[Le Acemen]

Has anyone gone from riding discs back to callipers?

I chose my bike with mechanical discs because I ride this one bike year-round. The roads are cruddy, with potholes (like everywhere), farm debris, tight corners and some short but steep ascents/descents. I wanted to make sure the bike was as bulletproof as possible. I cannot judge if the disc brakes have helped – although they certainly haven’t failed – they are not without their problems.

They frequently rub, seemingly taking the slightest judder through the bike, and they start to rub. That’s very annoying, if not audibly, then psychologically(I hear rubbing, and I think, ‘hey, this must be why I am so slow!’). I often stop to bend the disc, trying to remove the rubbing section, but its back rubbing soon enough (surely a flaw, given that the disc HAS to bend to brake effectively).

They crunch and get muck in them if I ride over the slightest wet stuff (I thought that was a big difference between callipers and discs – no muck = no wear). I’ve had my LBS look at this, and I’ve been assured, they are ‘tight’, the discs have plenty of life in them, and nothing is wrong. So I’m left questioning, is it just me?

They also don’t feel as nice. I appreciate that’s totally subjective, and maybe its because I’m just looking at calliper brakes with rose-tinted glasses, but they seem more fiddly and less ‘nice’ in feel. A calliper brake (in my recollection at least) can feel like I am just gliding on the road; my current set up feels, well – mechanical. It feels less pleasant.

Callipers were the norm forever, it’s mad to be worried about going back suddenly, but I am just wondering if anyone has done that, and what their experience has been, especially in winter? My only concern is that all of a sudden, I find myself with much less capable braking, and I didn’t know how good I had it with discs…   

Topic

[cyclefaster]

mbrads72 wrote:

mbrads72 wrote:

My hydraulic Shimano discs have required far more fettling than any other set up I have. And the seals have just failed on my 105 caliper after 2500 miles, so as they’re not serviceable it’s a warranty claim (13 months old). And I can’t find any stock in the country so now…?

I also have 2 bikes running cable discs with Juin Tech hybrid calipers. The braking is nearly as strong and the maintenance is simpler, especially running full length non-compressing outers. One is a tandem, and on the 203mm discs there is ample stopping power.

I do cringe a little at the noises from brake pad on rim on the other bikes in the wet, but well set up they’re mostly close to both disc set ups, and the easiest and cheapest to look after. At least, until I wear through a rim!

There are pros and cons to all the systems. None win hands down, which isn’t what the industry would have you think.

I’ve also upgraded my mechanical discs to juin-tech hybrids and they are a lot better that the trp spyers they replaced, which were ok.

[brakesmadly]

My hydraulic Shimano discs

My hydraulic Shimano discs have required far more fettling than any other set up I have. And the seals have just failed on my 105 caliper after 2500 miles, so as they’re not serviceable it’s a warranty claim (13 months old). And I can’t find any stock in the country so now…?

I also have 2 bikes running cable discs with Juin Tech hybrid calipers. The braking is nearly as strong and the maintenance is simpler, especially running full length non-compressing outers. One is a tandem, and on the 203mm discs there is ample stopping power.

I do cringe a little at the noises from brake pad on rim on the other bikes in the wet, but well set up they’re mostly close to both disc set ups, and the easiest and cheapest to look after. At least, until I wear through a rim!

There are pros and cons to all the systems. None win hands down, which isn’t what the industry would have you think.

[Sriracha]

It’s strange how the
It’s strange how the experience differs amongst cyclists. Beyond the initial set up, I have not had to touch my hydraulic brakes once in well over a year, and they work fabulously. So I struggle to see your “maintenance, performance, convenience” side of things.

Previously I had cantilevers, and they were shite. Before that I had sidepulls, and they were lopsided. Stretched cables, worn blocks and rims smeared in a filthy grinding paste, really what’s not to like! And I think “the industry just trying to get you to buy stuff” is a little tired now. Of course they do! So how do you suggest that is an incentive to peddle rubbish?

[Le Acemen]

Awavey wrote:

Awavey wrote:

I dont think mechanical disc brakes are that bad,if anything I’m looking to convert my rim brake bike to discs,because all the problems the OP reports on discs are exactly what I experience with rim blocks. But you can get pad rub just by having a skewer tightened too much, or not on the mechanical ones having the pads properly adjusted, you’ll find different compounds of pads give vastly different feel and feedback. No ones ever claimed discs can avoid getting wet or contaminated, ride through a puddle you will have a gravelly rough noise on first brake application,but it quickly goes and cleans up and the benefit is you arent wearing rims out when you do that. And the claimed performance is often from hydraulic disc comparisons. Alot of disc brake issues imo are just about getting used to them, they arent rim brakes they do work differently, it took me best part of 6 months and a change of pads to feel comfortable with them and learn how to set them up properly.

Good to know thanks. My only retort there is to say that my LBS, says these are all good – everything is fine. On that basis, this is as good as it gets?

Its a decent LBS, I have no reason to assume they are stretching the truth. Also, the guy who owns it still rides callipers…

[Le Acemen]

Nick T wrote:

Yep, discs are overhyped by an industry that wants you to buy new stuff. I have one disc bike as my bad weather affair, even when it’s biblical I have to talk myself into riding it. Maintenance, performance, convenience etc are all a step backwards with disc brakes and it seems more and more people are waking up to this now

Thanks Nick – is your talking yourself into it because it just doesn’t ride as nice, or because the performance difference just isn’t large enough?

It does seem to me, that I sacrifice a better ride all year, for reliability in extreme weather. That’s not necessarily unreasonable but depends on the increase in performance from one system to the other. As I noted, I have done most of my riding on calliper brakes, in bad weather as well as good. I don’t ever remember fearing for my life because of it. Then again, that was my only option – and it wasn’t on the roads or in the conditions that I ride now.

Maybe it analogous to a 4×4 in the UK, or at least most of England. On those super snowy days, the 4×4 will be the best choice all day long. However, for the vast majority of the time (999 days out of 1000) a car should do it and the 4X4 is more expensive, more maintenance, more difficult etc.

[Awavey]

I dont think mechanical disc
I dont think mechanical disc brakes are that bad,if anything I’m looking to convert my rim brake bike to discs,because all the problems the OP reports on discs are exactly what I experience with rim blocks.

But you can get pad rub just by having a skewer tightened too much, or not on the mechanical ones having the pads properly adjusted, you’ll find different compounds of pads give vastly different feel and feedback. No ones ever claimed discs can avoid getting wet or contaminated, ride through a puddle you will have a gravelly rough noise on first brake application,but it quickly goes and cleans up and the benefit is you arent wearing rims out when you do that. And the claimed performance is often from hydraulic disc comparisons.

Alot of disc brake issues imo are just about getting used to them, they arent rim brakes they do work differently, it took me best part of 6 months and a change of pads to feel comfortable with them and learn how to set them up properly.

[Nick T]

Yep, discs are overhyped by

Yep, discs are overhyped by an industry that wants you to buy new stuff. I have one disc bike as my bad weather affair, even when it’s biblical I have to talk myself into riding it. Maintenance, performance, convenience etc are all a step backwards with disc brakes and it seems more and more people are waking up to this now

[Anonymous]

Canyon48 wrote:

I’ve seen people raising similar issues with their disc brakes on my local cycling facebook page.

Hydraulic disc brakes that are properly set up do not rub (other than when out the saddle really going for it – but rim brakes rub then too) and they shouldn’t squeal in all but the worst conditions (rain & mud).

It’s worth making sure you have set the brakes up correctly and keep the properly maintained (disc brake cleaner).

I’ve only just changed the pads and hydraulics on my Whyte Wessex since I first set them up 2 years ago – they’ve done about 7000 miles, mainly commuting and often in poor weather.

I used to have a rim brake bike too and switching between the two, there is a noticeable difference in brake performance (especially in the wet!). If you only use the bike when it’s dry out and you aren’t especially heavy or brake too much then rim brakes are more than adequate. To be honest, they are fine even in winter (use winter/wet rim brake pads), just don’t expect them to perform quite as well as disc brakes when the weather is really bad.

Original poster was talking about mechanical disc brakes, which I concur (from experience) are crap in terms of catching and needing adjusting, but they generally brake better than calipers when they are functioning properly.

I have 2 caliper brake bikes, and the difference in braking between the two is noticable, despite them having similar brake pads/caliper models installed – I can only guess that it’s the wheel brake track that makes a lot of the difference rather than the calipers themselves? The better braking bike is fine really in all conditions.

That said, if I was riding a lot in the wet/winter I’d probably bite the bullet and go for a hydraulic brake set up, but tbh I’m a fair weather cyclist so calipers are fine for my purposes – so OP it probably depends on your use case.

[Canyon48]

I’ve seen people raising

I’ve seen people raising similar issues with their disc brakes on my local cycling facebook page.

Hydraulic disc brakes that are properly set up do not rub (other than when out the saddle really going for it – but rim brakes rub then too) and they shouldn’t squeal in all but the worst conditions (rain & mud).

It’s worth making sure you have set the brakes up correctly and keep the properly maintained (disc brake cleaner).

I’ve only just changed the pads and hydraulics on my Whyte Wessex since I first set them up 2 years ago – they’ve done about 7000 miles, mainly commuting and often in poor weather.

I used to have a rim brake bike too and switching between the two, there is a noticeable difference in brake performance (especially in the wet!). If you only use the bike when it’s dry out and you aren’t especially heavy or brake too much then rim brakes are more than adequate. To be honest, they are fine even in winter (use winter/wet rim brake pads), just don’t expect them to perform quite as well as disc brakes when the weather is really bad.

[Author]

Replies