busynizzy wrote:
I got a Specialized Roubaix with Shimano disc brakes earlier this year. I was enticed by a good deal and by having broken my clavicle a couple of years ago on a long descent due to lousy brakes/pads.
lousy brakes or lousy braking technique? asking a sincere question as i live at the base of a 5.5-mile mountain pass / 8-10% grade. i've seen folks melt some rim/pad combinations, but it was more about technique than anything else.
busynizzy wrote:
I learned soon after I got the bike, on a hilly century ride, that unless you regularly tighten the brake screws, you cannot come to a complete stop.
what? some of us have been riding disc brakes for a long time (e.g., MTB use). i have no idea what you're talking about, but this is an issue to take up with your mechanic. i can assure you that it is NOT a reason to fault disc brakes.
busynizzy wrote:
I am also told that disc brake pads are supposed to last longer than standard caliper brake pads, if that's worth's anything, but still too early for me to tell if that's true.
it depends on the material (disc pads come in metallic pads or resin) and the conditions.
FWIW, as a road racer i'm firmly in the camp of "i hope disc brakes are not allowed any time soon in races." my reason is that when everyone is on carbon rims, there's a level playing field. i've been in a downpour during a race, and for 30 seconds people freak out until they remember that no one around you can stop on a dime. discs change this (a bit).
i ride disc brakes on my MTB and cross bikes. recently i've been switching between the cross and road bikes quite often. on the road, i've never wished for more power, but i have to admit that switching back and forth daily has highlighted a small but noticeable delay in how my rim brakes bite. (FWIW, i find zip rims + their platinum pads to have amazing braking in dry conditions, and i've noticed the "lag" with both carbon and aluminum brake tracks.)
i can easily lock up the wheels on my cross bike with 140mm rotors and 700x32-33c tires; i can imagine the limiter on a road bike would be the traction (lack of) or contact patch of a 700x23-25c tire.
i don't want the aero hit (on the road) either. for cross and MTB (for me / my terrain / my riding), disc beats rim braking.