New bike - would you choose disc or rim brake ?

[legrandefromage]

Disc if you're self conscious and worried that other roadies will point and laugh at you for having silly rim brakes

Rim brakes if you just dont care anymore and want to enjoy riding a bicycle, your bicycle - unless you are grinding 200km a day out in the hills of course



Somewhere within Road CC there was a mechanic who was very agitated at just how long the simple task of changing a headset bearing had become; integrated bearings, internal cable routing and hydraulics had turned a job of a few minutes into a few hours with all the resultant cost implications for customers

 

[Russell]

Separating the wheel rim from the braking system was one of the best things to happen to cycling, ever.

Why invest in a system that requires a wheel rebuild at end of life rather than just replacing a rotor?

 

[Splatter Paint]

Where the speeds get up, nothing can match hydraulic discs.

My cable operated discs on my tourer are so, so and no better than my DA 9000 series rim brakes, in fact worse for modulation. However, my low-spec RS505 (105 level ish) discs offer way more power and offer excellent modulation and they haven’t faded despite me taking full advantage of the power

But…. a 100 mile ride on a flatish route in the dry, then 100% I’d be using my much lighter rim braked bike.

 

[pigman]

In our group, some ride rim, some ride disk.
The disk guys say if you go disk, go for hydraulic, not cable operated disks.
Well, have you seen the price of hydraulic brifters.? That alone puts me off. Plus, I like downtube levers, what do I do?

The other thing I don't like is when we're out of the saddle climbing, the close tolerances of pad to disk means it rubs and you can hear it. As a heavier guy, hearing that when I'm already blowing out if my arse climbing would be a real demotivator.

But for a harsh weather bike, disks do make sense

 

[pigman]

In terms of future, I reckon top level stuff will disappear for rim brake setups, but wheels will still be available albeit at a lower (Tiagra?) level. If you're a super record only person, get those wheels now

 

[widowmaker]

Do you use d/tube levers in a group ? I use to go on club runs and was the only one to run d/t shifters and most of the group just couldn't get their heads around them, 2nd nature to me.

 

[wynne]

My favourite bike ever is a rim-braked Spooky cyclocrosser but i've just had a custom frame made and it's specifically for 1x mechanical gear shifting and cable disc brakes. I wouldn't buy a rim-braked bike again for performance reasons. I might for nostalgic reasons. I mostly ride a cross/all road bike on and off road all year round in a place where we have claggy mud. For me the beauty of disc brakes and 1x drivechains is that they don't get clogged with mud round the brakes and the front mech and everything keeps on working in the filth - and there there isn't the horrible grinding sense that you're wearing out your precious wheels.

A 1x, disc-braked bike means that i am happy to keep riding one bike all year round, perhaps with a change of wheels.

 

[pigman]

Do you use d/tube levers in a group ? I use to go on club runs and was the only one to run d/t shifters and most of the group just couldn't get their heads around them, 2nd nature to me.

Yes. I do it cos I have arthritis in my hands and can't always make that sweeping action with brifters.
Plus I've always been a bit of a technophobe. I like the simple look and action.

 

[foz]

lots of interesting points here.... I don't really need disc brakes, I don't even need another bike, but I do like my Campag 10 speed stuff. I got my Pinarello in my early 30's and am now fast approaching 50, so plan on a bike fit and then will decide from there to stick with what I have, update the frame, or look for something completely different!

 

[georges1]

I prefer rim brakes over disc brakes especially because it is simpler to maintain rim brakes over disc brakes. DuraAce 7400, 7700, 7800, 7900, 9000 and 9100 provide phenomenal stopping power which is as good as disc brakes.