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UCI gives tenative approval on disc brakes for road racing

Last Post 04/17/2015 11:07 AM by Orange Crush. 23 Replies.

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Posts:159

04/15/2015 09:49 PM
Our local club rides have a mixture of disc/rim brakes now, as I'm sure most clubs do. I personally have not witnessed any braking -related incidents (i.e. disc bike stopping way faster than a rim brake bike). For us non-pro club riders and local racers I don't believe we will notice much of anything on the road. I believe the issues the pros would have would be rotor/pad clearance and wheel changes, specifically compatibility between wheel/rotor and caliper and also extra time to perform said wheel change. A third possibility is brake fade if there is prolonged high-speed braking. The biggest issue for a guy like me is what do I do with my sweet rim brake wheels if I buy a disc frame? And the extra expense of disc wheels on top of the frameset.

Posts:2881

04/16/2015 02:56 PM
OC and Red T have summed up the realities and the unknowns very well.

Posts:1767

04/16/2015 04:08 PM
Oh, please... I head the same thing when brakes went from side pull to single pivot to dual pivot-- They're too powerful, people will rocket over the bars when they grab too much brake, yada, yada, yada. The pros survived Campagnolo Deltas, they'll survive disc "Rim brakes in the wet are safer." The heck!?! Not coming down Mt. Crumpet getting zero braking and facing a series of tight 180's. Those on disc were able to descend faster with much more control than us saps on rim brakes. Had I been on disc I could have moved up from 87th to as much as 75th

Posts:4209

04/16/2015 04:33 PM
Mt. Crumpet? 'Zat you, Grinch? Had I been on disc I could have moved up from 87th to as much as 75th Disc brakes....improving mediocrity through technology.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:1767

04/16/2015 06:28 PM
I'll take any advantage* I can get, and to prove I'll put my money where my mouth is I'm now rocking a new Focus Mares CX w/ Sram hydraulic disc with thru-axel. Totally digging the bike. *Provided the advantage doesn't involve any actually training, I just want to buy performance Mt. Crumpet is a Jingle Cross staple-- steep and nutty when it's raining or snowing

Posts:537

04/16/2015 09:31 PM
Dale I think you might be misunderstanding me a little. Will disc brakes make you faster ? The answer seems to be yes. If you can wait longer before applying the brakes to get to the fastest safe speed to take a corner than you will be faster. That isn't the same thing as being safer. By your own statement you made it down in the wet ( ie you were safe ) but you weren't fast To me safer is measured by stopping distance in a panic stop. You aren't modulating the brakes you are applying them full force. We all know that skidding the tire ( wheel rotation stop) is not going to produce the shortest stopping distance. This is why cars have anti lock brakes. Do I think a person can stop a bike faster with disc brakes. No I don't. They will lock up the wheel and skid in a panic. A computer could use the full advantage of the disc brake and stop you sooner. A human will botch it up and skid. On wet roads even more so. I think OC is right. On your own a disc brake great. They give you better modulation. All this made me think in 30 yrs of riding and all the crashes I've had (10 yo 15 ) none of them would have been avoided with better brakes so it's all kind of a mout point. Yes disc brakes will make you faster but I still stand by the won't make you any safer

Posts:537

04/16/2015 09:33 PM
Posted By Ride On on 04/16/2015 09:31 PM Dale I think you might be misunderstanding me a little. Will disc brakes make you faster ? The answer seems to be yes. If you can wait longer before applying the brakes to get to the fastest safe speed to take a corner than you will be faster. That isn't the same thing as being safer. By your own statement you made it down in the wet ( ie you were safe ) but you weren't fast To me safer is measured by stopping distance in a panic stop. You aren't modulating the brakes you are applying them full force. We all know that skidding the tire ( wheel rotation stop) is not going to produce the shortest stopping distance. This is why cars have anti lock brakes. Do I think a person can stop a bike faster with disc brakes. No I don't. They will lock up the wheel and skid in a panic. A computer could use the full advantage of the disc brake and stop you sooner. A human will botch it up and skid. On wet roads even more so. I think OC is right. On your own a disc brake great. They give you better modulation. All this made me think in 30 yrs of riding and all the crashes I've had (10 to 15 ) none of them would have been avoided with better brakes so it's all kind of a mout point. Yes disc brakes will make you faster but I still stand by they won't make you any safer. In the wet you learn to apply rim brakes sooner , which makes you slower, but just as safe

Posts:1767

04/17/2015 09:55 AM
Except is WAS safer on the descents-- rain/ snow rim brakes with carbon wheels caused several people to have such poor braking that they overcooked the corner and ran off course. Several buddies made the switch to disc and extolled the benefits like a new convert to the point of being annoying, I chalked it up to the newness factor and once they made the switch what else could they say? I bought it, now I hate it? Now I'm the annoying guy with disc brakes