Kapusta

Dangerous? What utter nonsense. How is more consistent braking more dangerous?

Joearch

I recently got a new bike that has disc brakes. First time for me using discs. I have found them to be very smooth and faster acting than rim brakes. I like the discs a lot. Never feel like I could go over the bar. Big improvement to me.

altondavis2

I recently transitioned to hydraulic disc brakes. However, I still feather the rear
brake first. Same smart techniques, just using a new tool.

Slamming on the front brake is just not the best move to make.

njkayaker

Using the rear brake first in a "panic stop" doesn't appear to be a thing.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

https://www.renehersecycles.com/how-...-on-a-bicycle/

njkayaker

???

Moving your weight back is a standard technique for improved braking (not just for "panic stops").

Skilled cyclists are using it (in some degree) routinely.

​​​​​You can even set yourself up for it before you might need to brake quickly.

billyymc

Catapulting disc brakes is a misleading thread title. Too much overthinking in this thread.

mack_turtle

what's your take on this now that you've read some wisdom from people who have confirmed that this is a non-issue? I am starting to think this thread should just be closed to keep the bored trolls from grabbing attention by being ignorant contrarians.

would you rather have brakes that work a little more powerfully but consistently in the wet, or brakes that don't work at all in the wet?

rydabent

So many people are against anything new. It reminds me in 1967 I paid extra to get disc brakes on my new Chevelle. Friends told me I would ram my nose into the windshield with them. The first emergency stop I had to make, I did not.

work4bike

Too many "experts" on this site (not just on this thread -- what was I thinking posting this.

It's a virtual 100% chance my next bike will have disc brakes, simply because of the stopping power in the rain. I was never worried about catapulting, been riding too long, just curious of the experience of any long-time cyclists with switching over to discs --- I guess I should never had shared my learning curve from way back...

My main issue now is maintenance of disk brakes, because I like doing my own maintenance; however, Youtube and my LBS will be my resources for that issue.



.

mack_turtle

there's not that much to maintain:
replace the pads when they get worn thin.
occasionally "true" rotors if they get dinged.
occasionally bleed the fluid if they have hydraulic parts, which is actually very simple for most systems. if they have cables, the same methods that you used to maintain any other brake system apply.
Yokozuna and TRP have some brakes that are operated by cables, but the calipers are hydraulic. they seem a bit bulky but it sounds like a great system that has less drama at the the handlebar end of the system.
the only drama I have experienced is when the master cylinder seal wears out inside the lever: hard to find replacement parts for that. the other issue is Sram's insistence on using DOT fluid when the "mineral oil" systems that virtually everyone else uses are a lot easier to deal with.

Paul Barnard

One of the reasons ABS brakes are becoming more and more common on motorcycles is that they can mitigate the problems associated with grabbing too much brake in an "Oh S#*t" moment. Controlled threshold braking in a true emergency is a skill that's not easily mastered on a motorcycle or on a bicycle. Add in a wet road surface, and it's more difficult yet. Add in a little lean angle during cornering and it and it adds in another layer of difficulty. Likewise, training for that kind of braking is problematic in that a mistake can hurt.

I have been fortunate that I haven't done a brake induced faceplant on the road. I have on the MTB. I grabbed too much hydraulic front disc brake in a rocky technical downhill. I was going at about stall speed, and I went over almost in slow motion. Would that have happened with rim brakes? I cannot answer that with any degree of certainty. I have been in similar situations with rim brakes and didn't go over.

I get the OP's question. The answer is that there can be an elevated risk of grabbing too much brake with discs. Ultimately it is a skill issue and not an equipment issue. If we are being honest we'll admit that that threshold emergency braking, particularly on traction limited surfaces is a hard skill to get good at. As with all disc brake discussions, we have to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each and decide what works for us. I have opted for mechanical discs in my last two builds.

50PlusCycling

Disk brakes have more modulation, that is, you can apply braking pressure more precisely than rim brakes. But a rim brake in a dry environment is more likely to send you over the bars than a disk brake(funny that in 40+ years of cycling and motorcycling I have never managed to brake in a way that sent me over the bars, though I have done it several times running over other riders, a dog, and a few curbs). Rim brake grab the outside of the circumference of the wheel, giving them much more leverage (which is why racers prefer bigger disk rotors). Having ridden both types, and having been a bike mechanic, I prefer rim brakes. They are simple, easy to maintain, and make things much easier when fixing flats or doing other maintenance. I hate few things more than replacing a tube, putting the wheel back on the back, and hearing a brake pad dragging on a rotor once I get back on the bike. Disk brakes definitely have the cool factor, but cool doesn't mean then are better unless you ride in the mud or water.

njkayaker

Or just trolling.

dunkleosteus

I think you need discs for pulling sweet endos. This probably has more to do with modulation than power though.

tomato coupe

Like new anecdotes, for instance?

rydabent

Both my recumbent bike and trike have disc brakes, and even if I over brake, I wont "go over the handle bars".

A further safety feature of a trike is that it in a right hand cross wind that would blow you into traffic, a trike is largely unaffected.

rydabent

Except they dont work as well when wet, and scab up expensive rims and wear them out. They are now simply out of date as wooden rims.

mack_turtle

OMG sik burn bro!

Hypno Toad

I mean, who needs brakes ... right? (fixie joke)

I have 6 bikes: 3 with rim brakes & 3 with disc brakes. Both are effective, neither are complicated or expensive. I have never wrecked because of disc brakes (I've logged 35,000 miles on bikes with disc brakes)

Rim brakes are great on my pub bike, and my older road bikes (dry ride bikes). If you'll never ride in the rain, only ride trails, and at a casual pace ... rim brakes are great.

Disc brakes are great on my commuter bike, and gravel/adventure bikes.

I need disc brakes, and this pic is why: 2017 Almanzo 100 (Toad in black on the right of the pic on drop-bar Pug)


Photo credit - David Phillips / Spring Valley Tribune

Edit/afterthought: Disc brakes are great for hauling a trailer, for a tandem, for freight bikes, and other times when you're riding with additional mass on the bike.

rydabent

No it does NOT. I consider them modern replacement for the 1890 DF bicycles. Except for racing, due to the antique UCI and mountain biking, 90% of cyclist would be better served on bents or trikes.

Darth Lefty 

Right!

Darth Lefty 

I thought for a moment to quiz him about the "antique" mountain bikes remark, but you know, whatever he wants. Bikes are pretty much all 19th century devices with steady improvements in materials.

rydabent

Lack of experience??? I am 82 and for probably 60+ years I rode DF bikes. I know all of their short comings.

tomato coupe

I guess it depends on how you look at it. If the choice is either riding a recumbent or getting a sharp stick in the eye then, yes, 90% of cyclists would be better served riding a recumbent.

DenisH

Cracked neck from over the handlebars is why I ride a recumbent. Not learning how to panic stop was the cause. Hole in the road contributed. But learning that skill takes dedication and time in the saddle. Those of us who want to ride but not commit our life to it can choose alternative approaches to mitigate the risks. No reason to denigrate us for our choices.