Disc Brakes

[Dizeee]

I have now decided to buy a 3rd bike and decided what it will be... a Caad12. However I also really wanted disc brakes seeing as it will be an all year round any type of ride bike.

I can get a caliper brake version for 850 yet the first hydraulic disc option is 2k. I was asked why disc and my response was that it's better braking in all weather but mainly I am sick of trashing rims so often. I gave been through 4 sets on my Bianchi alone.

Seems to me that disc brakes still are not that popular the showrooms yet. Am I right to think disc or are caliper brakes just going to continue

well into the future for some time yet

[Dizeee]

Yes granted most bikes have a disc option but having been to Evans in Wimbledon today I would say around 10 of the 50/60 bikes they had in their store had discs.

I don't use guards so not too bothered by those and as you say can always add race blades if needs be later.

[Dizeee]

okgo said:

Personally, unless I was doing big miles in the crap weather - you don't really ride in winter from memory? -

I'm a bit surprised at this comment, this year aside as I have been unwell, I would say I do ride big miles in crap weather. Over the last three years I would be riding around 700 miles / 34 hours per month through January, February and March. I admit I don't do huge mileage in November or December as I tend to have a rest at the end of the year, but I have regularly been out in the snow and in floods at the start of the year as I find it works well for me from a training point of view. Maybe I am overestimating my distance but I don't see many people doing huge distances particularly in Jan / Feb.

As for going through rims, I am careful and am not a frequent braker. But I do tend to buy cheap rims as I know they won't last, and on top of that other than washing the bike off I make no specific attempt to clean the braking service or the pads themselves.

[Dizeee]

fromage said:

Even though I rarely clean my bike in winter I do make an effort of a quick wipe of the rims and brake pads every now and again (maybe once every 1-2 weeks) and get about 20,000 miles out a set of cheap wheels.

Also generally with racing cyclists they do more miles/hours in the winter than summer and 34 hour months aren't big at all compared to most people I know .Its often seen as the time to 'build endurance' where as summer is used for racing or short harder efforts.

20k miles out of a cheap set of wheels sounds remarkable. Maybe I should take the cleaning of wheels more seriously.

[Dizeee]

duff said:

A CAAD12 makes no sense in your position. You already have 2 summer bikes (well, bikes that don't have guard mounts) and back issues IIRC? Therefore the sensible option would be a bike with more relaxed geometry and that takes guards.

I would go for this in your situation : https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-dolomite-6-20...

I have a similar bike (Pyrolite with cable discs) and aside from being pretty heavy, it's a good do-it-all bike.

Personally I don't judge a winter bike solely for the ability to take guards. For me it is a heavier more robust bike that you are happy to expose to all conditions where wear and tear is not so much of an issue. I had guards on the Bianchi and they just didn't work so I now use a removable rear as and when I need it, much easier and much less hassle. So I don't count the Bianchi as a summer bike at all, it is an all rounder which I use all year round but am not fussy about. It get's a lot of stick.

I want to replace that all year round bike with a better framed, better fitting and better specced "do it all bike" and leave the Bianchi as a 3rd spare bike, rarely used but there if I need it.

I am not sure a Pinnacle really cuts it for me. I want something I can cherish, as I have done the Bianchi, and keep long term, something that excites, something that feels good and altogether something that can still get me to work quickly and be taken on a fast club run and not cause me to be puffing away as if I am on a hybrid.

Someone I know mentioned the Pinnacle so I will have a look at it but from what I understand it comes with a weight penalty which I don't want. My daily commute involves a bulky rucksack anyway so I already get some weight to train with!

[Dizeee]

okgo said:

How are you defining them as worn out?

Braking surface.

The last two sets I was repeatedly warned that they were dangerously low by the LBS, I knew they were low, but I took them as far as I dared. One set I started wearing out the actual rim beneath the braking surface. They had a very decent hollow around the centre of the braking surface and it was getting to the point where I was worrying when they might go bang.

[Dizeee]

aka_kerrly said:

Am I missing something here, the frame costs the same with/without a disc mount & Evans have the disc equipped model for £1500.

A set of Shimano hydraulic brakes are ~ £300

Does looks like a fantastic bike, some damn good reviews to.

I missed that the 105 version was hydraulic disc, so yes, it can be had for £1500 which to me feels like damn good value, wheels aside.

[Dizeee]

Yes that is something I need to consider. My back isn't fixed to the point I can forget about it but it seems I am now able to pretty much do what I want with minimal side effects as long as I follow the rules of posture and position which are key.

I have only just (last 2 months) really thrown myself back into road riding. So far so good and the improvement continues, hopefully to the point where I can forget about it. I personally feel that the CAAD12 position is similar to the Bianchi, it certainly felt like it. The Synapse was very upright, more so than I have ever felt before on a road bike and it felt too relaxed and restricted.

[Dizeee]

Also like the Kinesis - an idea I had forgot about!

[Dizeee]

okgo said:

I was just wondering, because as Fromage says, I've run wheels for a long long time before they wear out. Good pads can reduce rim wear hugely I think. Though they do cost a little more.

I also confess to just using standard pads, normally Aztecs or such pads. I never felt swisstops were worth it for a bike I use in all weathers on budget rims etc.

[Dizeee]

okgo said:

Yeh makes sense - they are a LOT better, but as said, annoyingly costly vs aztec or similar.

Hold up - thread has gone on for 2 pages now and no attacks, no harsh comments - in fact if I get my magnifying glass out I see a general agreement mixed with respectful comments - okgo are you feeling ok?

[Dizeee]

Kermit power said:

Bloody hell!!!

First Brexit, and now okgo agreeing with a Dizzee post??? What is the world coming to?

FWIW, if you're looking for an all weather bike and your commute is going to be a major part of it, I wouldn't contemplate anything without discs and mudguard mounts.

Rims will last pretty much forever, pads last a lot, lot longer than rim pads, you get next to no deterioration in braking ability, you're not having to clean your rims twice a day on a bad day in London, and so long as they're hydraulic, those occasional niggling bits of rubbing are a thing of the past.

As for the mudguards, it's far more civilised for anyone behind you, you won't get a wet arse and back, and it's amazing how much rain you can cope with before your shoes become soggy.

lol

Wet arse doesn't bother me one jot.

Saving 5 mins getting home on a 30 mile journey does though!

[Dizeee]

Yes but I find overshoes are more than enough and I have a huge drying room at work where clothes dry in a few hours.

[Dizeee]

Just wondered what the equivalent was.

I think I'm going on go for a MY17 caad12 once they are available

[Dizeee]

Back doesn't seem so f----ed anymore. Currently I have upped the mileage and all is well other than some sore muscles getting used to doing more miles again. Its taken a long time to get past the issues but having made it my sole aim, I am confident I have succeeded.

The position that I have adopted on my road bike now can apply to any frame of the correct size, and also the Caad. I can still ride the Caad with comfort from what I have experienced. To be honest it feels no less racy than my Impulso, which isn't an upright / comfort orientated bike either.