Originally Posted by a2psyklnut
I think the majority of people who have disc brakes don't NEED disc brakes. It's kinda a luxury. For the type trails I ride, I could probably get by with a good set of Vee's. I run Hayes hydraulics. Why? Because I like them and they do offer great modulation and I KNOW they'll work regardless of trail conditions and especially when I travel.
Do I NEED them, No, do I have them Yes.
Again as mentioned, a cheap pair of cable actuated discs is more for the glamore than for performance. With the exception of the Avid's, you can get just as good braking out of a set of vee's than a crap set of discs.
L8R
I probably don't need them, but they are really nice.
Resons to get disc brakes:
1) When running on muddy trails the grass, leaves and mud all cake up around traditional brake calipers to form a donut. That donut gets thick and eventually you cannot pedal without stopping and clearing it out. That doesn't happen with disc breaks. There are no calipers to collect all that debris.
2) Wheel true. With disc brakes, it doesn't matter if the wheel goes out of true. I'm a heavier rider and a truly TRUE wheel is a bit of a holy grail for me. If the wheel goes out of true, the breaks start rubbing. The solution is to back of the tension, but that kills breaking power.
Disc brakes nuetralize the wheel true issue. The disc is isolated from the impact of road, rocks, stumps etc... They don't bend unless you apply some truly unusual forces to it.
3) All weather braking. Disc brakes just plain work. Water and mud doesn't phase them.
4) Ease of adustment. Disc brakes take a business card and a few minutes to adjust. Once adjusted, they tend to stay there. Traditional breaks require things like "fourth hand tools" to get right. They are also more apt to go "out of adjustment" from loss of wheel true and inadequetly tightened bolts. Once the pads get misaliged it's a serious ***** to tighten the attaching screws without twisting the pads.
5) Ease of use. Sorry but disc brakes are just plane better. They apply a nice even pressure that are easy to "ride on". They don't "pulse" like traditional brakes. They don't change breaking power with moisture. When you clamp on, they stop PERIOD!!!!!!
They guy looking at the Specialized Hardrock pro might consider Giant. I bought an 04 Giant Yukon recently and I'm very happy with it. I also looked at the Hardrock Comp and decided on the Giant on a cost basis (including higher end derailer). Except for the crappy tires (Specialized comes with crappy tires as well), I'm 100% happy.
The one caveat I'll add is that Giant ships their next higher level bike (Iguana) with WTB Weirwolf tires that are supposed to be VERY nice. At ~$560, the Iguana is a direct competitor to the Hardrock Pro. Though, I definitely like the flame black/grey Hardrock pro frame better than the blue Iguana. The Hardrock also has a sloped top bar that should making racking your jewels a little tougher than Giant's traditional parallell top bar.
Had I not wanted disc brakes, I would have bought a Specialized Hardrock Comp. But Disc brakes was my #1 reason for buying a new bike. The $430 Giant Yukon offered the best platform with the most options (minus the ****ty tires ;-))
If you choose disc brakes, I think you'll be 100% satisfied once they're broken in (one ride). Those who shun disc probably haven't ridden them enough to appreciate the power, versatility, control and ease of maintenance they offer when compared to traditional brakes.