Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
While the pedantic "rims are just bigger discs" claim is amusing, there's lots of bad information above. Bad information that simple doesn't jive with my experience, bad information that runs the gamut from Chicken Little type worries to simply false.
First, rim
are just larger discs. Not “pedantic” at all. They use the same principle as hub mounted rotors, i.e. a friction pad that squeezes a rotating disc.
Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
Hydraulic disc brake systems work better than cable brake systems because:
-more mechanical advantage makes one finger braking very easy
I have never understood the need for “one finger braking”. My experience with hydraulics was that it went from off to locked without any ability to “modulate” in between. My daughter per felt the same with hers.
Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
-consistent braking, wet or dry
Again, the braking is based on friction between the rubber and the road. If you can’t get consistent braking with
any brake, perhaps you should learn how to use the brakes.
Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
-consistent braking on big descents, no brake fade (which requires more force at the lever on other systems) ie. contrary to the nonsense above, discs manage heat better than rim brakes
Same as above. In 40 years and thousands of miles of mountain riding...both road and mountain bikes...I have
never experienced brake fade with any brake system, up to and including tandems. I’ve never cooked any brake either including on 50mph loaded touring downhills. No, hub mounted discs don’t “manage heat better than rim brakes”. Hub mounted brakes get incredibly hot if you drag them too much. The smaller rotor can’t shed heat as fast.
Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
-consistent braking over time, no cables to contaminate, ferrules to seat
Never experienced inconsistent braking in 40 years of mountain riding. Plastic ferrules may need to seat on shifters but I’ve never had a ferrule issue with brakes. I don’t use plastic ferrules for either brakes nor shifters. As for contamination, again, it’s not been an issue...that includes winter riding.
Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
-they work with rims that aren't very true
But they work like crap when a rotor isn’t true.
Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
-they are easier to adjust than cantis and LPs
It’s a poor mechanic who blames his tools. Perhaps you just need some instruction in how to adjust brakes.
Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
-they are mostly set-and-forget, maintenance is minimal
How much maintenance do you think needs to be done to rim brakes? I go years without having to do any maintenance on any brake...rim or disc. Then again, I don’t drag brakes enough to over heat them.
Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
-your "larger disc" aka rim isn't a wear item
I have rims with thousands of miles on them. I have worn out very few rims over 40 years of riding. A rotor is also a wear item.
Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
20 years ago, after switching from a LP/hydraulic rim brake combo to disc, the difference was dramatic, even in the dry. No more having to nurse my brakes when they got hot, no more having to brake much earlier in the wet, a better grip on the bars in the chunk, etc. My hydraulic rim/ceramic coated disc setup was the best that I had found up to that point- hydraulic discs blew them away.
Maybe you should learn how to use your brakes so that you don’t get them hot to begin with. When the trail or road heads down, I’m not shy about letting gravity have her way with me. The key is to use your brakes sparingly. Even when I have to come to a complete stop on a fast downhill, I don’t get my brakes hot enough to cause a problem.
I had hydraulics. I was throughly unimpressed. But I know how to use my brakes.
Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
3 years ago, after switching from cantis to discs on my drop bar bike, I noticed the same things, especially on long steep descents in the dirt. Where I had brake fade in the past, I didn't have any issues at all. Riding in the wet, the there was no lag, lever inputs remain the same, regardless of conditions. That means riding that is faster, and more fun.
I’ve never been in a situation where I thought I needed more brake to have more fun.
Originally Posted by
HD3andMe
p.s. the claims about narrowing hub flanges, non-drive spokes moving inward, dishing issues etc. were never an issue when I ran 135 rears. Now that things have progressed to 142 or 148, wheels are even stronger than ever. Also, if someone imagines that rotors are easy to bend and difficult to true, this is proof that they lack any meaningful experience, and should be ignored. The opposite is true(pun intended), rotors are easy to true and not easy to bend.
Easy to true? Have you ever really done one? Compared to truing a wheel, a rotor is a hit and miss, purely guess work affair. I can say the same about your advice. You obviously have no idea what you are talking about and can be ignored.