Originally Posted by
work4bike
I've never used disc brakes before, but I've heard that they can really help with braking in wet conditions, so I'm considering getting them on my next bike, which I'm currently in the market for.
I don't know what the big controversy is around disc brakes in the tour, but I did hear one guy say it's all about braking times in the peloton, i.e. guys with discs can brake faster than guys with traditional brakes, which can cause accidents. Sounds a little iffy to me.
I read the write-up on disc brakes on Sheldon Brown's site, but my impression is that the write-up was a little dated. The overwhelming advantage to disc brakes to me seems to be their superior braking power in wet conditions -- I've had some scary times with wet brakes before.
I'm not a gram-wennie, so weight is not a factor, but I'm not seeing much here to address my questions. I guess I'll check out youtube to get the real deal on them.