Originally Posted by
Jeff Neese
Disc vs Rim will be a debate that continues until all us oldies who have ridden mostly rim are long gone.
Thing is, there really is no debate when it comes to which stops sooner and which is faster for racing bikes - there is a clear winner overall.
I read the second link and I wouldn't disagree with any of it. I really enjoy riding my rim-braked Wilier and plan on keeping it forever and it benefits from all the good stuff highlighted in the article.
However, my disc-braked bike's stopping power outweighs all the negatives vs rim and so I'm equally happy to see that tech become the norm, which it is doing. Overall, I much prefer discs now albeit I still ride rim too.
Naturally, the argument that a good, optimised rim brake is better than a cheap mech disc should go without say but anything from, say, Shimano 105 up and comparable on road bikes, for example, will stop better than high-end rim - I know, first hand, don't need to read any theoretical articles about it and so does anyone who regularly rides good-quality in both.
The two biggest drawbacks for disc in my own personal use are the need for greater maintenance - disc's are far more prone to rub due to tighter tolerances and therefore tiny amounts of grit can cause issues - and added weight.
Both of these sound problematic but aren't really. The maintenance issue is actually really easy; I can remove the pads and have them and the discs cleaned and replaced pretty quickly. The extra weight is no problem either: you can get 6.1kg road bikes with discs if you are a true weight-weenie. The Trek Emonda is 6.8kg and many other Pro level bikes are sub-7kg. Light enough. Obviously, aero bikes and less costly bikes are heavier but then, they always have been. The point is, weight reductions elsewhere on the bike have made the added disc weight less of an issue.
Rim brakes have decent stopping power, we have used them for decades, but anyone who still thinks they are as good as discs must ride very slowly. Which, is fine, for slow recreational cruising the differences will be far less noticeable than higher speed stuff. But, if you are someone who rides quickly, then discs are hands-down winners. And that's a tried and tested fact.
Just this morning I rode down a 7km climb at over 55km/h average, hitting over 80km/h in places. I was on my rim bike and being very wary on the S-bends and, ultimately, a lot slower than I would have been on my disc-braked bike where it instils much more confidence, brakes sharper etc and allows me to brake later and less. But again, this is at speed. I get that cyclists who just pootle about won't see the same degree of difference. The Market will cater for those who do want to go faster, however.
