Disk Brakes
Disk brakes do work, but are they a good idea for you?
Mostly NO.
Good hydraulic disk brakes are fantastic, but you can only stop to the limit of your tyres. The friction the tyre has with the surface you are riding on is the limit of stopping power. On a bike with good cable rim brakes you will be easily able to lock the rear wheel so it skids, and get the back wheel off the ground with the front brake (this takes skill and is dangerous). If rim brakes can do this, that's all the stopping power you can use and anything better is pointless.
The exception is downhill mountain biking, where disk brakes are needed.
It's been obvious that rim brakes are at the limit of retardation for some time. Some bikes with V brakes intended for the recreational market have "force limiters" fitted. These are springs fitted in the noodles that limit how much force gets to the pads, stopping the unwary from grabbing the brakes and going over the handlebars. More experienced riders just don't squeeze so hard.
When the dual pivot brake was re-invented and refined by Shimano in the '90s, Camapagnolo copied them and brought out their own version. After a couple of years they changed the back caliper back to single pivot as it was strong enough and the dual pivot just made it too easy to lock the wheel and skid the tyre.
A further problem is that many disk brakes are simply not that good.
We've had bikes in the workshop with mid range cable systems and even after replacing the cables and pads, and cleaning the rotors they are about as good as cantilever brakes.
Cleaning the rotor is another problem. It needs a very toxic chemical, whereas cleaning rims can be done with kitchen cleaner. There's also the vast array of different pads, the fragility of the rotor, the stronger frame needed etc etc.
In short, don't believe the hype!
Mostly NO.
Good hydraulic disk brakes are fantastic, but you can only stop to the limit of your tyres. The friction the tyre has with the surface you are riding on is the limit of stopping power. On a bike with good cable rim brakes you will be easily able to lock the rear wheel so it skids, and get the back wheel off the ground with the front brake (this takes skill and is dangerous). If rim brakes can do this, that's all the stopping power you can use and anything better is pointless.
The exception is downhill mountain biking, where disk brakes are needed.
It's been obvious that rim brakes are at the limit of retardation for some time. Some bikes with V brakes intended for the recreational market have "force limiters" fitted. These are springs fitted in the noodles that limit how much force gets to the pads, stopping the unwary from grabbing the brakes and going over the handlebars. More experienced riders just don't squeeze so hard.
When the dual pivot brake was re-invented and refined by Shimano in the '90s, Camapagnolo copied them and brought out their own version. After a couple of years they changed the back caliper back to single pivot as it was strong enough and the dual pivot just made it too easy to lock the wheel and skid the tyre.
A further problem is that many disk brakes are simply not that good.
We've had bikes in the workshop with mid range cable systems and even after replacing the cables and pads, and cleaning the rotors they are about as good as cantilever brakes.
Cleaning the rotor is another problem. It needs a very toxic chemical, whereas cleaning rims can be done with kitchen cleaner. There's also the vast array of different pads, the fragility of the rotor, the stronger frame needed etc etc.
In short, don't believe the hype!
