Disc brakes any good ??

[rojo]

I sm thinking I may give disc brakes a go , are they any good?? I have never used them before.

They would be going on a frame that is not meant for disc brakes , CSM this be done without spending loads of money??? And I suppose I would then need to get forks that took disc brakes aswell.[/img]

 

[lewis1641]

yes they are good but to be honest not so good to spend loads of money upgrading if you are on a budget.

they excell in really horrible muddy conditions. i'd make do with v's for the summer and maybe keep your eyes open for a disc frame that is going cheap

 

[cyfa2809]

theyre just as good as v's, was setting up some v's yesterday and there isnt really much between them to be honest. they can be had for quite cheap now to, almost similar prices as v's. the thing that swings me to disc though is the rim surface doesnt get used/damaged and when it does the discs keep going (i.e if buckled, i used to buckle a lot of wheels). not much more complicated (although entirely different). the rotors/pads act as the sacrificial instead of the wheel, which seems far cheaper but it will probably balance out over time, that is cost of pads and rotors against cost of wheels (with time period a consideration). but i like my wheels, they are unique so id rather keep them

hope this helps

 

[legrandefromage]

dont start this argument again.

Discs are far better than anything else, are retro and can be fitted fairly cheaply.

But...

V-brakes are far easier to access on the cheap, you dont need special wheels or any parts adapted.


I use cantilevers.

 

[crafty]

Hydraulics will stop on a sixpence. Very powerful when set up right and far more stopping power than Vs.
Cable discs appear to be no more powerful than well set up Vs, however I'm willing to be proved wrong.

Ed

 

[Neil G]

Pros:

Can buckle wheels without any pad rub
Low maintainance (hydraulic)
Easy to set up & change pads
Stop well dry and wet

Cons:

Heavier than Vs
More expensive
Require frame mounts and wheels (as above)
Pads/rotors get contaminated easily and brakes can 'go off' almost instantly resulting in no brakes at all
:shock:

 

[FairfaxPat]

Neil G wrote that " pads/rotors can get contaminated and go "off " almost instantly"-------In 5 years of using XTR disc brakes I have never had that happen, they work far better than ANY rim brake I have ever used-perhaps Neil was referring to some other brand that he had problems with. The other advantage I have found with discs is that you can modulate them far better than rim brakes and they are like power brakes in that they don't tire out your hand on a long descent. Plus, they don't wear out your rims and work fantastic in the wet! Pat

 

[rosstheboss]

I've got Hope m4s on my modern bike and they make the Vs on my other bikes seem a bit poo!

 

[saltyman]

i love discs.....especially at over 16st when your trying to stop on a wet, muddy hill

if you buy a bike with them, you wouldnt change it back to V's........but going from V's to discs can be a hassle and not worth the trouble if the frame/fork/hubs need changed.

another bonus is pad expense.

if i spent £40 on 2 pairs of pads, id probaly not need to change them for maybe 18months........but £20 on decent V brake pads may only last a month or two......so spread that over the same period and its expensive.

 

[kaiser]

a lot of these threads miss the main point and thats what type of riding you do and where you do it. 9 stone summer pootler who sticks to the bridleways and towpaths would be fine with V's, Steve Peat at the top of Fort Bill would probably err on the side of discs over V's no matter what the opinion of some retrobikers is. Where you fit in between is for you to answer