Rim Brakes vs. Disc Brakes
After being away from tandeming for several years I find myself in possession of a modern tandem with disc brakes and 200mm rotors. I have put several thousand miles on tandems with cantilever and V-brakes so I am excited to finally have braking that will not seem sketchy. While I have a natural inclination to consider a possible wheel upgrade before even riding my new bike, I wonder about the stresses disc brakes will put upon my wheels. My wife and I live in the mountains so we will do some serious climbing and, as our reward, equally serious descending. Applying this kind of braking power to 400ish pounds of mass that prefers to remain in motion seems like a great way to trash wheels, and seems more likely to do so (at least to me) by applying the force at the hub instead of the rim. This is not really a post about brakes but about the stresses different brakes put on wheels. I would love to have your input, theories, and experiences.