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| *Vultures Knob>>>Cycling |
Which is better for bicycles disc or pull brakes(the kind that grip on the rims)? |
the disc is near the center of the rim which means it need more force on it to stop im worried the disc wont stop as fast as the other kind will i still be able to do stoppies and that stuff? It depends on the type of riding & your budget. If you ride mountain trails often and have the $$ for hydraulic disc brakes, and the mechanical knowhow to adjust them yourself, then disc brakes are for you. If you are new to biking and go on mild trails then rim brakes are for you. Let's face it....the maximum stopping power you can achieve is locking the tire and making it skid. Both brakes can do that, so both have the same power. The main difference is that Disc brakes take a lot less hand strength to do it. After switching to Disc brakes, the only time I really notice a difference is in the reduced hand fatigue on long, steep descents. After a 10 minute descent with rim brakes, my wrists start hurting. But....I love the simplicity of rim brakes. They are SO simple. Pull a cable and they close the pads against the rim. You might have to replace a cable, or a brake pad, but there really isn't any adjustment necessary. Disc Brakes, however, are a constant source of noise, and I'm constantly adjusting them. I don't have the absolute top of the line, but I do have some very good name brand hydraulic disc brakes....Avid Juicy 5's. In addition, Disc brakes are worse for your rims. Think about it.... The stopping point is the point where the rubber on your tire touches the ground. The rim is attached directly to the tire, so when you stop with rim brakes, you're basically stopping the tire directly. On the flip side, look at disc brakes. The braking is being done at the hub, which means the stopping force must be transferred through the spokes to the rim, then to the tires. Over the long term, this weakens your spokes and causes your rim to go out of alignment. I'm convinced that 90% of Mountain bike riders do not need disc brakes, and they are something that bike shops push because they know they'll make money in the long term off repairs. And the numbers..... My Trek 4900 Hardtail w/ Rim Brakes. In 3000 miles I have: -Replaced the front & rear pads once ($10/set = $20) -Replaced the rear brake cable ($5) -The rims are still perfectly straight (true) My Trek Fuel EX8 Full Suspension w/ Hydraulic Disc brakes. In 2000 miles I have: -Replaced both Front & Rear pads 3 times ($15/set = $90) -Bent a rotor ($20) -Spent hours adjusting the brakes & cleaning them If I wasn't my own mechanic then these prices would be much higher. Just my $.02. I love my disk brakes. They're so much better, there's really no comparison. The question for me is, which type of disk brake is better; hydrolic or cable-driven? Discs are only really useful if you plan on riding in the rain or wet conditions... It's a trade off that depends on the riding you are doing. On the bad side disc brakes: *Add weight. To accommodate the rotor the hub can't be a minimalist design. *Add complexity. Fixing a busted hydraulic line on the side of a trail is impossible. *Brake rub. Most lower end calipers don't have as much adjustment and you end up dragging the brakes. Rotors come out of true too add to this problem. On the plus side: *TONS more stopping power *Hydraulic models have more modulation *You can have your rims bent and still ride Not worth it for road bikers. Almost all disciplines of mountain bikers have made the switch to disc brakes in the higher end. |
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