Originally Posted by Steely Dan

i've had a mountain bike with cantis, a folding bike with v-brakes, a road bike with calipers, and my new hybrid with hydraulic discs. in dry conditions, any of those braking systems, properly adjusted, will do the job just fine. however, in the wet & sloppy, there's just no comparison between the discs and the rim brake set-ups i've used. discs are made to stop you no matter what kind of wet and messy conditions you're riding through.

if i could only have 1 bike (heaven forbid), it would be hydraulic disc brake equipped.

Originally Posted by dynaryder

'parently not,since at least two people didn't understand it.

The poster I replied to was making the point that racers don't have discs,so why do we need them. First,the fact that they are running caliper brakes is moot to a rim vs disc comparo because the rules say they must run calipers. Racers don't have the option to run discs*. Next,the fact that they're on a closed course means they don't really have to stop most of the time,just slow down. Nobody's turning in front of them(well,except for Hoogerland),peds aren't stepping out between parked cars,etc. The majority of the time they're just adjusting their speed,not panic braking. Finally,rim pads wear quicker than disc pads,and rim brakes rely on the trueness of the wheel for maximum efficiency,both things racers don't care about since they have a team of mechanics to work on their bikes and bins full of parts to replace anything with the slightest bit of wear. If your rims a bit out of true,do you immediately put them on a truing stand/take them to a shop,or just deal with it until it starts to get bad?

*Historically,cross racers have only been able to run canti's,despite riding in mud and snow. They are now allowed to run discs. Will be interesting to see how/if this changes the sport.

Originally Posted by khutch

I don't know, I think his points are clear enough:

First off,discs are illegal for the TdF - Obviously TdF riders would instantly add 1 pound to their bikes if only they were allowed.

Second,he's racing,not commuting. He's on a closed course, - Obviously the laws of physics are suspended for racers on closed courses.

Third,he has team support. He has multiple bikes - Obviously if he gets into trouble on a tight, high speed descent his support team can stop time and swap a new bike underneath him before he flies to his death off a cliff.

If his pads wear,he gets new ones. If his rim is a little out of true,it's trued or replaced. - Obviously only professional racers have the skill or money to maintain their bicycles.

I just don't understand how you can be so dense, Talldog.

I've never ridden a bike that I thought had inadequate brakes and I have never ridden a bike with disc brakes (other than on test rides around the shop parking lot). If my tires have enough grip to stop me, my rim brakes have enough grip to stop me. I have nothing either for or against disc brakes. If a bike I otherwise liked had disc brakes I would buy it without hesitation and I certainly would not pass on a bike I liked because it had rim brakes. I don't think you really need discs unless you routinely ride under extremely muddy conditions. Rim brakes can handle anything else and with common sense on the rider's part they handle that well enough if that is something you face only rarely. First and foremost buy the bike you like best, the brakes are secondary and if necessary can decide between two otherwise equal choices.

Ken

Originally Posted by qmsdc15

OMG, LOL,.. but he's right.