M----n wrote:
Fazz wrote:
Surely I'm not alone in having experienced that moment when you're descending fast or turning fast and need to brake hard for whatever reason. When you do with your rim brakes, even with on off or progressive approach you just aren't slowing fast enough and you pray you don't ditch it and somehow get around?
First, brakes stop wheels, tires stop bikes. There is so much discussion about the braking power of rims v discs but they are just one part of the equation. (Road conditions, body weight and center of gravity count as well.)
I have plain old Ultegra rim brakes with Shimano pads and I have never been left wanting for braking power in dry conditions. I've scared the crap out of myself, sure, but I would have done that with any brake. It was a function of my speed and decision when to brake rather than the actual braking power.
In wet conditions, I will grant you that there might be an improvement in braking using discs, but that depends on the slickness of roads, gravel and grit, etc. as well. I haven't ridden discs, so couldn't tell you for sure.
I had the same opinion as you until I rode hydraulic disc brakes.....
Why compromise over your safety/take additional risk?
Let's face it, carbon rim braking sucks, but it will take a ride on hydraulic discs for you to realise this even more so.
Whether you drive your car fast or slow, would you like the best braking available or not?
Granted our bikes don't experience the same external circumstances but there are times and requirements be it infrequently where braking is important.
Disc brakes are the future, heck they've even overtaken electronic shifting and will have eradicated the rim braking on all new bikes before mechanical shifting.
Now electronic shifting is still a nice to have, but disc braking is an additional safety feature which I fail to see how so many can ignore.
Sure you can absolutely say they are not needed for my tt bike, and I do hope that continues but hey, go ride a hydraulic disc brake bike and then consider the improved performance and reduce risk benefits.
If you ride in the hills or in wet then they're basically mandatory in my opinion.
If you are buying a bike now and want some resale value then you're short sighted not to acknowledge this requirement.
If you're buying a bike and want the best braking performance for what is a hobby and to reduce your potential risk then again they're basically mandatory.
Sure you can wait another year or two till 80-90% of bike sales are disc, but by then your 1-2 year old bike will have much lower resale value.
Hey, maybe its 2-3 years or more and you get lucky.
Hey, maybe you wont need the best braking performance on the road for a given scenario.
I lean on the other side of the fence.