The advantages of Bicycle Disc Brakes

I have loved riding my mountain bicycle for more than ten years. Through the years it would qualify a lot more as a hybrid bike as a result of changes I’ve made to add much more comfort to the ride. This becomes more necessary to us as we mature.

The one area where I thought it had been always lacking was the brakes. While they are Shimano center pull caliper brakes, they simply never perform well in damp weather or muddy conditions. So I was pleased when I recently borrowed a friends bicycle with new disc brakes. One of the major advantages of bicycle disc brakes is the excellent all-weather operation. One more point I really like is the fact there’s no maintenance required as opposed to the regular adjustments required on cable activated conventional brakes. When you install the disc brakes, setup the calipers you are able to simply forget about them.

Not surprisingly if you do choose to upgrade to disc brakes you will find them more expensive then conventional rim brakes. However their functionality is so great that most will happily pay the purchase price. Another negative is that the disc brake assemblies and rotor do add some weight to your bike. Again, you need to decide if considering your riding habits, this really is acceptable. In many instances to switch to bicycle disc brakes you may need new wheels also. Disc rims can’t be installed on standard hubs used with standard rim brake wheels.

Although it will take some work and extra cost to upgrade to bicycle disc brakes, if you need far better and consistently improved brake performance in most conditions, disc brakes make the perfect investment. However you must evaluate if the cost is worthwhile. Honestly speaking, not everyone truly needs to upgrade to bicycle disc brakes. Many riders are quite happy with their rim brake and ride in an natural environment where rim brakes handle the job for example in flat and dry land. Yet as you take to more steeper trails and wetter conditions, disc brakes become most effective. One more point to consider is if you’re a 200 lb rider like me, you will really appreciate the improvement in braking power.

I’ve tested the Shimano disc brakes and as with all Shimano bicycle parts, they performed perfectly under just about any conditions from mountain trails to riding through creek beds.

Besides Shimano, based on reports, Avid disc brakes, Hayes disc brakes, and Tektro disc brakes are all obtainable in kits and as separate parts making it likely to fit almost any application needed.

This entry was posted on August 20, 2010 at 7:12 am and is filed under Baby. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.