Originally Posted by
Kapusta
What are you so confused about?
Did you think I meant literally melt? As in turn to a liquid state? Sorry, I was being colorful.
But they CAN overheat and in some cases fade (if the pads glaze), and in others become super grabby and soft. In some cases they can overheat the rims. I've personally experienced the first two scenarios myself mountain biking back when I was using v-brakes. Similar amounts of braking would never come close to causing any discs that I have used to fade. Disc may fade at some point, but it will be under braking conditions that rim brakes will never be able to produce in the first place.
So to answer your point directly: I believe you if you say you have never overheated your rim brakes. But nothing you have ever done with rim brakes would come close to making discs fade.
No, I'm not confised at all about that. I am confused that you you claim you never said this: "While it is true that discs can fade under long and hard braking, in general, the amount of braking needed to cause such fade is well beyond what would basically melt rim brakes."
But you did. Sorry, but disc brakes have a much smaller surface area by which to dissipate heat, and they can, and do fade, much faster than a rim brake. I have seen it happen with disc brakes, but have not experienced it with rim brakes. I also have not experienced my pads "melting." All pads can glaze, including disc brake pads. I also have not experienced any braking issues with downhills with properly set up rim brakes, using good pads. The majority of current disc brakes though do not suffer from fade under the majority of conditions they are used, since they employ discs of a large enough diameter to dissipate heat, and the calipers are designed to act as a heat sink. Many employ a insulated brake piston as well. All these things work together to minimize the possibility of brake fade.
Once again though, I still have yet to say rim brakes are superior that disc brakes. Not once, so there is really no need to continue to debate something I have not said, or even implied.
All I have said, is rim brakes work too, and they work well with good pads and when properly set up, but I did not say they were superior to disc brakes.
Anyway, have a good night. It is pointless to continue to debate this, since once again, I have not implied that rim brakes are superior to disc brakes.