Are rear disc wheels dangerous at all? I saw a quote that said, “Always use a rear disc. Unless it kills you, it makes you faster,” and I’m trying to figure out what that means.
I kinda feel like getting my bike to make the whump, whump, whump sound of a rear disc and I’m looking at all the options of doing that. I definitely don’t want to make my bike more difficult to control or anything like that.
If rear disc wheels are dangerous, what are other options to getting that awesome sound?
But if it does kill you, there’s not much cooler than the sound of a carbon disk sliding across the tarmac.
Except of course the sound of a russian wood disk sliding across a wooden track.
That’s just Mr. Mott being funny. Any time a disk is dangerous due to winds, you probably won’t want to ride anyway.
Jack? oh Jaaaack…
Are rear disc wheels dangerous at all? I saw a quote that said, “Always use a rear disc. Unless it kills you, it makes you faster,” and I’m trying to figure out what that means.
I'd always figured it was a take on "that which does not kill you makes you stronger"
That’s just Mr. Mott being funny. Any time a disk is dangerous due to winds, you probably won’t want to ride anyway.
So they are only dangerous in high winds? Like how high? I am kind of new at cycling so I haven’t really experienced any real noticeable winds except when they are in my face.
Also, I forgot to ask, are disc wheels the only ones that make that cool whump whump whump sound? If not, what are some nice fairly inexpensive options?
I’m worried…this is the longest Jack has gone without responding to a thread about discs.
Maybe his disc finally killed him!
Maybe his disc finally killed him!
I don’t know who Jack is (I’m not a regular), but how dangerous are discs? Do they really kill people? For some reason I thought that might be an inside joke of some sort.
Might be the longest jack"auto reply"mott has gone without responding to ANY thread. Who knows, maybe he is actually training and leaving the parroting of obvious aero advice to others this morning 
Maybe his disc finally killed him!
I don’t know who Jack is (I’m not a regular), but how dangerous are discs? Do they really kill people? For some reason I thought that might be an inside joke of some sort.
I like this thread. 
not dangerous at all. many will say they help stability in cross winds but you may be alarmed to hear that you can’t really hear the whamp whamp whamp when you are riding one.
The signature line you’re referring to is not fact, just a phrase. Disc wheels can contribute to “sail effect” in cross winds. The rear doesn’t cause handling issues as much as as deep rim does on a front wheel. In winds above 15-20mph, especially gusty, the bike can be more difficult to control in any case.
Just about any disc wheel makes the Whump sound.
The one issue I have encountered with disc wheels is under hard cornering. The rear can hop and chatter compared to conventional spoked wheels when under a strong side load.
Oh, disks hurt people all the time. They are evel and mean, sent by Satan herself to take out her wrath on funny looking folks wearing spandex and too tight shirts. Disk wheels are infact the reasons helmets are required.
You can see in this photo that a disk wheel can also cause damage to buildings, as the wheel that caused this decided to explode next to a brick garage.
There is only one safe thing to do to prevent death by disk wheel…
And you win the weekly prize for dumbest question.
Rear discs are not dangerous - even when it’s windy. It’s actually deep front wheels that make a bike hard to handle in crosswinds.
“Real” discs (ie. full carbon, structural discs) are much more rigid and don’t ride as nicely as a spoked wheel, though. Since they are made of rigid carbon, they are not as compliant as a spoked wheel. Rough roads feel rougher, and they corner differently than a more compliant spoked wheel.
A disc cover (over a spoked rear wheel) rides like a spoked wheel, and is just as aero as a “real” disc. However, adding a cover to a spoked wheel results in a wheel that is fairly heavy - heavier than most “real” discs.
A disc cover does not make the cool sound. You need a “real” disc for that.
Steve
If you’re not sure about the people giving you advice…have a look at the profile of Frank Rehnelt…this is a man that knows about disc wheels.
listen attentively to Frank when he comments about discs.
now Jack…
ok…so i misspelled disc originally…but corrected.
Now Record…don’t go perpetuating myths about disc wheels…we all know the destruction above was caused by a disc that used Campagnolo and not Shimano…and it was because it had Campy on it…that it exploded. If you’re going to tell a story tell it right. Don’t be afraid of disc wheels…be afraid of Campagnolo. Discs with Campy…are by far the scariest.
not dangerous at all. many will say they help stability in cross winds but you may be alarmed to hear that you can’t really hear the whamp whamp whamp when you are riding one.
Really? That is disappointing. Thanks for the heads up though.
Do you happen to know if disc wheels durable for a person weighing 235pounds? I’ve heard rumors they are not, but almost all riders I know aren’t as tall as me so they weigh a lot less.