Disc or rim brake on road bike

[yellowjack]

Having just set about servicing and fettling my bike after a rough couple of months, Id say that if you are after a "one-for-all" year-round bike, then FFS get one with disc brakes.

The rim brakes, over this winter in particular, have taken quite a toll on my rims, and given the wheels I have (OE 'own brand' standard rims), when they wear out I'll be just as well served by buying complete new wheels as I would be by rebuilding them with new rims.

I've never been a fan of the disc brake aesthetic on a road bike, and have so far resisted any ideas of switching to disc brakes on the road, but after seeing how quickly road grit can "sand down" a set of rims over a series of soggy rides, I'm now of the opinion that if you are going to ride outside over a British winter, then discs are definitely the way to go.

If, on the other hand, you are a strictly fair-weather rider, then a set of decent caliper rim brakes (Ultegra are great) and some SwissStop pads are all you will ever need.

[IREvans]

g7jhp said:

Discs obviously give greater stopping ability, but they do make bikes more complex and costlier to repair.

Pulling a wheel off a bike with rim brakes to mend a puncture is much easier.

You just need to make your choice on what you want.

I have both disc and rim braked road bikes. Removing a disc braked wheel is actually easier and quicker, as there's no brake caliper to move out of the way.

I have Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes, matched with 160mm Hope floating discs on a Dogma F8, and In foul weather, disc brakes come into a league of their own, with practically no reduction in braking power. The modulation in all weather is fantastic, and on very long descents, you can brake easily from the hoods, with practically no fatigue in your fingers - at least thats my experience.

Depending on the type of riding you do, and the amount of descending and heavy braking you do, longevity of traditional rim brake pads v disc pads is similar. Cost of replacement rim brakes v disc pads is also similar (~£10 for pads, ~£15 for disc pads).

I wouldn't agree that they are more complex and costlier to repair. I have done >15,000 km on road disc brakes, I bleed them annually (a simple 10 min job for both front and back), and replace the pads when worn (very easy job). I'm still on original brake discs, wear limit is still well within tolerance.

Worth remembering, that unlike a rim braked bike which wears away the wheel rim under braking, leading to inevitable wheel replacement, the sacrificial part on a disc braked wheel is the brake disc...

[lufbramatt]

Discs need less maintenance than rim brakes IME. On one bike I've got an old set of Hope mono minis from about 2004. They still work perfectly. In that time apart from a couple of sets of pads I've replaced the fluid a few times (30 min job for both ends) and replaced the piston seals once, again an easy job for anyone vaguely technically minded. Almost fit and forget. No faffing with cleaning cables and adjusting pad position.