Commuting - Shimano Alfine Disc Brake Internal Gearhub

Bangkok touched on this briefly in another post. Hope you don't mind. I thought it deserved its own thread.

Internal gearhub fans rejoice. Shimano has released a disc brake version of its nexus hub to the german market. Hopefully we will be able to buy it here in the USA. Rapid fire shifters also. Here is a link which I google translated from german to english. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.paul-lange.de/news/Shimano_News_2006_2007/ALFINE/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=3&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dnexus%2Balfine%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

What's the advantage of this over the drum breaks that have been avaliable for centuries?

I've been looking at disc breaks and it seems to me that all they are is weaker and less reliable versions of the venerable drum breaks marketed to pencil necked weight nazis.

I think disc brakes have prety much proven themselves over the years as for as durability and weight issues in the mountain bike arena. Don't think to many weight wennies are going to try a gear hub anyway.:)

What's the advantage of this over the drum breaks that have been avaliable for centuries?

I've been looking at disc breaks and it seems to me that all they are is weaker and less reliable versions of the venerable drum breaks marketed to pencil necked weight nazis.
How about the fact that they actually stop you in the harshest conditions of winter?

With an Avid BB7 disc brake you can adjust the pads with just a turn of a dial. Can you easily adjust a drum break while stopped at a stop light in the middle of January?

Also changing of disc pads is very quick and easy; it's a five minute job to change a set of pads. Perfect for the commuter who relies on there cycle for daily transport.

Plus you have a front brake.....

How about the fact that they actually stop you in the harshest conditions of winter?
Just like far cheaper and less complex coaster brake hubs.

With an Avid BB7 disc brake you can adjust the pads with just a turn of a dial. Can you easily adjust a drum break while stopped at a stop light in the middle of January?

Also changing of disc pads is very quick and easy; it's a five minute job to change a set of pads. Perfect for the commuter who relies on there cycle for daily transport.
No need for ANY adjustment, NOR any replacement of working parts on a coaster brake model

Plus you have a front brake.....
Just like the OEM front brakes that come standard on any multispeed coaster brake bike sold in Germany (Latvia too?) and could be furnished on any bike. Only difference is with coaster brakes one hand can be safely used for other tasks (drinking beverage, signaling, carrying package, scratching, etc.) than being kept close to the brake lever

Just like far cheaper and less complex coaster brake hubs.

No need for ANY adjustment, NOR any replacement of working parts on a coaster brake model

Just like the OEM front brakes that come standard on any multispeed coaster brake bike sold in Germany (Latvia too?) and could be furnished on any bike. Only difference is with coaster brakes one hand can be safely used for other tasks (drinking beverage, signaling, carrying package, scratching, etc.) than being kept close to the brake lever
The OEM brakes (V or canti) don't stop you well on ice or in wet conditions. Plus the sand that is often used on roads will eat up a rim in a season with rim brakes.

If you don't like the idea of disc brakes, don't use them, but don't trash talk them until you have tried them. I will never go back to rim brakes for winter riding after using discs. I can actually stop in winter conditions with discs.

BTW, for my summer bike I use rim brakes.

The OEM brakes (V or canti) don't stop you well on ice or in wet conditions. Plus the sand that is often used on roads will eat up a rim in a season with rim brakes.

If you don't like the idea of disc brakes, don't use them, but don't trash talk them until you have tried them. I will never go back to rim brakes for winter riding after using discs. I can actually stop in winter conditions with discs.

The discussion was the brakes on the rear wheel; coaster vice disk brakes.
Please furnish the reason why a more complex, more expensive disk brake is better than a coaster brake on an internally geared REAR hub. The type of brakes put on the front are independent of the rear braking method and the limitations of rim brakes on the front wheel are irrelevant.

I am getting a Sturmey Archer 8 speed for a bike I am building because they do have a have a disk version available. I'd rather have a Nexus. I don't have a very good reason for that except maybe that I remember some of the old Sturmey 3 speeds.

The rapid fire is nice to see, although it would be nice if they would make a shifter that could be used on curved bars.

Off the top of my head: Two negative things about a coaster brake are that they won't work if the chain comes off, and ( the biggie) you can't set your pedal position. If you have to make a sudden turn, and your crank is in the wrong position, you're hosed. Same for being stopped, if your crank is in a bad position, you just have to live with it.

The discussion was the brakes on the rear wheel; coaster vice disk brakes.
Please furnish the reason why a more complex, more expensive disk brake is better than a coaster brake on an internally geared REAR hub. The type of brakes put on the front are independent of the rear braking method and the limitations of rim brakes on the front wheel are irrelevant.
No possibility to slow down as opposed to stop. If you are in the wrong pedal posistion it's very difficult to stop on a dime.

Have you ever used disc brakes. or are you being a blow hard?

No possibility to slow down as opposed to stop. If you are in the wrong pedal posistion it's very difficult to stop on a dime.

Have you ever used disc brakes. or are you being a blow hard?
Hmm, I've never had a problem stopping under ANY condition in over 50 years of use. Don't know what your stopping problem might have been. How well do hand operated brakes work when your hand has something in it or is otherwise occupied such as giving a hand signal or drinking/eating?

I haven't tried super charging on my family auto either; guess only a blowhard would question the practicality/usefulness of applying expensive racing technology to everyday commuter applications.

Off the top of my head: Two negative things about a coaster brake are that they won't work if the chain comes off...
Also won't work if the pedals fall off, which is about as likely under normal stopping conditions. And certainly less likely than a brake cable breaking in use, especially under hard application. And even less likely than the braking hand not being in postion to apply hand operated brakes at all in a timely manner.

Bangkok touched on this briefly in another post. Hope you don't mind. I thought it deserved its own thread.

Internal gearhub fans rejoice. Shimano has released a disc brake version of its nexus hub to the german market. Hopefully we will be able to buy it here in the USA. Rapid fire shifters also. Here is a link which I google translated from german to english. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.paul-lange.de/news/Shimano_News_2006_2007/ALFINE/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=3&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dnexus%2Balfine%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

I wonder why they don't use a geared v-belt instead of a chain. Cars & motorcycles use them for 50k+ miles with no problems. Probably lighter too. Imagine a bike without no outboard grease. Priceless.

Just like far cheaper and less complex coaster brake hubs.

No need for ANY adjustment, NOR any replacement of working parts on a coaster brake model

Just like the OEM front brakes that come standard on any multispeed coaster brake bike sold in Germany (Latvia too?) and could be furnished on any bike. Only difference is with coaster brakes one hand can be safely used for other tasks (drinking beverage, signaling, carrying package, scratching, etc.) than being kept close to the brake lever


Uhhh, how about that disk brakes will stop you in a fraction of the distance that coaster brakes will. Hey, if you like em great. Ride em. Shimano is even coming out with a new group called "Coasting" to better server people who want the simplicity of coaster brakes, but lots of people are willing to put up with more complexity and cost for higher performance. Live and let live. Personally, I don't do a lot of eating or drinking on my commuter bike. I am more concerned about getting where I am going and not getting hit by a car (one reason I like high performance brakes), but if that's your thing, I don't have problem with it.

It seems like most people here don't understand what drum breaks are.

Shimano, Sturmey Archer, SRAM hubs have for a long time shipped with two different types of drum breaks: a hand-operated drum break that works just like a disc break from the perspective of the operator and coaster mechinism drum breaks that are actuated by the chain.

Drum breaks work wonderfully in rain and snow they are fully enclosed, not even with a disc sticking out.

Disc breaks have need to have braze-on mounts built into the fork or the chain/seatstays. So they can only be put on frames specifically designed for them. Many people try to jury-rig them onto frames not designed for it and then the disc detaches from the fork/stays and then they end up in a very big accident.

Drum breaks can be mounted onto any (real) bike frame. They have arms that attach to the chainstay or the fork arm to distribute torque, but this arm does not need a special braze-on mount because all it's doing is distributing torque. The entire breaking mechinism is enclosed in the hub.

Drum breaks as hinted above can also be used on the front. I hear Shimano front drum breaks are ass but Sturmey Archer made and Sun Race now makes a full line of front drum breaks that work swell.

So I ask again, why should I "rejoice" about disc breaks, and what is the advantage over drum breaks?

How well do hand operated brakes work when your hand has something in it or is otherwise occupied such as giving a hand signal or drinking/eating?
I don't eat or drink while I'm riding, I ride while I ride, and pay very close attention to my surroundings, especially in heavy city traffic.

Uhhh, how about that disk brakes will stop you in a fraction of the distance that coaster brakes will.

Oh Jesus. Not this urban myth.

Yes it is true that a front brake of whatever the sort will stop you in a fraction of the distance of a coaster brake. This is NOT because coaster brakes are weak but because there's not very much breaking power in the back wheel. A drum brake (coaster or hand-operated), a disc brake, a V brake, a caliper, whatever, are all limited by the fact that the back wheel does not have very much braking force. They'll all have the exact same performance in dry weather, although the drum and disc will probably outshine the rim brakes in wet weather.

It is not true that the technology of a disc break has significantly superior breaking power to a drum break for bicycles. Disc breaks supplanted drum breaks for the front wheels of cars (although most cars still have drums on the backs) because of a reliability issue that is not an issue with drum breaks on bikes.

It works like this. All brakes lose effectiveness when they get hot. Yet all brakes (except dynamic brakes, which are a whole different pickle) produce heat when they are used to stop a vehicle. The amount of heat depends on the inertia change involved in the braking, which is a function of the speed of the vehicle and the weight of the vehicle. Drum brakes are fully enclosed and thus, have a tendency to retain heat. When you have a big heavy car that is accelerating and breaking over and over again, the drums get hot and lose effectiveness. This is called "brake fade." Disc breaks are more open and don't retain heat like drums do, so brake fade with disc brakes is much less likely to happen.

But unless you're loading your bicycle up with 300 pounds and coasting down Mt McKinley, you're not going to produce anywhere near enough heat to make your bike's drum brakes fade. Brake fade honestly just isn't a big factor for bicycles because they're not heavy enough and they don't go fast enough. Disc brakes have a purpose in the automotive industry but as applied to bicycles, their only purpose is to seperate the rider from his money. They're yet another technology imported from some other industry to make bikes more expensive. There is no real utility.

I wonder why they don't use a geared v-belt instead of a chain. Cars & motorcycles use them for 50k+ miles with no problems. Probably lighter too. Imagine a bike without no outboard grease. Priceless.

I like the concept also except I how would you get the belt on? Belts usually don't have a masterlink. If you didn't have a way to split the belt you would have to split the frame.

^-- there are some folding bikes that use belts.

There's also been driveshafts made for bicycles. They're fully enclosed and are more reliable than chains while being grease free. Unforunatly they're slightly less efficient than chain drives so they've been supplanted.

I love the way a coaster brake looks and they darn sure have brought a many a bike to a halt. That hands free feature Like To Bike mentioned is pretty handy when you are out cruising. They seem to last forever and require very little up-keep. Drum brakes look cool too and work well in nasty weather. About the only complaint anyone ever has against them is they are a little heavy. Disc brakes probably want make you stop any faster than drums but they are a lot lighter. And are proven durable and of course look cool. Then you have rim brakes probably the most common of all brakes. They are the lightest. They might not work as well as the other types in wet or nasty weather. But they will get you stopped. My problem with rim brakes is purely personel. I don't like the way they look. So make mine the smooth uncluttered look of a coaster brake with no front brake or a set of discs front and rear. Since I'm not as tough as you single speed or geary guys make mine with a internal gearhub. Sure glad the manufactures are starting to give us gearhub users a full choice of brakes finally. Now if we can get them to make STI shifters for dropbars for gearhubs. Just my .02 and I have a full jar of change.

^-- there are some folding bikes that use belts.

There's also been driveshafts made for bicycles. They're fully enclosed and are more reliable than chains while being grease free. Unforunatly they're slightly less efficient than chain drives so they've been supplanted.

Do they use a link or have a way of sliping the belt around the chainstay?

I'm familar with shaft drives.

I didn't really look when I saw it. I imagine they have it designed so it doesn't have to loop around the chainstay. It might have had a detachable chainstay too. It was one of those plastic ones. I wasn't at all impressed.

jordanb asks:

So I ask again, why should I "rejoice" about disc breaks, and what is the advantage over drum breaks?

Carlton answers:

Because the manufactures are starting to pay more attention to the commuter, utility, and gearhub market. These new products give us choices that we have not had before. Now that we have the OEMs paying a bit more attention no telling what they may come up with. They might actually come up with something you like. Remember, at one time there were no internal hubs or drum brakes. If everyone was so set against technology the products you enjoy would have never been produced. The advantage of discs over drums (on bicycles) is mostly in weight savings and ease of removing the wheel.

I didn't really look when I saw it. I imagine they have it designed so it doesn't have to loop around the chainstay. It might have had a detachable chainstay too. It was one of those plastic ones. I wasn't at all impressed.

I hear ya. I'm really not into folders although many riders certainly like them.

Uhhh, how about that disk brakes will stop you in a fraction of the distance that coaster brakes will. Hey, if you like em great. Ride em. Shimano is even coming out with a new group called "Coasting" to better server people who want the simplicity of coaster brakes, but lots of people are willing to put up with more complexity and cost for higher performance. Live and let live. Personally, I don't do a lot of eating or drinking on my commuter bike. I am more concerned about getting where I am going and not getting hit by a car (one reason I like high performance brakes), but if that's your thing, I don't have problem with it.
Very reasonable answer. You prize performance, I prize value and reliability. I can live with that.

I don't eat or drink while I'm riding, I ride while I ride, and pay very close attention to my surroundings, especially in heavy city traffic.
Yeah I know, you don't like tunes either. You enjoy your cycling style? I like to bike but not if it means joining a cult of Asceticism.

Because the manufactures are starting to pay more attention to the commuter, utility, and gearhub market. These new products give us choices that we have not had before.
The OP stated that the hub-brake combination in question was being offered in Germany. The manufacturers and retailers of bikes in Germany have never forsaken the commuter or forgotten to offer appropriate equipment for the commuter cyclist, including gear hub bikes.

. Now that we have the OEMs paying a bit more attention no telling what they may come up with. They might actually come up with something you like. Remember, at one time there were no internal hubs or drum brakes.

There have been drum brakes avaliable since 1889, internal hubs since 1902.

The OP stated that the hub-brake combination in question was being offered in Germany. The manufacturers and retailers of bikes in Germany have never forsaken the commuter or forgotten to offer appropriate equipment for the commuter cyclist, including gear hub bikes.

Yes that is true. I also stated in my OP that I hoped to see the manufacture start selling these products in the USA. I feel all the good stuff sold in Germany should be offered here in the USA as well.

There have been drum brakes avaliable since 1889, internal hubs since 1902.


A good history lesson you offer. I'm certainly glad the foward thinking people came out with the drum brake and gear hub. I wonder if all the horse lovers resented technology taking over their form of transportation? I'm glad technology won out. I really perfer bicycles over horses. Large numbers of horses would get pretty smelly in a large city.

Yes that is true. I also stated in my OP that I hoped to see the manufacture start selling these products in the USA. I feel all the good stuff sold in Germany should be offered here in the USA as well.
I certainly agree with your sentiment. Until that time I'll be more than satisfied with the stable of internal hub commuter bikes I brought back with me from Germany.

I-Like-To-Bike

You made a good choice in souvineers from your time in germany. I have never been to Europe. I think I would enjoy a trip there. I have been all over the lower 48 states, canada, and mexico and certainly love my country. But I think the europeans have a much better concept of commuter and utility bikes than we do here in the US.

Yeah I know, you don't like tunes either. You enjoy your cycling style? I like to bike but not if it means joining a cult of Asceticism.
WTF is your problem? Yes, I like the way I bike. I also live in a big city, with all the dangers of a big city present. I deny myself nothing in the way I cycle. You really are one angry person.....

WTF is your problem? Yes, I like the way I bike. I also live in a big city, with all the dangers of a big city present. I deny myself nothing in the way I cycle. You really are one angry person.....
My, My. You forget I enjoy biking. It ain't rocket science nor religion.

Used to do it in the big city of Philadelphia for many years. In fact was cycling there last week. I find that it is not necessary to cycle in the city as if I am navigating my craft for Earth re-entry. And don't need to keep a two handgrip on handlebars on pain of death. Don't know what city commuting would require high tech disc brakes for dime stopping power as if descending mountain grades. Especially such power for the front brake, where if applied in an emergency it could lead to neck snapping end overs.

Do you also abstain from drinking from water bottles while cycling in the big bad city too, in order to maintain your life saving two hand grip?

Yes that is true. I also stated in my OP that I hoped to see the manufacture start selling these products in the USA. I feel all the good stuff sold in Germany should be offered here in the USA as well.


The Alfine group will definitely be available in the USA. Whether US bike companies choose to spec it is another story, but it will be available to them.

Does this argument have to be repeated EVERY time disc brakes are mentioned? If you don't like 'em, don't use 'em, end of story. Sheesh. :rolleyes:

I'm very interested in the new alfine.I'm hoping to order one from europe this fall.I have three internal gear bikes I just bought a bianchi milano that has the nexus 8 speed with the drum brake.I also have a 1942 schwinn replica with the 7 speed and coaster,and I built a track bike with the nexus premium 8speed I would like to build a LeMond track bike with the alfine.

Does this argument have to be repeated EVERY time disc brakes are mentioned? If you don't like 'em, don't use 'em, end of story. Sheesh. :rolleyes:
You are right. No need for such silly repitition of rants. How 'bout this solution - From now on, NO MORE mentioning anything about Disc Brakes on the commuting list. Sounds good to me. Sheesh²!

You are right. No need for such silly repitition of rants. How 'bout this solution - From now on, NO MORE mentioning anything about Disc Brakes on the commuting list. Sounds good to me. Sheesh²!

But none of the other forums like gearhubs. So where do we go to talk about discs and gearhubs? :)

But none of the other forums like gearhubs. So where do we go to talk about discs and gearhubs? :)
Alt Bike Culture? Maybe Foo?

I don't know where you ride, but commuters in big cities have NO CHANCE of cruising with a coffee in one hand and watching the world go by. I love the kind of riding you describe, but I couldn't do it in central London. Cruising is cruising, and things like coaster brakes are ideal for it. If you have a commute where you can cruise, wonderful! Not everyone does.

I like to commute. I like to ride fast out in the countryside too. I also like to cruise around, one hand on my knee, watching the world go by, and feeling good. I have different bikes for all these things, and there's a reason for that.

I don't know where you ride, but commuters in big cities have NO CHANCE of cruising with a coffee in one hand and watching the world go by. I love the kind of riding you describe, but I couldn't do it in central London.
Then try it in Philadelphia, Chicago or Heidelberg, GE. Cities where I have had much cycling experience. As well as rural highspeed roads. No problem for anyone not maintaining a deathgrip on the handlebars. Works for cold beverages too.

Then try it in Philadelphia, Chicago or Heidelberg, GE. Cities where I have had much cycling experience. As well as rural highspeed roads. No problem for anyone not maintaining a deathgrip on the handlebars. Works for cold beverages too.

Do these cities have nice multi user paths that keep you away from the traffic? I don't think you'd fancy riding the junction at Tower hill, for instance, with one hand, in rush hour. I don't know what your experience is like, but for me, when I've got 4 lanes of traffic going in every direction, and they've all got their get-to-work blinkers on, I like to have both hands on the bars, and a FRONT BRAKE. I don't use disk brakes, but I sure as hell would like some in the winter. And no, I don't drink from my waterbottle in city traffic either. I only let go to signal. I just don't think you've been in the conditions I'm talking about, if you think you can ride safely with one hand in it.

Also, regardless, why do you care if some people prefer disc brakes.

Also, regardless, why do you care if some people prefer disc brakes.
I couldn't care less if some people use asbestos soled shoes to stop. I am skeptical of the advice/recommendations of cyclists who try to portray commuter cycling as requiring the equivalent skills and equipment necessary for the TDF, descending Pikes Peak, or navigating for a lunar landing.

I built a track bike with the nexus premium 8speed I would like to build a LeMond track bike with the alfine.

I’m very interested in doing something like this, too. What track bike did you use and how did you mount the shifter? I’ve been intrigued by the HubBub adapter that Sheldon Brown uses on the Bianchi San Jos8. Any helpful hints…., things that you’ll do differently on the LeMond? I’m still trying to make a decision on what bike to use. On the one hand, my local Cannondale dealer is great so I was thinking about the Capo but on the other hand, I wouldn’t mind a frame that would more readily accept fenders.

As for the OP, I think it’s great to see technological developments in the world of internal hubs. While this technology may have been around for over a century, it seems to have been nearly invisible in the U.S. market for the past 25 years. Whether the disk brake option becomes popular or not remains to be seen, but it would seem to me that not everyone that wants an internal hub for all the very practical reasons normally associated with them necessarily wants to forego whatever weight saving options that are also available. In other words, I don’t see any reason that a bicycle with an internal hub has to be heavy. Which brings me to a question. I had originally heard that in addition to the disk brake option and new shifter, the Alfine was also supposed to be lighter. Has anyone heard if this is true? Perhaps it was just that the disk brake option is lighter than the drum brake.

Regards,
Alan

^-- Gear hubs are now and will always be "heavy" when compared to a derailleur system. Them's the breaks. Will a tempermental and expensive replacement to the venerable drum brake change that? No. No it won't.

For instance, the SRAM Spectro S7 with no brake at all weighs 1694 grams. With the coaster option it weighs 1708 grams. So the coaster brake only adds 14 grams, to a hub that weighs almost 1700 grams. The shifter (204 grams) weighs more than the added weight for the coaster.

Alan
Not sure on the reduced weight on the hub. I'd like to build a comfy road bike with a nexus hub. Plenty enough gear range for me. I'll either use a coaster brake on back and no brake on the front or discs font and rear. Goal is under 20 lbs. A while back I saw a photo on this forum or mtbr forum of a grip shifter that was mounted on the handlebar up close to the stem. Hard to explain but the bars had been cut and it had extra clamps allowing the shifter to be there. Would be perfect for shifting with your hands on top of the flats. I think it was in a discussion about rohloff hubs. I'll try to find it.I wish shimano would make a sti brifter for the gearhub.

I-Like-To-Bike
Those other forums talk about gearhubs like you talk about disc brakes. No mercy on my sole.:)

Mickeyp.1
Love to see a photo of your nexus track bike if you got one.

Hey Zeimas
I took a 15 mile cruise today only saw 2 other bikes. Maybe 25 cars. Plenty of time to relax down here. I'll ride with 1 hand tomorrow for ya sense you never get the chance. I used to drive big trucks so I understand the traffic in the large cities. Be careful.

I-Like-To-Bike
Those other forums talk about gearhubs like you talk about disc brakes. No mercy on my sole.:)

Maybe so. But what do those cycling performance/efficiency fetishists know about practical cycling for transportation or utility? Nothing, zero, or zip?

I like to ride fast on my commute. It's part of the joy. When you're in heavy traffic, riding fast, you'd better be able to stop fast too. I coaster brake wouldn't give me a problem, but I'd need a front brake too, much more so than the rear. And given a choice, I might well go for a disk. If I'm coming down a hill at 25 mph on a wet day, and something unexpected happens in front of me.......well it would only need to happen once for the disk brake to be worth the coin.

Commuting is not a relaxed, chilling experience for me. I don't want it to be, either - that's not what I'm looking for, and I don't think I'm unique in that. I have, with two rim brakes, found myself sailing down a hill toward road works, cut off from going round them by a truck, in the rain. Both brakes hard on, Nikes to the pavement, and just got round. That was before the advent of disk brakes (which I still don't have), but I would REALLY have been better off if I'd had any. Let people enjoy their commute the way they enjoy riding.

I like to ride fast on my commute. It's part of the joy. When you're in heavy traffic, riding fast, you'd better be able to stop fast too. I coaster brake wouldn't give me a problem, but I'd need a front brake too, much more so than the rear. And given a choice, I might well go for a disk. If I'm coming down a hill at 25 mph on a wet day, and something unexpected happens in front of me.......well it would only need to happen once for the disk brake to be worth the coin.

Commuting is not a relaxed, chilling experience for me. I don't want it to be, either - that's not what I'm looking for, and I don't think I'm unique in that. I have, with two rim brakes, found myself sailing down a hill toward road works, cut off from going round them by a truck, in the rain. Both brakes hard on, Nikes to the pavement, and just got round. That was before the advent of disk brakes (which I still don't have), but I would REALLY have been better off if I'd had any. Let people enjoy their commute the way they enjoy riding.

I like to ride fast on my commute. It's part of the joy. When you're in heavy traffic, riding fast, you'd better be able to stop fast too...
Commuting is not a relaxed, chilling experience for me. I don't want it to be, either - that's not what I'm looking for, and I don't think I'm unique in that. I have, with two rim brakes, found myself sailing down a hill toward road works, cut off from going round them by a truck, in the rain. Both brakes hard on, Nikes to the pavement, and just got round. That was before the advent of disk brakes (which I still don't have), but I would REALLY have been better off if I'd had any. Let people enjoy their commute the way they enjoy riding.
No wonder cycling is a razor's edge experience for you. You have decided going fast is so important that you do it (in rain, heavy traffic; both) whether you have brakes to safely stop or not. I don't think disc brakes will bring you the thrills you are looking for; Why not try an even more thrilling experience and get rid of all the brakes and go faster?