RaceVW14

I really like this idea!
As someone who is a car guy & hasn't rode a bicycle in 40 years seeing the disc brakes on a road bike made complete sense to me, easy modulation & the simple fact they will work the same every time you use them made my purchase of a Specialized Secteur Expert Disc an easy choice.
I was surprised to learn that this was the first disc brake Secteur my LBS had sold & wondered why they aren't selling better, old habits are hard to "brake" I guess!

The first bike I bought was a Trek mountain bike with disc brakes, got it last August when I didn't know what kind of riding I was going to do, we have a very good trail system in Tulsa/Broken Arrow so I ended up doing all paved trails.
Everyone told me what a big difference a road bike would make & man was it!
It was like going from a truck to a GT car!

My Secteur

FixedDriveJess

Disc brakes tend to be on the heavier side.

dralways

How many miles on it so far and which saddle bag is that?

svtmike

And they make for laterally weaker wheels. I like them on my commuter and my mountain bike. I like the hydraulics on my mountain bike much more though. Don't really see a need for them on my road bikes, but there aren't any extended descents where I normally ride.

RaceVW14

I picked it up last week & have 154 miles on it so far, the bag is a Specialized "Dirt Bag", it has 2 compartments & an expandable bottom.

As for weight this bike is so much lighter than my Trek Marlin that any weight difference isn't a problem for me.

generalkdi

I wouldn't trust these on a fast descent. So little friction surface will just heat up and I don'T want to know what happens next.....

YOJiMBO20

They're not popular because the pros don't (and won't) use them. Wheel changes in a race would take way too long with discs.

RaceVW14

Disc brakes are designed to be brakes, wheel surfaces are modified to be brakes.
Any descent that would over heat those stainless steel disc brakes would melt a wheel brake setup of carbon fiber or aluminum!

datlas 

Nice looking bike.

You get two BF OCP demerits for taking the picture with the bike facing the wrong way...not that there's anything wrong with going the other way, but...you know...or you will find out.

Enjoy it!

I agree that disc brakes will be slowly adopted by roadies. It seems the cyclocross community has already jumped on board. It will be slower for roadies due to weight concerns, inertia, concerns that "the pros don't use them" etc.

RaceVW14

LOL!
I've read the "Rules" of bicycling & the only one I take to heart is rule 5..Toughen the Frack up!
I was just highlighting the disc brakes by pointing it that way but I'll do better next time!

svtmike

The cross guys are having trouble with brake pads being eaten up in particularly muddy races.

https://velonews.competitor.com/2013/...ona-mud_271112

MikeyBoyAz

It's "Harden The **** Up."

RaceVW14

Sounds like teething problems, new tech.
Hyd multi piston calipers & new brake compounds will fix that.

This is the last paragraph of that story though,
"​Saturday’s mud added pounds to the bike within a lap but was mostly thrown away from the center of the wheels. So riders with rim brakes carried a lot more mud dangling from their stoppers, those with mini V-brakes had wheels that barely turned due to the tight mud clearance, and those with disc brakes had mostly clean brakes that worked well."

dwmckee

Disc brakes do however allow an astute wheel builder to use special disc brake rims with a very short sidewall that reduces weight out at the rim part of the wheel. Saving weight way out there may easily compensate for the extra weight near the hub.

rdtompki

We need a sticky thread with links to all the threads concern disc brakes. There not fit for every rider nor fit for every purpose, but claiming that the technology is immature is tired and inaccurate. The technology is maturing no doubt; Avid, Shimano and others have improved rotor technology. My opinion backed by observation of disc brake capability on my own rides is that the heavier you are, the tougher your descents, the more you will benefit from disc brakes. As always YMMV.

surgeonstone

Exactly right....when the pros change to them, and they will, the rest of us lemmings will follow suit. All we like sheep.....!

rjones28 

That's a good-looking bike. Enjoy.

Bob Dopolina 

A solution is in the works...

canyoneagle

Road bikes with discs are coming. I bet it would really open up options for carbon rims.

RaceVW14

Thanks, I will!

MinnMan

Isiah/Handel reference noted.

Commodus

I built up a winter/commuter bike with discs. I like 'em, cuz I don't have to buy a rim every few months. They work well, fairly easy to setup and no drag. I use BB7s too.

RaceVW14

The only thing I can compare it to is my Trek Marlin & it is much smoother to ride, the discs are working great!
My regular rides are 53 miles of mostly flat river & rails to trails paths & a 33 mile ride that is all hills.
The disc brakes have lots of power & are easy to modulate.
So far I'm very happy with it.
At 6'2" 250# I'm a big guy too & the Secteur hauls me around great.
There is also the Secteur sport disc which has the same frame & fork but at around $1K less.

Here is another pic with the bike "posed correctly"!

Elduderino2412

they would be cool for big descents, but otherwise i'm not a fan of disc brakes on roadies.

Werkin

While a 180mm rotor does provide improvements in both heat tolerance and modulation on the road over 160mm, I suggest a 200mm front rotor instead. If high speeds & long descents, or short steep technical descents, are any part of the riding routine, a larger rotor will be appreciated. One does not need to be a heavy weight to realize benefit. The new crop of road bikes with small diameter disc rotors are not suited for all riding scenarios, just like 53T big rings and corn cob cassettes are not suited for all fitness levels and topographies.