Road Cycling

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Saytan said:
Riders "union" the CPA has requested that disc brake testing is suspended

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...n-calls-uci-suspend-disc-brake-testing-220921

Design changes could (although it's fairly unlikely) lead to a lot of expensive frames suddenly being worth a lot less.
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For a start, it's not even confirmed that his cut was from a disc. Secondly, I doubt a disc rotor is any more dangerous than a chainring. Disc rotors are not blades. They don't have sharp edges.
 
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madindehead said:
For a start, it's not even confirmed that his cut was from a disc. Secondly, I doubt a disc rotor is any more dangerous than a chainring. Disc rotors are not blades. They don't have sharp edges.
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But they are a lot hotter when in use, making any contact destroy skin.

I don't see the need for them in the pro peloton, and there certainly shouldn't be a mix. But the manufacturers want it to sell more new models.
 
SoliD said:
But they are a lot hotter when in use, making any contact destroy skin.

I don't see the need for them in the pro peloton, and there certainly shouldn't be a mix. But the manufacturers want it to sell more new models.
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How hot do they actually become? GCN did a little video on this a while ago, I need to find it again.

A disc will only become hot with prolonged braking on descents. And the rotor is designed to cool down quickly when not being braked on. Something the pros aren't likely to be doing a lot of, and not really around times when there are large pile ups.

Look at the majority of crashes in pro cycling, very few crashes involving the peloton during descents, more crashes involving the peloton on flat sections which involve minimal braking.
 
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I'm really pro discs but I've had pretty bad burns from (stupidly) touching the rotors after a descent. "Oh, that looks/smells hot" "oh...that scar will take a couple of months to heal"

edit: That said, without reading into it further my gut reaction is that this complaint is a bit silly. I could change my mind after more research but I'd be surprised.
 
Saytan said:
I've never really felt the need, but then i'm not that fast. Interestingly for a stopping improvement, it seems to be the fastest people that are most resistant to it.
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Well, in terms of braking from speed, I don't think they help that much, because tyre grip becomes more of an issue.

In the wet however, they are apparently far superior.
 
madindehead said:
Secondly, I doubt a disc rotor is any more dangerous than a chainring.
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I think a big difference is that much more of a disc is exposed. A chainring may be nasty in terms of being essentially serrated and sharp, but most of it is covered by a chain, or has a crank arm or a rider leg in the way. A rear disc is exposed about 75% of the way round.
 
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Realistically I think it's a pretty rare situation where you're going to be injured by a disc rotor. Probably up there with impaling yourself on shattered carbon or something.

It's interesting that quite a few people are quite vehemently opposed to disc brakes (I say as a massive disc brake proponent). To be honest, if you feel safe riding without discs then it's pretty hard to poke a hole in your reasoning. I personally feel safer with them on my commute and on descents and the idea of giving them up really doesn't do it for me. Despite thinking that they're awesome and everyone should have them I can completely see how it's annoying to feel that they're being forced upon people simply as a marketing gimmick though.
 
I'd wonder how discs and tyre technology go forward, on the one hand I'd appreciate having more braking force available - such as on a tricky descent today and trying to make a right turn with brakes full on, arms aching and pretty much naff all happening in the braking force department :rolleyes:

The other hand reminds me it's going to ask more questions of tyre grip and how the front end behaves with more braking force but no suspension....

Course another way is to look at how people are getting on who have now taken the plunge with discs, they're not dropping like flies are they?

Anyhow back to more usual cycling matters, had today booked off for a few of us to do a re-run of the Tan Hill 200k audax route we rode last year, good training for the Majorca 312 and 2 lads didn't finish last year's ride due to a tumble descending Buttertubs leaving one with severe pain to ribs and the other playing good Samaritan to get him and bike back home from Thwaite. Last minute questions about the weather up Yorkshire way led to plan B doing a repeat of Scouting Mam Tor 200K route, adjusted to start locally instead of from Winsford and keeping overall distance similar.

https://www.strava.com/activities/544434056

We fell really lucky with the weather, early fog was a shock but that cleared before we got to Knutsford and the sun was shining nicely by the time we started climbing and wind wasn't too bad either apart from over some of the exposed tops of Staffordshire moorland. Bagged my longest riding distance as well :cool:

Cameo appearance of Speedo Mick going through Sandbach gave some light entertainment too :p
 
Fun route :) Next time you do it let me know as I'd love to join you for it. Wouldn't be hard to join you around Wilmslow and then head home from Sandbach or somewhere.
 
Thomas. PLease. said:
Good riddance. Pointless tech for the road imho.
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This.

Until they obtain a standard and introduce a 100% shift they have no place in the pro peloton. And even if that was to come about, I am not so sure.... I think in 10 years time this ship will have long sailed and brakes will be as they are now in the pro ranks.

I actually never want to have a race bike with stupid discs on it being honest. I think I feel a new "rule" establishing itself.
 
madindehead said:
xdcx said that the LifeLine one was incredibly good: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-essential-torque-wrench-set/
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Everyone should own one of these, for the price they are incredible.
I just fitted all my new Fizik carbon goodies, still in disbelief at what you get for your money with this Lifeline torque wrench.

Park Tools stuff is decent, but it is pretty damn expensive for the pleasure. I am very much a top brand loyal **** but very happy with the Lifeline one.
 
xdcx said:
This.

Until they obtain a standard and introduce a 100% shift they have no place in the pro peloton. And even if that was to come about, I am not so sure.... I think in 10 years time this ship will have long sailed and brakes will be as they are now in the pro ranks.

I actually never want to have a race bike with stupid discs on it being honest. I think I feel a new "rule" establishing itself.
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Exactly. In my experience I've never once been in a scenario where I've wished for more outright stopping power. Sure I've wished for more tyre grip but that is another matter entirely. Crashes don't happen through lack of stopping power, they happen because of lack of grip, or somebody touches a wheel etc. no amount of additional stopping power is going to assist in any of those scenarios.

In addition at amateur level neutral service is already painful enough with 10sp and 11sp. If discs were allowed it would just be pointless.
 
Thomas. PLease. said:
Exactly. In my experience I've never once been in a scenario where I've wished for more outright stopping power. Sure I've wished for more tyre grip but that is another matter entirely. Crashes don't happen through lack of stopping power, they happen because of lack of grip, or somebody touches a wheel etc. no amount of additional stopping power is going to assist in any of those scenarios.

In addition at amateur level neutral service is already painful enough with 10sp and 11sp. If discs were allowed it would just be pointless.
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Would you want them on a winter commuter? Or are you still happy with rim brakes in the wet? More curious than anything. When I used my Tiagra (yes, **** calipers and **** pads) brakes in the wet it was quite scary, but I imagine the Ultegra/Dura Ace stuff is better, and then third party pads above that?

I'm quite surprised we haven't really seen hydraulic calipers. Or is that harder to achieve?
 
Hydraulic rim brake calipers do exist. A company called Magura makes them. I'm not sure what the point is, really, as you still have wet rims to deal with and rim wear. I'm sure the force is formidable, but it doesn't fix the other issues with rim brakes.

I'm planning to build a bike with disc brakes next year, to serve as a winter/wet weather bike. I'll almost certainly go for TRP Spyre cable discs rather than hydraulics, though, as I'm looking at SRAM and their hydraulics aren't as nice to deal with as Shimano (Dot4 rather than mineral oil, which is nasty stuff) and in any case hydraulic systems are expensive and the project is going to run to a grand or so as it is.
 
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