|
|
|
|
#1
03-14-2023, 07:39 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Disc brakes - cable vs hydraulic
Sorry if this has been asked recently...
When looking at various gravel bike price points, two big diffs I see when going from say, the $1500 range to the $2500 range and up, is: 1. Number of gears 2. Cable vs hydraulic brakes I have hydraulic brakes on my MTB and my tri bike. Are cable disc brakes a nightmare to deal with?? Is it worth the upgrade to stay away from those?? Edit - I should also mention, not interested in buying a new bike and then spending money to upgrade to 'better' cable disc brakes. If that is required, then I'd just spend the extra up front for the hydraulic bike model. I think the cable disc brakes that come with some of the models I've looked at are Tektro MD-C550... Thx! Last edited by oldguy00; 03-14-2023 at 07:46 AM. 
|
|
#2
03-14-2023, 07:59 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
|
|
#3
03-14-2023, 08:07 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
__________________
Chisholm's Custom Wheels Qui Si Parla Campagnolo
|
|
#4
03-14-2023, 08:20 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Paceline is mostly a niche group of corner-sewers. Many of us aren't going to buy the low spec bike and keep it around without upgrading the parts that don't work well. When helping friends and relatives buy a new bike, I'm always pushing them to the level of componentry that won't have them turned off from biking due to poorly performing stuff. In the Shimano world, that meant 105 when we bought my niece a road bike in 2020, and SLX when looking for a MTB.
|
|
#5
03-14-2023, 08:33 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I own both hydro and cable brakes. I'm 200 lbs so braking power is important to me. Here is my hot take:
- Hydro discs are powerful and wonderful, and they automatically adjust pad distance from the rotor. They simply work best - when they are working. But since I don't bleed brakes, if something goes wrong I have to take it into a shop and I don't have my bike for a while. So it's like all or nothing. - Mech discs are fine, not as strong as hydros but they'll stop you for sure. They do require fiddling as pads wear, and generally need more constant maintenance in my experience. But the difference is, I can get my mech disc brake bike on the road in 15-20 minutes, while my hydro bike is in the shop for 1-2 weeks. One final consideration: if something goes wrong in the field, or if you're traveling, mech brakes are much easier to service and I believe make a bike more travel case-friendly. So I have hydro disc on my performance road bike and I enjoy mech disc on my all-road/gravel bike. Good luck!
|
|
#6
03-14-2023, 08:44 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Here is my 2 cents, take it or leave it....
 I would simply not buy a bike with mechanical disc's. I bought a pretty cheap gateway to gravel bike a few years ago, I think it was roughly in the price point that you mentioned. I knew that it would be heavy and the shifting wouldn't be as smooth. So.... My first ride on it I was actually pleasantly surprised, while it was heavy, it rode well, shifted well etc... but one thing that it absolutely did not do? it just flat out did not stop, oh it slowed down when you squeezed the brakes but it didn't stop, I had it all set up right, even took it back to the shop to make sure it was all set up right etc.... Also where I ride, the gravel roads tend to be pretty steep and cam have rocks and loose dirt, so there is just no way I'd feel good riding those roads with brakes that you can't trust As for having it in the shop for 2 weeks, I guess some shops are really busy, I dont know, but the shop I go to they do the bleed in 2-3 hours so I always have it back the same day, or if I drop it off after work it's always ready the following morning. One thing I will agree is that it's easier to travel with a bike with mechanical disc's. But I would just not buy a bike with those.
|
|
#7
03-14-2023, 08:45 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
The answer to your question depends on what you mean by "a nightmare to deal with." Cable disc brakes use less expensive parts and fewer specialty tools, and are generally quicker to install - thus the lower price point. But they have more actuation friction, leading to poorer modulation, and their operation degrades more over time/use. In many applications they are just fine, however.
Here's a slightly related observation I've made: Bike share bikes tend to lead hard lives, for a variety of reasons, such as being treated poorly by users and being left out in the weather, etc. They tend to be built so that they require a minimum amount of maintenance, since it costs money for maintenance people to go out and fix them, and they don't make any money during times they are not rideable. Many of these bikes use disc brakes - but they are almost all cable disc brakes. Also, we hear stories here about how tubeless tires reduce the frequency of having to stop and fix a flat. You'd think that it would be expensive to send out a repair man every time a bike share bike got a flat tire (and the bike can't be used until the flat is fixed), but every bike share bike I've seen has used tube-type tires.
|
|
#8
03-14-2023, 08:50 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Bleeding brakes is just not hard. Those of you who don’t do it - you should give it a try. Tools needed are a cheap bleed kit, a few allens, and a spanner. It’s not rocket science. Once you learn how to do it, it’s actually pretty fun and satisfying. And you don’t have to do it that much - not nearly as often as you have to fiddle with your mechanical disc brakes.
Hydraulic brakes are the in fact easier to deal with than cantilever and center pull rim brakes.
|
|
#9
03-14-2023, 08:54 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Bleeding hydraulic disc brakes isn't difficult with the right bleed kit and a good video for the brand and model of brakes on the bike. I made the switch to hydraulic on three bikes last year. It wasn't a big deal, but the right bleed kit is important.
|
|
#10
03-14-2023, 11:05 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Mech Disc Brakes
I think cable disc brakes are actually pretty easy to work on IF you have decent ones. Back in the day when they first came out the Avid mech disc brakes (not sure if they are still available), were pretty easy and smooth. Are they as effective as a decent hydraulic disc brake, No, but easy. I have been shopping for a road bike for my daughter. Looked at a decent new $2k aluminum bike for her, but the turn off was cheap mechanical disc brakes on it. Just horrible feel to them, and significant effort to squeeze the lever. I would much rather buy her used with hydraulics like 105 I wouldn't have to upgrade. My 2 cents I'd spend the extra.
|
|
#11
03-14-2023, 11:12 AM
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
I use hydros on several bikes and they're great. I've got mechs on several bikes and they're great, too. Each has trade offs, so I wouldn't characterize one as inherently better or shy away from a bike simply because it doesn't have hydros. FWIW, I'd speculate a lot of the poor experiences with mechs are due to improper setup. I'd also offer the opinion that although Klampers are awesome, the caliper isn't all that important to achieving great performance. With good housing, pads and rotors, Spyre/Spyke, BB7, etc. are pretty excellent IME, too.
|
|
#12
03-14-2023, 11:29 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
I find the better cable disc caliper with super slick cables and Swiss Stop Organic pad up front totally good to stop my 200+ girth down confidently.
Do I like the feel of my 8070 hydro and Canti CX with Pauls Mini Motos better, yes. Will it the hydro make me safer, I doubt it. I use Swiss stop pads frnt/rear on All my Canti and road/rim bikes. This is a net gain every time in my experience. Across my too many bikes FWIW. Side note, I have found compression-less housings for cable dics brake superfluous. I don't need a better back brake where the housing might be long and full length, front is so short as to also be superfluous. I have found super polished super quality cables and new high end housings with Swiss stop pads an excellent total solution. I use up my sheit TRP pads in back for same rear reason and above and use Swiss stop pads front on everything except the 8070 Hydro thet does not seem to need the help. All FWIW, but I doubt YMMV.. I like Spyre non SLC and 4 pot Juen-Ts best. I don't find the need for the 4 pot at rear. I have TRP Hy/RDs on one bike, would not buy again, heavy/klunky IMO. I also find BB7s functionally excellent. But they can cause clearance issues and look klunky yada. Do they even make those Flat mount, I dunno.
__________________
This foot tastes terrible! 
|
|
#13
03-14-2023, 11:52 AM
|
|||
|
|||
|
Run away from any cable actuated disc brake. ASAP.
|
|
#14
03-14-2023, 12:19 PM
|
||||
|
||||
|
from my vast sample set of (1) each:
- the bike I bought in 2018 that came with TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes has been essentially problem-free: I've changed the pads once (I think; maybe twice?) since new, I tweak the pad spacing and/or cable barrel adjuster maybe twice a year, they've never not stopped me, what's not to love? - the bike my wife bought in 2018 that came with Shimano Ultegra Di2 hydraulic disc brakes took over a year to get the brake problems sorted out, including two warranty replacement claims with Shimano, and trips to three different mechanics over five different visits. And it still doesn't inspire confidence when she grabs a lever. iow, the proverbial "nightmare" Of course, the plural of "anecdotes" is not "data" 
|
 |
|
|
Linear Mode
