Bicycle Mechanics - How much more trouble would it be....

To remove your wheels with disc brakes (avid mech.) than regular brakes? The bike is a stumpjumper if that makes any difference. Thing is, my wireless computer sensor is attached in such a way that the wheel needs to be taken off carefully as it is, and i'm wondering if with discs i'd have a problem because i'm thinking it would have to come out very straight because of the disc being in the caliper. That may make it hard to get past the sensor since i can't angle the wheel to one side as i pull it out. Anyone encounter this, or will i have no problem? I'd hate to spend a couple hundred only to find i can no longet use my computer.

And while i'm at it, what other unforseen problems or just things that will be more hassle with avid mechanical discs?

Thanks.....

The wheel can still be tilted somewhat, especially when removing it. You just have to get disc into the calipers when reinstalling. It's only about an inch until the disc is clear of the caliper anyway. It was an added benefit that I hadn't considered with discs that the wheels can be removed and installed so easily. As in not having to release the v-brakes. A friend of mine has Tioga tires on his bike and has to remove one of his brake pads to take his tire off. I can't think of any downsides to discs.

Thanks. Never considered the fact that w/o the V's on there it would make it easier to remove. I was reading some reviews just now on the avid mechs tho, and someone said they require adjustment every other ride or so. Does that seem right? A few other things i read turned me off to them somewhat too. I'm trying to determine the disadvantages if any. Just can't decide whether to chance the $200 on them.

I'd actually be happy to stay with V brakes if i could get a little more power out of them, but i assume theres no way to make that happen. On long fast downhills especially i find my hands getting very tierd and sore at times.

Adjust them every other ride? I don't even have to adjust mine every other month. I don't know what they are doing wrong to have to adjust them that much. And the adjustment is just a dial you can turn with your fingers. I really don't think you would be disappointed with them. I love mine. There are some other threads in this forum about others who have them too. I don't think anyone had anything bad to say about Avid Mechs. If you're looking at $200, you ought to shop around. Pricepoint has them for $70 each. Good Luck.

Yes, and i have found them for $69 each but after shipping and cables it'll be $200 easy.

Dazco, You can pick up some brake boosters for your V's if you notice that frame/fork flex is causing smooshy/bad breaking on hard descents. The Avid discs, though, are still the way you want to go in my opinion. The guy that adjusts them every ride set them up wrong in the first place.

-Moab

I have 800 miles on my Avid mechanical disc, all this winter in snow, salt, slush, general messines. No adjustments have been needed, not one. Maybe your friend is fixing things that aren't broken.

no, the braking is fine for a V. It's just a matter of steep hills and speed making for lots of hard braking. I guess discs are in order. Just gotta get serious and pull out the plastic i guess.

Ok, i just spent a long time on MTBR.COM and i' starting to believe that discs are not all they're cracked up to be. Lots of bad reviews about all of them, and a few complaints about the avid mechanicals that seem to pop up in multiple reviews. This is making me think about staying with V brakes.

So what about V brakes......is there a brand/model out there that is much more powerful than the avids that come on the stumpjumper? If i could cut the strength needed to pull the levers by about 1/2 i'd be happy buying a new set of V's.

XTR levers and some other higher-end levers come withy adjustments that regulate the amount of power you get for the amount you pull the lever. I think its called Servo-wave adjstment on Shimanos. Paired with a set of XTR V's and some brake boosters, I think thats the best option short of discs.....though for a whole setup you won't be far behind the price of discs.
I'd stick with the Avids - you have to remember that there are lots of people on there that don't know how to set their stuff up and who don't perform maintence correctly or read the directions that come with stuff - and there isn't much way to tell who's who. All of the users of Avids that I have talked to have had only good things to say. Wet, mud, dry - it doesn't matter. They never feel mushy like V's can as long as they are set up right.

-Moab

dazco, as you know I've got pretty much the same bike as you. I use the Avid discs and I've had no trouble. the only adjustments (after the initial set-to-feel tweeks) I've made were due to cable stretch which is normal with new cables. I have COMPLETE confidence in these brakes. I read all of those reviews (except the ones in the last 3 months) and came to the conclusion that the postives out-weighed the negatives. Now 3 months later I can attest that the only way the problems these folks were having could exist would be due to improper set-up

Yes, and another contributing factor to the differing reviews would be the fact that they are reviewing the brakes as they work on THIER bike, which may be worlds different than the last reviewers bike. It does make you wonder tho when you see one guy swearing they are amazing and absolutly perfect brakes, then another says they are worthless.

Doesn't quite work that way dazco. Brakes should work the same no matter what bike they're mounted on.

You missed the point......if the bike had discs before, and the reviewed discs are similar or not even as good, the guy may think they suck.
Whereas if the bike had V brakes before, they guy is likely to think his new discs are great even if they are mediocre compared to other discs. Get it?