Framebuilders - mech disc for oregon gen purpose frame?

As some may know from my earlier posts, I am planning (in great detail since I am stationed in Afghanistan; great escapism) my Vanilla frame, for which I am patiently waiting my turn in the long line of customers. My question is general thoughts from other builders and users of Avid mech disc systems. My frame will be an all-arounder type bike, one that I can ride every damn day. I am considering discs because my "normal" home is going to be in Oregon, and I have known folks who ride a lot to actually go through a set of rims in a year from the rain and grime combination.

I currently have a poprad (hence the handle) that I put V brakes on, but I don't get back enough to see how they grind down the rims through a season. Any personal experience/ insights would be appreciated.

Sounds like a wonderful project. I haven't had trouble with grime grinding down rims, and if I did, I probably wouldn't be using a bike of that refined beauty for those conditions. Of course, both MTBs and cyclo bikes come equipped with discs for just the reasons you suggest. If you think of the bike as an all around bike, and your all around conditions include loads of mud, you are going to end up spending a lot of time detailing that frame back to showroom condition. The main issue as I'm sure you know is that the disc bikes keep running in the grime, while the regular brakes may seize up. But in the end you are still clamping down on a rim, and the higher initial cost and service on the discs, will add up whether a rim is cheaper over time vs. whatever number of discs? I don't know. It probably is cheaper if you don't do your own wheels.

People seem to like the avid mechanicals, but I don't get the feeling it's necessarily the high dirt crew. That seems like a job for hydraulics. Mechanical discs strike a lot of people as having no reason to exist, while I think they would be great on a touring bike, where the sophistication of hydraulic may let you down parts wise, yet discs can still be a good idea. My dream touring bike might have disc and cantis on the front.

Anyway, good luck with your deployment, and keep an eye on the backs of any Canadians you see over there. I hope this response will get a lot of more knowledgeable disc folk to chip in.

Go for disks! Avid mechanicals work great. I am in Portland and got a cross bike with Avid mechanicals a couple of months ago, and I love em. My only complaint so far would be a little noise when braking, but they stop really well. I haven't ridden the bike much in the rain yet, but look forward to the security.

Contrats on your Vanilla, he makes some of the most beautiful frames in the world (and, having been a professional frame builder for the better part of a decade, I don't give out praise like that lightly).

Thanks for the input, I appreciate the opinions. As far as the Vanilla, I did a lot of research and looking before deciding on his frame. His location in Portland (my next assignment) was just icing on the cake. Seeing his work first hand sealed the deal, as did the extensive fit session. I can't wait to hear that my name has made it to the top of the pile and that my frame is being constructed.

I'm having a hard time deciding on components because part of me loves the simplicity of downtube shifters and regular caliper brakes, and part of me loves the newest shifters and disc brakes. I'll probably have to talk it over with the builder and end up going with his recommendations for my riding type and conditions. Unfortunately, to satisfy all my bike lust I'd probably need 6 or 7 bikes, but neither my finances nor my riding skill would warrant it. Somehow, though, I think a Vanilla frame will satisfy my bike needs for a long, long time.

His location in Portland (my next assignment) was just icing on the cake.

You're being assigned to Portland? In the military? What kind of assignment could you get here (or would you have to kill me if you told me)?;)

I'm not US Mil, although I was long ago. I'm a Special Agent with the U.S. Dept of State's Diplomatic Security Service. Kind of a wierd little corner of Federal law enforcement that deals mostly with U.S. Embassy security, but also some criminal investigation and lots and lots of dignitary protection work.

My last tour was Haiti for 2 years and now a year in Afghanistan. I had to bid on a stateside tour because if I don't get back to some serious riding my head's going to explode. One can only spin on a 1upUSA trainer for so long....

OPSEC should be in effect because you never know who is watching.

I know how you feel been in those shoes.

S/F,
CEYA!
Strength and Honor!!

Thanks...hopefully the Taliban won't use my love of fine bicycles to lure me into a trap. A fine 1980's lugged steel Colnago with vintage Campy parts...but filled with radio detonated C4? Or maybe they'll set up a street vendor selling carbon fiber and titanium mod kits for my M4, and try to get to me that way.

Good luck on the rest of your tour. Hard to think of a place that's much more different form Portland than Afghanistan. Around Portland, IED stands for Improvised Espresso Device:)

Do you have an ETA from Sasha?


Give a shout when you get here, maybe some of us here can get together for a ride.

Thanks, I will get in touch upon arrival. Sept timeframe, but you never know for sure, depends on when my replacement arrives. I got on Sacha's list July last year, so I should be coming up sometime in the next few months.


Not sure how to send a PM on this forum, and I hate to put my personal e-mail out there, but getting together for a ride sometime sounds great. After a year of this place riding around in the US will be the best time ever, and the new bike will just be an unbelievable "made it back in one piece" gift. Nothing like living in the 4th world to rearrange your appreciation for how wonderful life is back home.

one thing no one has mentioned.

rear disc interferes with mounting a rack and fenders. basically the avid mech disc is right where either a rack or fender strut need to be.

you can work around it by bending fender stays. or getting an odd / expensive rack.

a good compromise is to put a disc on front only. this allows you to add disc braking to any frrame with a 50 dollar dimension/qbp disc fork.

i think disc would be very useful in oregon for the rain. disc needs little maint. pads last longer than rubber pads on v brakes (but cost more). they require less adjustment than vees.

discs do squeal.

one avid disc weighs ~430g. which is more than 2 avid Vees or 2 ultegra brakes. by maybe 100gs depending on model. so thay are heavy. and you'll have that odd hubbed wheel.

Thanks Seeker. I hadn't thought of that angle, and with the rain fenders are a necessity most of the year there. Although given Sacha's resourcefulness I'm sure he will be able to fabricate around this issue. I'm leaning more and more towards the discs, weight be damned. Unless my body fat runs into the low 8 - 10% range (not likely) I'm not too concerned about the extra grams. I do appreciate all the angles people have brought up, I feel like I'm deciding based on a better understanding of the pros and cons.

Now I'll have to think of a new screen name to go with the new bike.