flocsy

I went to the official trek shop and tried a Marlin 7. It feels good, BUT the breaks are **** (and I tried the one with the Shimano MT200 which is the better option). I was a little bit shocked, especially that after a rainy ride one of my friends with some modern bike with disk breaks told me to go slow (looking at my 30 year old cantilever brakes and 1.95" tires and no suspension) and told me maybe it's time to upgrade... Ever since, any time I read about disk breaks I saw how much better they perform in all weather conditions, etc. So I was really shocked how bad the MT200 were in the shop compared to my 30 year old gear. I even asked the owner if this is because it's not set up correctly, to which he replied that they are perfectly set up, and they may need some time to get to their best performance. Is this really the case? Because as they were in the shop I think my cantilever performs better even in the worst rain.

Also: how hard (and dirty) is it to service a hydraulic brake system? With the cantilever I know what to do, never had any problems, but I am a bit skeptical about the hydraulic fluid, etc. Is it something more advanced riders service themselves or you have to go to a bike shop? (I know that there are also cable versions, but since all the bikes I saw come with hydraulics I'm not going to downgrade them

Eric F 

It seems you may have already convinced yourself that your old brakes are better than disc brakes. If you are determined to defend that position, nothing anyone says will change your mind.

Here’s what I experienced…

I have ridden and raced on MTBs with cantilever brakes and v-brakes. They did the job. I still have a MTB with v-brakes that I ride occasionally. On that bike, I can lock up either wheel at any time, in most conditions. I also currently have a MTB with disc brakes. Out in the real world, disc brakes are just better - power, modulation, and wet performance.

The setup and maintenance of disc brakes is different. At first, I felt a little intimidated by it, but as I’ve gotten to understand the system, and have learned how to work on it, it’s really not difficult. It’s really no different than my learning curve with any other kind of brake type.

staehpj1

I suspect that is true so I won't try to change anyone's mind on that beyond saying that after quite a few decades of mountain biking and a lot of long distance touring on cantis I prefer the riding characteristic of discs. If you (the OP) don't like them you probably aren't going to change your mind.

Maybe I have been neglectful and lucky, but my disc brakes have required pretty much zero maintenance beyond replacing pads when they wear out and eventually discs. The hydraulics seem to just keep working with no attention. That is a far cry from cantis that seem to require quite a bit of fiddling with.

Oh and I'll add that over the years I have worn out quite a few rims with rim brakes, that doesn't happen with disc brakes. I'd rather replace a disc now and then than rebuild wheels. Maybe most folks either don't ride enough or keep their bikes long enough for that to be an issue, but if you do it is something to consider.

biker128pedal

The MT200 disc rotors may be contaminated. Could be finger print oil or a frame cleaning spray. Also if the brake pads were not bedded on correctly they could be glazed.

But good V brakes do work well if configured and set right. I have a 26er hard tail. Front v brakes are great. Good when wet. The rear on a previous frame sucked. The replace cheap frame has mechanical disc Avid 7s and are great.

2old

I've ridden over 30K pretty challenging off road miles on a 2005 Superlite with "V's" during the last 18 years and they've never failed. However the MT 200's on my new Giant are somewhat superior, so I suspect you tested a functionally inadequate system.

Canker

The debate is over in the mtn bike world and has been for 10 years or more. If you want to debate disc vs rim you can still find plenty of rim supporters over in the road bike forum.

flocsy

I guess I'll have to live with it anyway, cause there's no cantilever option in today's bikes (not in the Deore 1x category that I'm aiming for). I hope that the brakes on the bike I'll buy at the end will be set up correctly and I'll feel them at least as good as my 30 years old cantilevers.

veganbikes

The lower end of parts will always feel pretty poor compared to something nicer. Plus with a cheaper Trek they do a lot of things that aren't ideal for a modern bike but are undoubtedly to save money so they can spend it back on larger Trek logos. Also "Disc Brakes" not disk breaks the disc brakes stop your bicycle but when the disk breaks you have to buy a new one at Tower Records or just get the MP3 or better yet vinyl record.

CrimsonEclipse

Disks > rim brakes
Cable > hydraulic

BB7's 'till the heat death of the universe.

Kapusta

The disc brakes on many new bikes have not bedded in yet. On the first ride around the block on any new disc brake I've owned (or after changing pads), the stoppering power was pretty anemic at first.

Chuck M 

I like the use of brake and break in the post title.

Atlas Shrugged

Or head over to C&V where there is no debate as well as ridiculous statements go unchallenged or even validated.

Russ Roth

My wife's dual suspension cannondale came with MT200 brakes and I have to say I also found them weaker than I wanted them to be, knowing how to properly set up canti's, and having had decent ones with good pads, I could see them performing as well as the mt200 stock. As someone else mentioned, they also probably weren't fully bedded in and I'm not convinced that companies send the bikes with the brakes perfectly bled to begin with. In my case I picked up a set of Magura MT trail sports with 4 piston front and 2 piston rear for 200 and the difference was significant. Moving the MT200s to my daughter's bike I had to trim hoses and rebleed the system and the brakes worked noticeably better as a result though still not as good as the maguras.

unterhausen

Before buying, I would tell the shop that you thought the brakes were weak. They probably are. They should be able to get them to work better for you. Obviously on a bike at this price point they aren't using high-end brakes. Back when cantilevers or vee brakes were common, there was very little difference between the best and the worst brakes. At least not on a bike from a bike store brand.

Kapusta

I loved the one-finger braking and wet weather performance on my old cantis.

[/sarcasm]

Breadfan

I installed a Tiagra Groupset with full hydraulics on my bike last week. Yes, they will require maintenance and there is a learning curve. You can learn it or pay someone to do it for you. I prefer to learn everything about my bike so any repair is doable. As far as the performance you experienced, if they were not broken in correctly, they will not preform, pun intended. After I installed mine, they were very poor at first. I then proceeded break them in for two miles, going 15-18mph and then slowly braking. Over and over gradually braking harder towards the end of the two miles. When I was done, they stopped on a dime, no squeal, chatter, just a smooth stop. I wonder how many bike shops take their demo bikes out and do that? Some of the bikes I have test ridden from the LBS's have poor performing brakes so I suspect not many break them in correctly.

Kapusta

I don’t think discs need to be bedded “correctly”. They just need to be bedded. Simply using them beds them in.

The fact that peoples’ recommendations for “proper” bedding are all over the map - often in contradiction to each other - seems a good indication that these rituals are all pretty arbitrary.

If the brakes are not working well (or at least continuing to improve) after a ride’s worth of braking, the issue is likely some contamination. I have had very good luck with a light sanding, torching, and cleaning (isopropyl) of the pads. And a cleaning of the rotors.

It should be pretty obvious if the brakes need a bleed. They will be spongey and firm up with rapid pulls of the lever.