Muzza1973

Hi everyone,
Just getting into riding a little more these days.
Wanting to purchase a Fitness bike in the coming months to improve my overall fitness.
Done a heap of research and have a budget of AUD 1000.00. Have narrowed down brands to Trek, Cannondale and Giant.
Because I have a budget, I cannot afford both Carbon fork and Hydraulic disc brakes on a complete bike so was hoping for some feedback on what would be the better component to aim for when purchasing.
Riding style - short ride to work each day and weekend rides up to 30km.
Road and bike paths only.
Thanks in advance
Muzza

djmcnz

I think the disc brakes will really only benefit you in the wet whereas the carbon fork will benefit you on every ride.

Many say that rim brakes are absolutely fine for your intended use, I'd go for the fork.

You should get a really nice bike for that budget so happy hunting!

dabac

IMO tire pressure will have a bigger impact than fork material. Not a deciding factor for me.
Discs are always nice, but how much actual benefit there is depends on a lot of things.
Modern dual pivot, short reach brakes(and Vs and cantis) can certainly be good enough, particularly in the dry.
Since my bikes use fenders, I ride in all weathers, and lose dexterity in the cold, I'd choose disc brakes ahead of a CF fork.

kingston 

Neither one is necessary for the type of riding you're planning to do.

mcours2006

I agree with this. I, too, ride year round. And while you may not intentionally ride in wet conditions, sometimes it cannot be avoided. Disc brakes, while not necessary, make a huge difference when it's wet.

You can put larger tires on and run lower pressure for a softer ride. The extra weight isn't going to handicap you in any way.

mcours2006

Cannondale Quick Disc 3 - www.trekbicyclesuperstore.com

Now you don't have to choose...but I realize you're down under...should still be able to find something that has both in your budget.

Wanderer

Wow! That Cannondale is a lot of bike for the money......

AU Tiger

I have two bikes: one with a carbon fork and rim brakes, the other with a suspension fork and disc brakes. I can't really compare the carbon fork to an aluminum one, but I do want to mention one other thing which hasn't been said yet. Several folks have commented that disc brakes are better in wet conditions. They are also much better on steep hills. That's irrelevant on most bike paths, but if your commute includes steep hills, then I would say go for the disc brakes. And as dabac suggested, go with wider tires if the aluminum fork makes the ride too harsh.

coominya

yes, if OP has never ridden disk brakes he won't realize how great they actually are. Never any squealing, less pressure for the same stopping power, and the thing I notice the most is the confidence boost I have coming up to a sharp corner. You just don't think about it because you know they will always pull you up on a dime.

A fork is a fork on a $1000 bike but hydraulic, and they have to be hydraulic, disk brakes are a real boon.

coominya

The trick is to scope out the specials.
Bikeexchange is a good source of these, the shops always sell cheaper online because of the competition.
AU$999
Fork: Composite with alloy steerer
Brakes: Shimano M315 hydraulic disc, 160mm
Toughroad SLR 2 2017
https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/a/ha...lr-2/102869868

A few of us have the toughroad, a great bike imo but be aware the seatpost on these is proprietary, a D shape, and requires a bit of fuss to adjust.

mj0

Don't most hybrids come with at least cable discs these days?

Sal Bandini

Not sure how pricing is down under but Specialized Sirrus Sport is MSRP $750. I have that one, but got it for $650.

My riding is similar to yours and even with carbon fork the bumps are quite jarring. I think between the 2 features the disc are more important and beneficial to me.

bunkiefd4

How about one of the Giant Roams? I have the Roam 1 and that bike is amazing. Has Shimano Deore components, a front fork that can either be locked or unlocked and has hydraulic disk breaks. The price on those bikes are really good. Roam 1 $820 Roam 2 $570 Roam 3 $435

I get on the Roam and ride with the kids at the park or I get on it early in the mornings and ride hard for fitness. Its a do everything bike to me.

Delmarva

+1 Especially the hydraulic brakes.
A fine bike with rim brakes and standard fork should be available for under budget.

Muzza1973

Loving all the replies!
Thanks to everyone.
Have looked at the Cannondale Quick 3 Disc but it comes in at AUD 1300.00. $300 above my budget.
Same with the Giant Fastroad SLR 2.
Have to wait for the 2018 bikes to come out in the coming months for my size as the 2017 bikes are out of my size. I'm tall at 6'4".
Cheers

Muzza1973

Are their any further make/models of bikes worth taking a look at along with the bikes I previously mentioned?
Cheers

hokiefyd 

Disc brakes, as a type of braking system, are not immune to noise. In fact, you'll find a lot of YouTube videos out there on how to fix disc brake squeal. Similar to this one:


And this one:


Disc brake rotors and pads can be incredibly sensitive to contamination. Specific products exist for curing squealing disc brakes.

Like any brake system, disc brakes require maintenance and proper break-in.

In this case, I would prefer the carbon fork over disc brakes.

hokiefyd 

Not really, no. Certain things in the biking world go in and out of fashion. Disc brakes are very much in fashion right now, especially in certain market segments, and some companies have really jumped on that train. Others have not, and still sell just as many bikes. Disc brakes have specific advantages and disadvantages compared with rim brakes, and different types of bikes and riding will be better suited to those advantages (or not).

Disc brakes generally offer a lot of stopping power and don't suffer the same types of efficacy loss when going through mud and water that rim brakes do. This is because the friction surface is up near the axle and not down near the tire. Disc brakes can often be beneficial on very heavy touring bikes and on long downhill braking areas because they won't overheat the rim and wear into the rim like rim brakes can do. On the flip side, disc brakes are heavy, generally relatively bulky, and require stronger (heavier or more expensive) forks to be effective. This is because a disc brake, when engaged, can impart an incredible twisting motion on the fork and can bend the fork if it's not strong enough. Example:

Cozy Beehive: Braking Induced Fork Failure

Rim brakes also have their own pros and cons. They're very light, compact, inexpensive, and effective under certain conditions. They don't require specific fork engineering because the braking energy is transferred to the bike up near the fork crown (where tubing diameters are larger anyway). Rim brakes also generally tolerate out-of-round wheels well because they often self-center (disc brakes cannot tolerate an out-of-round rotor very well). On the flip side, rim brakes' performance can suffer tremendously if you ride through mud and standing water because that fouls the braking surface of the rim. They also physically wear against the rim wall, so rims will, in theory, eventually wear out.

Which system is best for you will depend on how and where you ride. It's much like the debate on suspension forks, frame/fork material, etc. There's no silver bullet, there's not one product or material that does it all without compromise (at least at the consumer level like we're talking), and there's not one type of technology that will work best for everybody. Know the type of riding you do and choose your tools accordingly.

kingston 

That's an excellent objective analysis @hokiefyd

FXjohn

I don't have any problem with rim brakes, even in a deluge.

Muzza1973

Any further suggestions on makes/models that would be worth looking at?

Wanderer

Giant Escape?