissstop pads.

Same problems with Ultegra here. Ok in the dry, not so good in the wet. Stock pads.

Not liking the idea of re-valuating my breaking point based on the fact if that is wet of dry.

Of course you have to brake differently in the dry or wet. Even if you have disc brakes you just don’t have the same levels of tyre grip on the road in the wet so you need to brake with a little less power to avoid lockups. Obviously you may brake early enough anyway in which case perhaps it’s fine not to adjust the braking points but I don’t think you’re in the majority.

No they don’t, they squeeze

Horses for courses innit? The Ultegra rim brakes on both my bikes are superb especially the ones on the best bike with plasma-coated braking surfaces, which need special soft pads. Only the endurance/winter bike gets ridden in wet weather and the best bike never does. If I was planning on going out much more in the wet or commuting I’d chop the endurance bike in for one with discs but at the moment I see no need.