#cycling4steemit community discussion: Disc breaks vs Rim breaks? (hydraulic or mechanical?)
It is probably one of the most discussed topics when it comes to cycling, BUT ye itt is the one where people disagree the most on: Disc breaks vs Rim breaks!and to add even further do you see hydraulic or mechanical as the proper option?
I will give you my opinion first and then you can give yours in the comment section!
My opinion on this topic!
For me it seems like everything comes down to a personal preference and what we value the most. I have been cycling about 5000 km on my tour bike through Europe with hydraulic disc breaks and I gotta admit, the stopping power was supreme. But besides that I didn't like it one bit and I am probably gonna go in the completely opposite direction and use mechanical Rim breaks.
So if hydraulic disc breaks worked for me, why change to Rim breaks?
I can see why mountain bikers would love these disc breaks and its supreme stopping power but for me I didn't feel completely free with them. Eventually the disc started to rub constantly because it started to bend slightly( A very common thing to happen for all disc breaks btw). This made me multiple times had to try to make the disc straight again but it never truly got perfect and the rubbing sounds kept annoying me. Not because it interfered with my performance or speed that significantly but more on a irrational level it just straight up made me go crazy.
Besides since I am a tour biker I like to be able to fix my stuff on the road. That means mechanical disc breaks OR rim breaks would have been the better choice overall for my needs. Also Rim breaks are even more common in the less developed countries, so I would feel more secure using rim breaks for the simple reason WHEN it breaks, I can most likely fix it myself OR get spare parts very easy no matter where I am in the world.
While the stopping power might not be the same and rim breaks also got the negative side to tearing the Rims, I still would feel like it is worth it in my case. For me it is not only about what works best, but also what is the most simple and easy to get spares of.
What is your opinion and why do you prefer disc or rim breaks?
Of course I am seeing this out from a tour cyclists perspective but even within this perspective the opinions are diverse.
So I would like to hear you opinion on what do you prefer and why?
Also it would be nice to know what kind of cycling are you doing to make more sense in your reason to why you prefer disc or rim breaks?
- holm
As with anything about bikes, it comes to personal preference and whatever works with you.
I can't say much about rim brakes as I've never really used them recently, but here are my thoughts. I classify touring bikes as road bikes and for road bikes, rim brakes work best. Easy to adjust and maintain and the system has been around for some time now so almost anyone gets how.it works. Also you don't do much mud riding on tour bikes so you don't have a problem where the mud gets in the contact point of the break pad and the rim which in turn lessens the stopping power.
If you're worried about stopping power and difficult terrain though, I recommend disc brakes. And go for hydraulic ones too. Hydraulic brakes are so much better performance-wise. Even though they may be a little complicated at first, once you get to know how they work, you'll realize they're actually pretty easy to maintain (with the right tools).
Disc problems and their solutions:
Bending occurs when the caliper presses the disc and the pads dont press with the same power/distance or their meeting point is not centered on the disc itself. This is very common with mechanical calipers as only one side/pad is moving the other one is stationary. The trick is to make sure to place the caliper so that the pad's meeting point is as close as possible to the disc's center. This is easier for hydraulic calipers. Just make sure pistons on both sides work properly.
Another cause for bending is heat. If you're a brake-heavy cyclist, you'll have this problem. The disc's tendency when it's heated up is to expand and deform. The solution here is to get the discs that are designed to cool itself. Ashima has cooling fans, Shimano has layering (ice-tech) and some other brands have different systems. They may cost more but they're worth it. Brake calipers that support pads that have cooling fins are also available nowadays.
The set is heavier and there's really nothing much you can do about this except maybe to dig deep into your pocket and buy really high-end disc brake sets. Which are still heavier than rim brakes.
Maintenance is easy once you get familiar with bleeding a hydraulic brake systems. If you're in the middle of nowhere though, you'd have a huge problem when you encounter a serious issue like a hole in the hose (rarely happens though).
you could almost have made a post out of that. You are. completely right that hydraulic disc breaks has huge perks. maybe why I fear them is I don't understand them. Maybe I should indeed educate myself on them. before I make a decision. but bleeding them requires special tools right?
Yes, it's called a bleed kit. It's fairly easy to use. But I would still recommend rim brakes for road bikes and fast/light bikes. I'm not sure about this but I heard disc brakes are banned from pro road/tt bike races as they can cut you if you crash. For me, the biggest disadvantage with rim brakes is you have to change your rims every so often, with disc brake systems, you just have to change the pads.
You're right, I could have made a post out of this and I just might. I'll just gather some more info to make it worth the read. I didn't notice how long it was getting, I was typing it in my phone haha.
hi, I think good quality rim breaks are better choice for a tour bike. If you are going to cycle mainly on asphalt and occasionally on unpaved roads I would differently go for rim brakes. First of all, as you mentioned they are easy to fix, second they are often lighter and cheaper than disc brakes, and finally they have usually sufficient breaking power. However, if you are going to cycle mainly off-road on demanding routes then disc brakes may be better.
Exactly what I thought! Now you never know what kind of terrain you are going into on a tour. So versatility is a most for me. Also why it is a close call for me to stick with disc breaks just simply because of the stopping. Maybe I will swtich them to mechanical since they need a switch by now. But it is a hard decision.
I think, mechanical disc brakes have similar braking power as good rim breaks. I would choose hydraulic ones if you want to sick to the disc brakes. Honestly, I see only a few advantages of mechanical disc brakes over the rim brakes. Maybe they do not get dirty so easily when you go off-road in wet conditions, and some people may also say that they look better:)
I agree, skip the mecha-disc setup. If you don't want hydro-disc, just stick with rim brakes. Mechanical calipers only push one piston on one side, this causes rotor (disc) to bend out of shape.
so either rim breaks or hydraulic disc is the way to go.. hmmm:))
Damn I didn't realize you have a pinion gearbox on your bike! How do you like it? I've been so curious about those from a mountain biking perspective...
As far as disc brakes vs rim brakes I'd go with disc brakes all the way. The modulated stopping power is a must in emergencies. If you want some high end mechanical disc brakes, you should check out the Sram BB7's. I saw on some forums that people swear by it. They have a much wider range of adjustability than hydro brakes.
Pinion gearbox is amazing in its own way but also got drawbacks and depending on what you wanna use it for.
Drawbacks:
Pros:
I could imagine it would work quite well for a mountain bike, Since it just simply cannot break. i've heard about some people using it. I would say if we didn't look at the price, then pinion beats any other internal gearbox out there.
Hm alright no shifting under a load sucks for sure... but is it silent like they say?
smooth and silent. Especially after around 1000km :)
There's even hydraulic rim brakes as an option by Magura if you're interested!
From a road cyclist perspective. I don't have even a slightest desire to switch to discs. I rarely cycle in rain and even in wet. Because if i do, i look like i shit myself with a line across my but. So wet stopping power is crossed. I find rim brakes more than enough for my weight and the weight of my bike, to stop me, because if i break too much, i already drag my wheel on the asphalt. So i doubt i could stop myself much faster with disc brakes to compensate all the troubles they bring with maintenance comparing with rim breaks.
Some proper rim breaks are by far powerful enough to make you fly over your handlebar. also much cheaper. I think for road bikes rim breaks are sufficient.
Yeah ... been there done that! Back in high school i was flying over it and broke my collar bone. 2 surgeries and a still visible surgeon cut on my shoulder reminds me that too powerful front break is not good at all :)
Well, it looks like we're all superheroes. We can fly. At least over our bars.
disc break is more effective, but while you tour arround the world you should keep in mind about the spaire parts, as you deeply mentioned your post, rim are more common and my whole life is being used to rim style.
Rim is by far the most common component you will find anywhere. But disc breaks could seem to slowly catch up!
my father like so much cycling & i love too
bt i cant play 😑 this
but you're the lady of winterfell now! of course you can ride a bike if you want to.
oh wait, jon is the king. and he pledged the whole north to dany, who is on her way btw.
this is very importance in my helth this is my frist fact
& i like this
its hobby too
@holm
wow......thats's so great deal.........cycling.........its physical exercise .....over all world tour with cycling..........its so amazing....i will go with disk break..........i think ,,,,,,,,,its perfect to your journey........i wish all the best......go ahead to your goal.........
I use hydraulic disc brakes, they proven very handy descending some insane stip hills where i've put myself too. But i do agree that in most cases, rim brakes are enough and recomended.
To me disc brakes, also help me cause i have really small hands and fingers, so all the power i can get into breaking its welcome!
rim brakes i have always seen no knowledge too much on this would love to know others steemians thought on this one