Bob Nichols

I'm thinking about buying a Trek 7.5 FX. This model is available with disc brakes for an extra $170. Are the disc brakes worth it?

lungdoc

Suspect it's going to depend somewhat on your exposure to hills, rain and desire/need to ride in adverse conditions. I just bought a standard one, our LBS didn't even suggest it as an option or carry the disc model, suggests to me that in our area there isn't a big demand.

sh00k

a cab pulled out in front of me the other day as i was doing maybe 15 mph on my fx 7.3... i immediately squeezed both brakes, the bike skid, but i stopped within 5 or 10 feet for sure. that's with regular, non-disc brakes. they worked fine in an emergency for me!

i think disc brakes are just a gimmick to charge people more money for a bike. people have been riding in all types of weather with the standard brakes for years and there haven't really been serious issues with that. sure, the disc brakes probably have marginally better stopping power but is it worth the extra cash? that's up to the individual purchasing the bike....

in my eyes, it's also just another part that can wear down / get damaged on the bike. that's why i've stuck with regular brakes. fwiw.

jimbojonez

I have a 7.5 fx without disc brakes ive gotten in over 1200 miles since i got it 2 months back and dont really see any reason to upgrade them.

GaryPitts

Personally, I like disk brakes. If you have the $ and don't mind a little additional weeight, why not?

dolanp

They are better at stopping but you're not likely to notice it unless you ride in wet conditions frequently.

lungdoc

The advantages (from other long threads on this I just read) seem to mainly be better stopping in wet (after all if you can lock a wheel then the brake isn't the limiting factor in distance to stop), less sensitivity to muck and dirt on the rim, less wear on the rims and better tolerance of a wobbly rim (i.e. can keep riding). Main drawback is cost, weight to a lesser extent. Those who consistently ride in wet conditions, e.g. commuters in Portland or Vancouver, tend to like them.

Bob Nichols

That's sort of my feeling. I've never had any problems stopping on my Trek navigator and if I am riding in wet weather it won't be on purpose.

teicher

Have to agree with the others. If you ride in rain or get the rims dirty, discs will keep you from loosing stopping power. I don't ride in the rain and figured that calipers are easier and cheaper to maintain myself, so I got a bike w/o discs.

Crona

On my 2010 7.3 FX the rim brakes work great and exceeds my needs except for one detail. It is equipped with Avid single digit linear pull brakes. The front brake has has some stupid spring inside the noodle that is supposed to prevent stupid people from grabbing the brake too hard and going over the handlebars. The problem is that I use my middle and index finger to brake and with the that stupid spring the brake lever would bottom out on my other fingers before providing sufficient braking force. I think the spring is a dangerous "safety device". Any way I brought it back to the bike shop and they removed it, now it has great braking force.