Hi everyone,

I am thinking about getting a Giant Rincon as my entry into biking. I am torn between the 2008 model and the 2009. On one hand the 2008 model is 380 dollars here, but because it's in Canada, there are no disc brakes...and will be difficult to upgrade to disc brakes in the future because only the frame is disc ready. On the other hand, the 2009 model that comes with disc brakes will be 530 dollars, I believe most of the other components will be the same. My question is, should I pull the trigger on the 2008 or wait for the 2009? Is the 150 dollars difference for disc brakes worth it? I plan to do mostly commuting with this bike and some light trails, but probably won't try to tackle winter biking until I get really used to it/back in shape.

A friend told me, you should aim to get solid V-brakes over mediocre disc brakes. What do you experienced guys think?

Thanks!

for commuting disc brakes are pretty pointless, espicially if you don't plan on winter commuting. i have pretty solid Tektro V-brakes, they're great.

get the 2008, keep your rims (braking surface) clean, and go buy some accessories with the money you saved.

Why aren't disc brakes sold in Canada?

You could spend 100 bucks on Avid Single Digit 5 or 7s and kool stop pads, and enjoy better braking and about half the weight of low end disks, with $50 to boot.

Granted, it will be a bit worse in the wet, but its not a big deal. I think the superior dry weather braking would more than make up for it. V-Brakes in the wet/mud are by no means dangerous.

I personally upgraded my $300 Giant bike to FRONT disc, but really only due to winter riding and the fact that my commute is almost half gravel roads. The rim brakes in the winter with icing conditions can make the brakes unpredictable. Also, when it's wet, the rims and brake pads get immediately covered with sticky clay/sand mixture, and every time I touch the brakes I can hear it grinding away the rim. When I built a new front wheel for disc brakes, the original rim was about shot anyway.

If it were not for winter riding and off-pavement riding, I'd just use Koolstop Salmon pads and go with rim brakes. Even in fair-weather riding the disc brakes are a little nicer IMHO, but not really significantly. Rim brakes are totally adequate in most situations, just not in all of mine.

It's not clear why you think the disc brakes on the 09 model are "mediocre" or that the V brakes on the 08 model are "solid" - do you have backup for that?

I chose an Avid BB7 - I think given my situation it was a great choice. When I cleaned it out last spring at one point, the caliper was caked COMPLETELY SOLID with grime and salt crystals - I couldn't have fit a pin into where there were supposed to be openings. Yet the brakes still worked wonderfully. I paid $60 for the BB7 setup. So you don't have to pay a fortune to get good discs.

Buy the '08. No need to spend major $$ on your first ride. Prove to yourself and your 'support network' that this is a legit deal, not just a fad.

I would go with the 08 and try to negotiate the price down a few bucks!

Good luck!

What's not to love about disc brakes? There's a noticeable weight penalty and there are fewer after-market wheelsets available but the benifits far outweigh the drawbacks if you're going to ride in the winter (or in the wet). Not having to wash your bike every time it rains or replacing your rims every two years are good enough reasons for me.

go with the 08, at least in the US it is the exact same bike other than color. Disc brakes are nice but the genaric discs on the giant are not a whole lot better than v brakes. If your going to be commuting in the winter, buy the cheaper one and upgrade the front discs with a $40 avid bb5 disc brake and be alot happier. Another cheap way to upgrade the brakes on the rincon is a nicer quality brake lever, the levers they come with are kind of crappy and compared to even a cheap ad-5 avid brake lever they are worthless.

good luck with the bike man, its a great into bike to cycling