Originally Posted by
hybridbkrdr
I only tried disc brakes in stores by pushing the bikes forward (road & mtn) while pressing on the brake levers. I find the first second seems a little "spongy" and "remote" before the brakes actually starts gripping the disc. While I find when I pull on the brake levers on a rim brake bike, I really like the immediate "clamping" feel.
Has anyone here ever regretted going disc and decided to go back to rim brakes? (And were they mechanical or hydraulic?)
That could be set up. Traditionally, bike shops have set up brakes so that they don’t engage instantly. They want them to engage at about half lever travel and to bottom out just before the lever reaches the handlebar. You can get away with this using rim brakes but if you set up a disc for that kind of travel, the brakes are really spongy and mushy. This is usually done so that they don’t have liability problems.
If the disc are set up properly...with minimal lever travel...disc brakes feel much better. Cheap disc brakes are more difficult to set up properly, have less ability to adjust properly and, generally, perform worse. Higher quality brakes have more adjustments and function better.
Frankly, I’ve never liked the half lever travel on rim brakes and set mine some that they engage with minimal travel. I set up my discs the same way and can’t really tell a difference between the different brake systems. Hydraulics, on the other hand, are very different in my opinion.