Mountain Bike Racing - V's or Discs?

Do you racers go for the light-weight of v-brakes, or the all-around stopping power of discs?

v's because Im poor, and I crash alot

I don't race, but I have discs on my MTB, and Shimano dura-ace V brakes on my road bike, and I find that the shimanos stop as well as my discs.

Shimano dura-ace V brakes

Say what?

Here: http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=BUY_PRODUCT_STANDARD&PRODUCT.ID=1024&CATEGORY.ID=315&MODE=&TFC=

I will say that I love my hydros (XTR) and I'll take all the stopping power and modulation I can get. I don't get the same power/modulation on my record equiped road bike. So for me, it's hydros, but everyone has thier own preferences.

if you really want light weight go for v's
if you are willing to sacrifice some weight for some stopping power get mechanical disc brakes(i am pretty sure hydros are heavier)

1970 = v brakes

2007 = disk brakes

Here: http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=BUY_PRODUCT_STANDARD&PRODUCT.ID=1024&CATEGORY.ID=315&MODE=&TFC=


2008 Shimano Dura-Ace 10-Speed BR-7800 Brake Calipers

To see the real difference you need to have a muddy race and see how much mud build up in the v-brakes to the point of stopping the tire from spinning and also see what the built up mud does to the sides of your wheels when you are trying to stop. Disc brakes are the only way to go on a MTB.

Here: http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=BUY_PRODUCT_STANDARD&PRODUCT.ID=1024&CATEGORY.ID=315&MODE=&TFC=

Those are not V brakes, those are road brakes (duel pivot brake calipers, to be more exact). And on a road bike you have such a small contact patch with the ground, pretty much anything will stop you, though some brakes have a nicer feel.

I run discs for racing.

Do you racers go for the light-weight of v-brakes, or the all-around stopping power of discs?

There's no way that v-brakes could stop me on some of the courses I've raced.

i use disc brakes on my latest bike which is wreaked but on my previous bike a clude butler hardtail i had v brakes but this was used more on the road after feeling the stopping power on disc brakes i couldnt switch back also discs are better in wet weather

There's no way that v-brakes could stop me on some of the courses I've raced.

I call BS, assuming you're racing XC.

If you live out west where it is dry I would race v-brakes but in West Virginia where there is 6 inches of mud on all the courses, and v -brakes just stop your wheel from spinning I race disc. My Marta SL are pretty light I think.

ZeCanon come to SnowShoe,WV and you wont think what Never posted is BS.

I've raced snowshoe, and I'm from Vermont. Trust me, I know mud.

BS.

I've raced snowshoe, and I'm from Vermont. Trust me, I know mud.

BS.

what if he didn't race XC?

1970 = v brakes

Nope, V's were a product of the late 1980's/Early 90's.

Disc for me.

what if he didn't race XC?


See:

I call BS, assuming you're racing XC.

I'm not saying I prefer v-brakes. I don't. I'm saying they are adequate for virtually every XC situation, even if they may not be the best. Saying they "will not stop you" is a false.

Based on personal experience, the friction my v-brakes provided was always greater than that of my tire with the ground, meaning I could always lock them up and modulate them to some extent. If the conditions were nasty enough that my brakes weren't working very well, the ground was slippery enough that braking power was irrelevant anyway.

Like I said, I'm not advocating v's. I don't like them, except for their low-weight, and I don't run them on any of my bikes. But they do their job, and did for a long time before discs became popular. If you're on a budget, don't discount a good set of V's.

And sometimes discs "will not stop you" either, if you're going to be nitpicky about it. This year, after a stream crossing in one race followed by a short, steep, brakeless downhill into a rockgarden, my wet discs barely slowed me down for about 20m.
I never, once had a single instance where my v-brakes failed to stop me, racing in very wet New England as well as around the country on the norba circuit. They are capable brakes, so when people go around claiming they "will not stop you," I will argue otherwise. In most cases, I believe you would do the same (but since you are following me around rebutting all my posts, that is not the case here)
Sorry if my experience isn't enough for you.

ZeCanon, I really don't think it's a matter of whether or not a brake "will stop you;" it's more a matter of how effeciently one brake will stop you over another. For nearly any given condition, disc brakes are more efficient stoppers. Just because a V-brake will work does not detract from the fact that a better-working brake will improve your confidence in technical sections, make your riding more efficient and make you faster. To borrow the old motocross axiom, "the faster you can stop, the faster you can go."

I've raced a lot of XC - - on a more recreational level than my DH racing - - and I can definitely see the advantages to discs for XC racing. Given a choice, I would not be running vees any more on any mountain bike of mine.

I call BS, assuming you're racing XC.

Don't assume...this is a racing forum, not an XC racing forum. And the OP didn't mention any specific riding style.

ZeCanon, I really don't think it's a matter of whether or not a brake "will stop you;" it's more a matter of how effeciently one brake will stop you over another. For nearly any given condition, disc brakes are more efficient stoppers. Just because a V-brake will work does not detract from the fact that a better-working brake will improve your confidence in technical sections, make your riding more efficient and make you faster. To borrow the old motocross axiom, "the faster you can stop, the faster you can go."

I've raced a lot of XC - - on a more recreational level than my DH racing - - and I can definitely see the advantages to discs for XC racing. Given a choice, I would not be running vees any more on any mountain bike of mine.

The original question was whether racers prefer v-brakes or discs. Since there was a lack of input from the racing side of things, I gave my opinion: discs are superior, but for most racing applications v-brakes are up to the task. To say that they are not suitable for MOST xc races is false - even if they may not be the best. There are still many, many racers who run v's, especially in dry climates.
I wasn't arguing that he should run v-brakes. I was arguing that saying discs are the only way to go is foolish.

...for most racing applications v-brakes are up to the task. To say that they are not suitable for MOST xc races is false - even if they may not be the best. There are still many, many racers who run v's, especially in dry climates.
I wasn't arguing that he should run v-brakes. I was arguing that saying discs are the only way to go is foolish.


Remember, you're posting in a race forum, not an XC race forum.

And who said discs are the only way to go?

Remember, you're posting in a race forum, not an XC race forum.I guess I'm guilty of drawing the inference of it being an XC race question too, because I didn't think there'd even be a vee/disc question from the OP if we were talking gravity events.

I agree that I don't think anyone said discs were the only way to go. I do agree that a lot of XC racers are still running vees - - either from a money standpoint or illogical prejudices or misconceptions. I honestly don't know why anyone who could afford either would choose to run vees any more.

I guess I'm guilty of drawing the inference of it being an XC race question too, because I didn't think there'd even be a vee/disc question from the OP if we were talking gravity events.


I was thinking the same thing... I doubt anyone would try to argue that v's are suitable for gravity events.

I honestly don't know why anyone who could afford either would choose to run vees any more.

I'm currently building a hardtail for some casual cross country racing, and have chosen V-brakes for one reason: simplicity. I'm sure discs are easy enough to deal with, I guess I'm just old school that way.

I'll let my skill level dictate when I need to upgrade.

I'm also a closet weight weenie, and heard that I could save 23.48 grams over a disc setup.

Obviously simplicity is subjective.

I'm just confident that my abilities, and not my components, will be my limiting factor.

Perhaps V-brakes have been stigmatized to the point that using them is an apparent indicator that one's abilities have not met an equilibrium with the capabilities of their brakes.....in other words, if I didn't suck, I'd have discs. Since I don't have discs, I must suck.

I understand what you were saying. I was just attempting to add that, in my opinion, some people choose discs not because they need them, but based on their insecurities about other people's perceptions of Vs at this point.

I edited my previous post to clarify my train of thought.

I'm currently building a hardtail for some casual cross country racing, and have chosen V-brakes for one reason: simplicity. I'm sure discs are easy enough to deal with, I guess I'm just old school that way.
I'll let my skill level dictate when I need to upgrade.
I'm also a closet weight weenie, and heard that I could save 23.48 grams over a disc setup.

Also, V-Brakes can be very well fine tuned...as you really have room to see the pad > rim contact, you can get those brakes perfectly centered. Thats what i always loved about my Avid SD7's i had a while back, you could really get the brake adjusted how you wanted. Sure you can also do that with disks, but its a tad more fiddly. Most V-Brakes are lighter then most Disks as well so you will save weight as well. I've ridden some very steep and rocky terrain with V-Brakes and managed.

However, having said that, from experience, V-Brakes seem to require more adjustment and "fine tuning" then disks, and as soon as you slightly buckle your wheel you will probably have to adjust them all over again or pay the price of friction. Disks have the advantage of being more "set and forget" and yes...simple.

If you've chosen V-Brakes though, that is cool, and I highly recommend getting some Avid's with Avid levers :D

Avids with XT dual controls came in today!

Please note where I said some people. I believe it's safe to say that some people follow the leading edge of technology strictly out of perceptions of status, rather than out of necessity. That is how I formed my opinion. I determined this based on years of observing people in all aspects of society striving for the next big thing when the previous big thing is still perfectly viable.

As an analogy, the suburban soccer mom who upgrades from the H3 to the H2, when the H3 was pushed nowhere near its limits.

Make sense? Can you imagine some people discarding perfectly good V brakes because they just couldn't be seen on the trail with outdated technology? Do you understand now?

Vanity and materialism pervade all aspects of modern culture.

Am I saying that there are no advantages to discs? Absolutely not. What I am saying is that some people would find Vs more than adequate for the riding they do.

Sorry my previous posts were so abstruse.

...the suburban soccer mom who upgrades from the H3 to the H2, when the H3 was pushed nowhere near its limits...One might argue that either of these Chevy Blazers and Suburbans are pushed to their limits bumping out of the driveway.

I personally went to discs after too many white-knuckle descents and corner approaches on vee brakes that did not slow me down well enough.

Why does it matter? We're forced to justify OPINIONS now?

I determined that, given a cross section of humanity making a specific decision, (in this case, to upgrade from V to disc brakes), that a finite number of human emotions would factor into the choice. Knowing that vanity and insecurity are valid human emotions that may or may not factor into making decisions, I just assumed that in a broad sample of mountain bikers, it would be a safe bet that at least some of them made the choice to upgrade based on skewed logic. It would also be safe to say that some people (dminor) upgraded because their V brakes were insufficient.

Nitpicking people's opinions seems pretty silly, doesn't it?

goodnight, all!

Since you have no way of knowing why people made the decisions that they allegedly made.

So why is that a big deal?

For the record i KNOW many people who just have disks because they look cool.

I think the "having it because it looks cool" thing does apply. I see lots of people riding around campus generally on the cheapest mountain bikes with discs that are available. They are using mountain bikes, yeah, but basically as campus cruising bikes. I've talked to many people who buy a mountain bike because it's "cool and tough" but have no intention of ever taking it off road. I've steered many people who have come to me for bike advice away from mountain bikes (though several insist they must have "grippy" knobby tires for pavement use :rolleyes: )and I could see steering them away from discs for similar reasons.

That said, this is a racing subforum in a forum for enthusiasts, so that sort of logic doesn't realy apply. For casua/light trail riding, discs aren't necessary at all and going to vees might be a good place to save some money.

thanks for all the posts, I figured I'd better clarify what I'm really after

I currently don't race but when I go away to school next year I hope to. I'm in the market for a new bike and am trying to figure out if i should spend less and get a decent set of V's or more and get a cheapo set of discs. Is it worth it to spend more on a bike now and then not have to get new hubs/wheels when I upgrade, or should I spend less and then just get better V's when I want?

You'll be sorely disappointed by the performance of 'cheapo' discs; BUT --

They won't be too much different from vees (unless they are particularly good vees)
As you noted, you'll be ahead of the game when you go to upgrade to good discs, because you will already have a disc-compatible wheelset.


I'd vote to go the disc route and upgrade when you either can afford to or can't afford not to.

At $115 for a pair of BB7s, FR-5 levers, and Shimano LX cables/housings, I wouldn't waste my time with cheapo discs or v-brakes.

agreed, go with a set of mechanical discs from Avid. Many actually like them better than hydraulic brake sets.

Colombo & Ze make an excellent point. Additionally, while you're tooling about your campus sidewalks, you will be able to stop better in wet conditions than you will with V's, thus making your college campus a safer place for humanity.

I'll be putting XTR V's on my Lefty.

silly, silly man... ;)

not sure if this will be an approved post but im gonna say it

my freind has been rideing with v's at the back and discs at the front for YEARS and haveing ridden a bike recently with hydro discs he loved the stopping power... so he is looking for a pair of hydro v's because of the simplisity to adjust v brakes

Don't magura rim brakes count?

Did I just fall into a Fagerlin pit?

Oh dear... :lol:

No, but they're probably what he meant.

true, maybe he should save some cash on the maguras and get some better V's or do like everyone else and jump on the bb7 bandwagon?
Or even better, since he loved actual hydro discs.... perhaps..? maybe..?

Yeah, not sure how he 'rode & loved hydro discs' and managed to decide that hydro rim brakes were the answer...

I call BS, assuming you're racing XC.


what the hell are you talking about ? I have raced with V-brakes
expert Norba MTB, and found plenty of times when I could not
get the braking power I needed due to glop on the rims. one
or two rotations to clear the rim and get braking power back is
too many. discs are almost 99.99 of the time there and ready.

out east here we actually race in deep mud and deep water and
ice conditions


for me I run disc on all new bikes, and my older bikes without disc mounts
I keep v-brakes on them.