Has anyone gone back to rim brakes after using discs?

[macaroon]

I'm considering it. I've currently got TRP Spyres with Campag levers, and they're frankly rubbish.

I've tried several different variety of pads, the rotors have been swapped to Shimano centre locks. I've used compression-less outer cables, and normal ones.

There's no bite whatsoever and the pads rub on the rotors after I've released the levers. I've stripped them down and cleaned them several times; all to no avail.

What could the problem be?

And no, I don't want Shimano hydros!

[benb]

Lots of us have been using both at the same time, particularly when you consider MTB usage too.

Not all discs are created equal.. just like not all rim brakes are the same.

If I had a frame that was made for discs (and it fit well and I was otherwise happy with the frame) I would try different models of disc setups before getting another bike just to go back to rim brakes.

What about SRAM Hydro??? :D

[velofinds]

Maybe I don't do enough descending, but in my (admittedly) limited experience with disc brakes, I found them to be unnecessarily grabby and harder to feather than rim brakes.

Again, though, if I'm doing a lot of long descents, then I could see the potential benefit.

[benb]

IMO the road discs still have a long way to go and our opinions are going to change.

The MTB stuff still just seems vastly better. I think the design of the ones I have on my MTB are almost 7 years old and they are still head and shoulders better than the shimano road hydros. Maybe it's the constraints of putting the master cylinder in the brifter.

I haven't tried the SRAM ones.. at some point I hope to get to try them, they went ahead and put the bigger bulge in there that might help, and stuff like eTap and Di2/Ui2 theoretically could open up design options that let them use better lever/master cylinder designs. I don't know what SRAM is using for fluid but I've always been biased towards DOT fluid as opposed to the mineral oil stuff.

That said.. the Ultegra rim calipers & brifters I put on my Domane this year are pretty damn good. I think the Shimano rim pads for alloy have gotten way way better in the last 5 years too. I used to always switch to Koolstop salmon but I think I'm done with that. The Shimano pads are excellent in the rain now. For a pure road bike I see no real need for discs for me at this point as long as I stick with alloy rims.

[eippo1]

I'm considering it. I've currently got TRP Spyres with Campag levers, and they're frankly rubbish.

I've tried several different variety of pads, the rotors have been swapped to Shimano centre locks. I've used compression-less outer cables, and normal ones.

There's no bite whatsoever and the pads rub on the rotors after I've released the levers. I've stripped them down and cleaned them several times; all to no avail.

What could the problem be?

And no, I don't want Shimano hydros!

It may have a lot to do with the pull on the campy levers. I've got the Spyres with Ultegra and they work fantastically. No rub, great modulation and tons of power. Of course, not as great as my XT brakes on my mtn bike, but good enough for me to have full confidence to rip it on dirt downhills at D2R2.

The road bike has Campy SR brakes and those are fantastic too, but I can't fit 40m tires with that setup :beer:

[Red Tornado]

1697921721Building a period-correct mid-late 90's hard tail from an old frame that was hanging in the garage. Project bike. I'm actually using cantilever brakes for this build.
I have used mechanical discs on several MTB's and had average to good results. My biggest issue with disc has been squealing (Avid BB7) and that alone has been enough to make me not completely ditch the idea of rim brakes.
Discs have def performed a little better on dirt, but I would not have any issue converting back to rim brakes across the MTB board if the mood struck me.
Not a super aggressive rider either.....

[p nut]

Setting up mech discs are a bit more finicky in my experience. First, make sure you're using good housing. Jagwire compressionless or equivalent. The cut also has to be pretty square. Lopsided cuts will result in a mushier feel. Also, spurge for a Teflon coated cables. Smooth action felt very nice and mitigated some of the modulation issues. If that fails, sell the Spyre's to me and go back to rim brakes. :D

[benb]

You'd think with Spyres since they are technically a hydraulic brake that all the adjustments for squealing etc.. could be done just like a full hydraulic setup. Loosen bolts on sliding caliper mount, squeeze brake a few times, carefully tighten down, done.

Whatever the case it sure sounds like the squealing and pad adjustment is a much harder problem to solve with mechanical discs.

[David Kirk]

It may have a lot to do with the pull on the campy levers. I've got the Spyres with Ultegra and they work fantastically. No rub, great modulation and tons of power. Of course, not as great as my XT brakes on my mtn bike, but good enough for me to have full confidence to rip it on dirt downhills at D2R2.

The road bike has Campy SR brakes and those are fantastic too, but I can't fit 40m tires with that setup :beer:

I think this is the issue - I believe campy still uses a different leverage ratio than either of the other brands so it pulls the wrong amount of cable to play nice with your brake. I'm not surprised to hear it works poorly. Unfortunately i can't think of a cable pulled disc that will work as it should with campy levers.

dave

[macaroon]

The cable pull probably explains some of the problems then!

THe bit that really irks me is the pads still contacting the disc after I've released the lever.

I might have (another) go at setting them up tonight. I could swear they were good and work flawlessly when I first installed them.

As a work around to the cable pull thing, would mounting the cable on the opposite side of the clamp (i.e. further away from the caliper body) help?

i.e. like the below?

http://cyclesinlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/MJ5L0909.jpg

[ColonelJLloyd]

I think this is the issue - I believe campy still uses a different leverage ratio than either of the other brands so it pulls the wrong amount of cable to play nice with your brake. I'm not surprised to hear it works poorly. Unfortunately i can't think of a cable pulled disc that will work as it should with campy levers.

dave

+1
I love my Spyres with Rival 22 levers.

[okie1kenobi]

Sorry to hear about your problems and it looks like you've covered all the possible problem areas.

I'm running Athena 11 levers with my Spyres, TRP compressionless housings, stock pads, kcnc rotors, and it's been problem free with plenty of stopping power.

[vqdriver]

the reason it's rubbing when released is because the campy levers don't move enough cable. so when you initially installed them, you probably had to bring the pads very close to the rotors (at least closer than with shim/sram lever) for it to be usable. tradeoff is that the pads don't fully retract when released.
same issue with other cable actuated discs and campy levers. shimano has the largest installed base of levers so everyone designed around that cable pull ratio. it just is what it is.

nothing wrong with discs. nothing wrong with campy. they just weren't made for each other

fwiw, you can't really compare mtb and road discs. it's not a fair comparison unless you're talking full hydro to full hydro. most people don't mix and match levers and calipers on their mtb. but almost everyone does with road.

[vqdriver]

As a work around to the cable pull thing, would mounting the cable on the opposite side of the clamp (i.e. further away from the caliper body) help?



I think you'd actually want to move it closer in to increase movement of the pads (decreases leverage)

if anything, you could try a travel agent to double the cable pull

a la this thing

http://fcdn.mtbr.com/attachments/surly/941669-surly-straggler-ta-line-pulling.jpg

[hellvetica]

Of all mechanical disc brakes I tried on the disc roadie, the Spyres were by far the worst. I am now using the Avid BB7 Road disc brakes which are night and day better.

Of course not comparable to a full hydro set up, but still great for what they are and they work with my old 10 speed Red stuff.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Interesting. That's pretty much the opposite experience of many's experience.

Of all mechanical disc brakes I tried on the disc roadie, the Spyres were by far the worst. I am now using the Avid BB7 Road disc brakes which are night and day better.

[Mark McM]

There's no bite whatsoever and the pads rub on the rotors after I've released the levers. I've stripped them down and cleaned them several times; all to no avail.

These two symptoms appear to be contradictory. Pad clearance and braking force are influenced by the total leverage of the system (the combined leverages of both the lever and the caliper). Tight clearances (pad rubbing) is usually a result of too high a total leverage. But the other characteristic of high leverage is "grabby" brakes (too much braking for a given hand squeeze). If the total leverage is too low, then you may not get a reduced braking force (for a given hand squeeze), but you usually end up with larger pad clearances.

I wonder if the real problem is that you've run out of caliper travel with poor adjustment? The Spyre has both a cable adjustment barrel and a pad adjustment screw. If the pad adjustment isn't set properly initially, and the extra pad clearance is compenstated for by adjusting the cable barrel adjuster too far out, the caliper may run out of travel before it firmly clamps the rotor.

Ideally, the initial installation will require the cable barrel adjuster to be backed out only a little bit. If your cable barrel adjuster is screwed out quite far, you might want to go back and do the installation adjustments again.

[raygunner]

Kinda OT....

I recently really wanted a new Co-Motion touring bike. Then I noticed that they're whole line-up is disc specific and I want cantis. So looks like I'll buy something else.

[Likes2ridefar]

Hope not... Just spent a decent $ on sram hydro for a new bike. Trying the force 1 group with a 10-42 rear. A lot of new things but im looking fwd to it!

Installing it this weekend.

[tigoat]

I have put several thousand miles on a bike with Campy EPS and Spyre brakes without a single braking problem. First of all, make sure all mounting surfaces are flat and perpendicular to the plane of the rotors. I have had to do some surface facing on some bikes to get them to square up. This is probably not something an average Joe would be able to do without the equipment and knowledge. Secondly, you will need to pay attention to the adjustments of the calipers upon installation. I would mount the caliper loosely on the fork/frame without tightening the two mounting bolts. Then I would tighten the pads on each side to bring them in EVENLY until they squeeze the rotor snugly but not super tight. Then I would tighten the two mounting bolts down to fix the caliper in place. Now I would back off the pad on each side EVENLY. If these steps are done properly, there should be even clearance on each side of the rotor before the cable is even installed. You should check to see if the brake caliper is working properly by rotating the wheel and manually pushing the arm of the brake caliper. Lastly, before mounting the cable, screw the barrel adjuster all the way in, as you will need to bring it out to tension the cable after the cable is installed. These are basically the steps I used and I have installed a dozen of bikes with Sprye brakes without a single problem. The advent of the dual actuation mechanism of the Spyre was a major improvement over other mechanical disc brakes came before it.

[Premton]

Yes, the Pro's went back to rim brakes. lol

[vqdriver]

to op:

one other thing to consider if there's no bite once in contact with rotor surface is perhaps contaminated pads. you can clean the rotor surface with alcohol, but you can't clean the pads.
since this is fully mech, it'd be odd if the pads are indeed fouled but I suppose some lube or something could have gotten on there.....

[vqdriver]

I have put several thousand miles on a bike with Campy EPS and Spyre brakes without a single braking problem. First of all, make sure all mounting surfaces are flat and perpendicular to the plane of the rotors. I have had to do some surface facing on some bikes to get them to square up. This is probably not something an average Joe would be able to do without the equipment and knowledge. .

I had this issue on a spooky darkside, and just used conical washers. they're included with avid disc calipers specifically for this purpose, but they sell them separately as well
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009P29HTE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[tigoat]

I had this issue on a spooky darkside, and just used conical washers. they're included with avid disc calipers specifically for this purpose, but they sell them separately as well
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009P29HTE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Spyre brakes are not designed to use these washers. If you put washers between the brake caliper and the mounting surface of the frame, then you will be changing the position of braking as intended.

[tuscanyswe]

I had this issue on a spooky darkside, and just used conical washers. they're included with avid disc calipers specifically for this purpose, but they sell them separately as well
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009P29HTE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So thats basically the same parts as on a cantibrake pad or are they a lot slimmer?

[vqdriver]

Spyre brakes are not designed to use these washers. If you put washers between the brake caliper and the mounting surface of the frame, then you will be changing the position of braking as intended.

on the spooky I was using them with magura calipers, but I get your point, they're another set of hardware between brake and frame so it will necessarily push the caliper out, but mickey suggested it and it seemed to work great.
fwiw, with the way the magura pads are, they were wider than the rotor surface itself so it was fine.

[vqdriver]

So thats basically the same parts as on a cantibrake pad or are they a lot slimmer?

same concept, but I wouldn't be able to say if it's any slimmer. may actually be fatter

[macaroon]

THanks for all of the reponses.

Those conical washers were something I'd considered (for the front anyway) after using them on some old Avid Juicy brakes on my MTB. Might give them a go if things don't improve.

The pads aren't contaminated. Possibly not bed in properly though.....I've used loads of different brands to try to get them to work properly. I think the stock TRP pads worked the best.

One thing I did earlier was re-do the cable installation. I did push the caliper arm "upward" slightly (before fixing the cable) to take up some slack in the cable (rather than having to use the barrel adjuster). I thought this may have potentially caused problems, so I've left them in their "natural" position and then wound the pad adjusters in further. Have yet to try it though.

I did mount the cable in the alternative position as per my previous post; felt worse.

I wonder if it'd be possible to somehow modify the lever to get it to pull a different amount of cable?

[vqdriver]

I wonder if it'd be possible to somehow modify the lever to get it to pull a different amount of cable?

this is all I can think of. it's the inline one from my earlier post. dunno where/how you would mount it, but it should do the trick
not sure i'd want to modify the actual lever.

http://www.bikewagon.com/problem-solvers-brake-cable-cam-in-line-travel-agent?CAWELAID=1889635828&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=27155916756&CATCI=pla-179950831956&catargetid=400006350000649363&cadevice=c&gclid=Cj0KEQjwnIm7BRDSs42KxLS8-6YBEiQAfDWP6MBASwHgQWuHy_sILACMYw6jhKJ1wSbXNoJmoJc T0JYaAtxf8P8HAQ

[macaroon]

this is all I can think of. it's the inline one from my earlier post. dunno where/how you would mount it, but it should do the trick
not sure i'd want to modify the actual lever.

http://www.bikewagon.com/problem-solvers-brake-cable-cam-in-line-travel-agent?CAWELAID=1889635828&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=27155916756&CATCI=pla-179950831956&catargetid=400006350000649363&cadevice=c&gclid=Cj0KEQjwnIm7BRDSs42KxLS8-6YBEiQAfDWP6MBASwHgQWuHy_sILACMYw6jhKJ1wSbXNoJmoJc T0JYaAtxf8P8HAQ

Not so keen on the look of that!

[sacwolf]

I can't yet fathom using disc brakes on a road bike. I guess I feel the grab of a disc brake in a paceline is just to much power and I'd likely over brake and destroy the peloton. Are there limiters (other than your hand pressure : )
which prevent an end over end situation in a hard brake- say ABS for road bikes?

[ColonelJLloyd]

I think your instinct of self preservation takes over. ;)

Then there's that rear brake back there. That said, I don't ride in pelotons.

I can't yet fathom using disc brakes on a road bike. I guess I feel the grab of a disc brake in a paceline is just to much power and I'd likely over brake and destroy the peloton. Are there limiters (other than your hand pressure : )
which prevent an end over end situation in a hard brake- say ABS for road bikes?

[Vinci]

You'd think with Spyres since they are technically a hydraulic brake that all the adjustments for squealing etc.. could be done just like a full hydraulic setup. Loosen bolts on sliding caliper mount, squeeze brake a few times, carefully tighten down, done.
You're thinking of Hy/Rd. Spyre is mechanical.

My limited experience with mechanical discs (BB7 road) taught me that setup is VERY specific and must be followed exactly. After I setup the brakes a half-dozen times using my own logic, I had to re-do them using Avid's documentation. They were significantly better afterward.

Hydraulics seem to be a lot more forgiving. I barely spent any time (comparatively) setting up a set of Hylex brakes.

[biker72]

I've got disk brakes on 3 of my 4 bikes. One mechanical disk and the other 2 hydro. I've had zero problems with any of them.

I have Athena 11 brakes on my Seven. Possibly the best rim brakes I've ever had.

[Bradford]

Maybe I don't do enough descending, but in my (admittedly) limited experience with disc brakes, I found them to be unnecessarily grabby and harder to feather than rim brakes.



Again, though, if I'm doing a lot of long descents, then I could see the potential benefit.



I just came down Trail Ridge Road, the highest through road in America, on rim brakes and was absolutely fine. If rim brakes can stop my 230 pounds effectively, then you aren't missing anything. I'm sure discs are nice, but rim brakes are certainly good enough.

[hollowgram5]

I just came down Trail Ridge Road, the highest through road in America, on rim brakes and was absolutely fine. If rim brakes can stop my 230 pounds effectively, then you aren't missing anything. I'm sure discs are nice, but rim brakes are certainly good enough.
I'm in the same boat. I've got rim brakes on a few and discs on a few. Both work well, and I like both for different reasons. The new hydraulic discs are a huge improvement over cable, in my opinion at least.

I have been a proponent of discs for a long time, but I'll always maintain some rim bikes in my fleet.

[oldpotatoe]

I can't yet fathom using disc brakes on a road bike. I guess I feel the grab of a disc brake in a paceline is just to much power and I'd likely over brake and destroy the peloton. Are there limiters (other than your hand pressure : )
which prevent an end over end situation in a hard brake- say ABS for road bikes?

Glad somebody said it. Kinda like paddle shifters and a big wing WRX to go to the grocery. Don't want this to morph into a 'no disc brakes on my ROAD bike' thread but....

[Likes2ridefar]

Glad somebody said it. Kinda like paddle shifters and a big wing WRX to go to the grocery. Don't want this to morph into a 'no disc brakes on my ROAD bike' thread but....

Imo, they have better modulation and more consistent power engagement than rim brakes especially in adverse conditions.

The outback im currently driving has paddle shifters...never used them.

[hollowgram5]

Glad somebody said it. Kinda like paddle shifters and a big wing WRX to go to the grocery. Don't want this to morph into a 'no disc brakes on my ROAD bike' thread but....
That wrx's wing doubles as a shopping cart/push handle when it breaks down.

[Likes2ridefar]

I just came down Trail Ridge Road, the highest through road in America, on rim brakes and was absolutely fine. If rim brakes can stop my 230 pounds effectively, then you aren't missing anything. I'm sure discs are nice, but rim brakes are certainly good enough.

yeah but try doing that in the pouring rain on carbon rims.

[oldpotatoe]

Imo, they have better modulation and more consistent power engagement than rim brakes especially in adverse conditions.

The outback im currently driving has paddle shifters...never used them.

I have Deltas on my Merckx and ya know, I have no problem slowing down, wet, dry, any hill, like coming out of Ward. Kinda like saying aluminum chainring bolts are way lighter than steel CR bolts. That doesn't mean steel are 'heavy'.

'Better modulation and more consistent power engagement'....huh? My brakes stop me, don't hurt my hands, are light and simple...DP brakes even more so.

'Better', more'....yada yadda. If ya got 'em and swoon over them groovey, not for me thanks, like ever. I use tubulars too...no tubeless, thru axle, oversized fork, 1-by...thanks,

[Likes2ridefar]

I have Deltas on my Merckx and ya know, I have no problem slowing down, wet, dry, any hill, like coming out of award. Kinda like saying aluminum chainring bolts are way lighter than steel CR bolts. That doesn't mean steel are 'heavy'.

'Better modulation and more consistent power engagement'....huh? My brakes stop me, don't hurt my hands, are light and simple...DP brakes even more so.

'Better', more'....yada yadda. If ya got 'em and swoon over them groovey, not for me thanks, like ever. I use tubulars too...no tubeless, thru axle, oversized fork, 1-by...thanks,

That's why there are lots of choices. Use what ya want. I like trying everything and learning from experience rather than what I read. My experience clearly shows disc brakes work better.

I wish I had them when racing because it would have been a game changer descending volcanoes in southeast asia in the pouring rain. Instead of terrifying it would have been at least safe and maybe even fun.

There is a reason why pretty much every mtb uses them, and why road will most likely go that way as well.

[oldpotatoe]

That's why there are lots of choices. Use what ya want. I like trying everything and learning from experience rather than what I read. My experience clearly shows disc brakes work better.

I wish I had them when racing because it would have been a game changer descending volcanoes in southeast asia in the pouring rain. Instead of terrifying it would have been at least safe and maybe even fun.

There is a reason why pretty much every mtb uses them, and why road will most likely go that way as well.

MTBs went to disc for better braking in the slop/mud/wet and because of a high possibility of wacking a rim and still having brakes. Neither condition of which the vast majority of 'road' riders see. I hear all the time about the thrills and spills of carbon rims and rain....yet pros seem to do it almost every spring race. Hmmmm better riders?

[Likes2ridefar]

I have Deltas on my Merckx and ya know, I have no problem slowing down, wet, dry, any hill, like coming out of Ward. Kinda like saying aluminum chainring bolts are way lighter than steel CR bolts. That doesn't mean steel are 'heavy'.


Maybe 4 years ago I did a stage race in CT, that I think is now defunct, probably a big part because of what happened in my race.

a freak storm came through and my category descended onto a metal bridge. There was supposed to be a warning to stop the race and walk across it if it got wet, but that didnt happen.

It was like ice when tires hit it, and the first few guys went down immediately. The 50+ following behind would have had plenty of time to stop on disc brakes, but since they mostly had carbon rims they could barely even slow down.

That metal bridge was like a cheese grater on the body. Crazy injuries to numerous folk. Cancelled the stage and ruined the race.

[Likes2ridefar]

MTBs went to disc for better braking in the slop/mud/wet and because of a high possibility of wacking a rim and still having brakes. Neither condition of which the vast majority of 'road' riders see. I hear all the time about the thrills and spills of carbon rims and rain....yet pros seem to do it almost every spring race. Hmmmm better riders?

Guess you forgot about the few that died the last few years or the crash that happens almost every stage in rainy days and even dry days even in the tour de france.

I dont know if any of those deaths were in the rain, but a TON of crashes occur in the wet at the pro tour level.

[oldpotatoe]

Maybe 4 years ago I did a stage race in CT, that I think is now defunct, probably a big part because of what happened in my race.

a freak storm came through and my category descended onto a metal bridge. There was supposed to be a warning to stop the race and walk across it if it got wet, but that didnt happen.

It was like ice when tires hit it, and the first few guys went down immediately. The 50+ following behind would have had plenty of time to stop on disc brakes, but since they mostly had carbon rims they could barely even slow down.

That metal bridge was like a cheese grater on the body. Crazy injuries to numerous folk. Cancelled the stage and ruined the race.

Yup, I'm sure nobody would have crashed after grabbing hands-full of disc brakes.

If ya like these things, that's great and groovy but they aren't necessary nor essential in any way, on an enthusiasts, mostly dry day, road only bike. I get so irked by the 'gotta have disc now' marketeer crappola. Even some lizard from Scam likens not 'loving' discs to condoning doping in bike racing.

Are they here? Yup and many will buy the unique frame/fork/wheel, expense, weight and complication. Just cuz some knucklehead in a bike shop says that's what they gotta have to ride that 25 mile Sunday ride. Add thru axles, fat forks and don't forget 1-by....all big reasons I got out of the bike biz....dum stuff.

Geez just ride a bike, any bike...rant off and out.

[Erik_A]

Jeff Jones still specs BB7 mech discs on his MTB builds!

Interesting. That's pretty much the opposite experience of many's experience.

[bewheels]

To answer the question in this thread's title:
I went disc. Have no plans to go back.

[pdmtong]

MTBs went to disc for better braking in the slop/mud/wet and because of a high possibility of wacking a rim and still having brakes. Neither condition of which the vast majority of 'road' riders see. I hear all the time about the thrills and spills of carbon rims and rain....yet pros seem to do it almost every spring race. Hmmmm better riders?

While these reasons are true, they IMHO are not the reason why discs are a game changer for dirt.

Mtb requires speed and sudden changes in direction to clear technical sections. Discs allow the rider to go fast then slow/stop fast then go fast again in a way that canti and then v-brakes cannot. I'm talking dropping down a steep root or rock garden not cruising some XC trail.

As you know, i think discs do have a place on road bikes but not universally and especially not for the current weight penalty. If I rode in wet, yes. Lots of long or steep descents? yes. everywhere else, no.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Most of the time I see the words "disc" and "road" in the same sentence lots of folks get defensive like someone is trying to take their rim brakes away. I don't think that's the case. It's gonna be ok; I don't think there is a left wing conspiracy out there to implement universal background checks for rim brakes. Rest easy. ;)

[tiretrax]

I say go backwards. I just rode a ross the Rockies and did 100s of miles of s
big descents on rim brakes with no probmems, even in rain and snow. Pads are cheap and easy to purchase in small towns and to replace. Wheel changes are simple, too.

[doomridesout]

I have both the current Shimano hydro setup and current Shimano rim brakes. For the road bike, there's no reason to have any more than calipers, and the rim brakes are light, totally easy to work on, completely sufficient for steeps, long descents, etc. I like the hydros best when they have a bigger tire contact patch to work with, they're not really necessary when I'm riding road tires on the cross bike.

[bmeryman]

Just an observation: if your brake has enough power to skid your tire, then your tire is the limiting factor in stopping distance. Personally, I feel safer knowing that my tire is the limiting factor. Rim brakes, disc brakes, whatever.

On topic: had a disc road bike, back to rim brake now. Disc wasn't an option on the new frameset, so that wasn't a decision that I had to make. My old bike worked great with bb7s and Ultegra and my new bike will work great with Chorus rim brakes whenever I get it set up.

(For what it's worth I've had the best luck with Hayes CX Pro calipers on road bikes if you're looking for another option).

[El Chaba]

[QUOTE=bmeryman;1992186]Just an observation: if your brake has enough power to skid your tire, then your tire is the limiting factor in stopping distance. QUOTE]

This...The tire is the weakest link in the chain...That and the reaction time of the operator, which despite the claims of the marketeers pushing disc brakes is not improved upon the lightening of your wallet for the "upgrade"....

[Mark McM]

Mtb requires speed and sudden changes in direction to clear technical sections. Discs allow the rider to go fast then slow/stop fast then go fast again in a way that canti and then v-brakes cannot. I'm talking dropping down a steep root or rock garden not cruising some XC trail.

If MTB rims weren't being continuously contaminated by mud/grit/slop/debris, then the rim brakes would work just fine. But the grimy environment MTBs often face interferes with good rim/pad friction.

Braking is often limited by tire traction. The reality is that slick tires on pavement have better traction than knobby tires on dirt/mud/sand. So in many, if not most cases, a road bike with rim brakes can stop faster than an MTB with disc brakes.

[rwsaunders]

It's not a matter of switching back from one or the other for this cowpoke, if I wanted the option of running wider tires (more than 32's) with more wheel options on less than forgiving roads, I'd most likely put together a disc based bike. It is tempting.

[thwart]

Most of the time I see the words "disc" and "road" in the same sentence lots of folks get defensive like someone is trying to take their rim brakes away. I don't think that's the case. It's gonna be ok; I don't think there is a left wing conspiracy out there to implement universal background checks for rim brakes. Rest easy. ;)

Think the vitriol is from those who realize this is more just another way to generate income in the bike industry than it is a truly useful upgrade (for most cyclists). And detest the marketing that has come with it.

But, hey, if you want discs on your road bike, go for it.

And don't forget to get electronic shifting as well. ;)

Dinosaur out.

[ravdg316]

Quick releases and steel forks with disc brakes = almost impossible to set perfectly because of the steel flexing. Disc pads wore out so fast. When set up perfectly, they worked great -- but NOT noticeably better than rim brakes in sunny SoCal.

After so much time on discs, the simplicity, elegance and even aesthetics of a modern quick release shimano dura ace rim brake wins for roads in my opinion. I won't be going back. I've decided to invest in the best possible rim brake solutions for my bikes (paul, dura ace) and I won't be going back to disc.

[p nut]

If MTB rims weren't being continuously contaminated by mud/grit/slop/debris, then the rim brakes would work just fine. But the grimy environment MTBs often face interferes with good rim/pad friction...

I never had big issues with riding in the slop on a mountain bike, but those long, long descents (i.e. Porcupine Rim) where you're blasting down the hill at 30mph and have to brake all of the sudden. Doing it once or three times, no problem. Keep up the interval, fade comes into play, which was an issue for me with rim brakes. Disc brakes works much better in that scenario.