Can you use Bicycle Disc Brakes?
I have loved riding my mountain bike for more than a decade. In recent times it might qualify much more as a hybrid bicycle as a result of alterations I’ve made to add a lot more comfort to the ride. This grows more necessary to us once we mature.
The one area in which I believed it was always lacking was the brakes. While they are Shimano center pull caliper brakes, they simply do not perform well in damp weather or muddy conditions. So I was impressed when I recently borrowed a close friends bicycle with new disc brakes. Among the main advantages of bicycle disc brakes is the great all-weather performance. One more point I really like is there is no maintenance needed in contrast to the regular adjustments needed on cable activated standard brakes. When you install the disc brakes, setup the calipers you are able to simply ignore them.
Of course should you opt to upgrade to disc brakes you’ll find them more expensive then conventional rim brakes. However their overall performance is so great that most will happily pay the price. One other negative is that the disc brake assemblies and rotor do add a bit of weight to your bicycle. Again, you must determine if considering your riding habits, this can be suitable. Generally to switch to bicycle disc brakes you may need new wheels also. Disc rims can’t be installed on regular hubs used with typical rim brake wheels.
Though it will take some work and additional cost to up grade to bicycle disc brakes, if you need much better and consistently improved brake overall performance in all conditions, disc brakes are a great investment. However you have to evaluate if the price is worth it. Truthfully speaking, not everybody truly needs to upgrade to bicycle disc brakes. Many riders are quite pleased with their rim brake and ride in an natural environment where rim brakes manage the job for example in flat and dry terrain. However as you take to more steeper trails and wetter conditions, disc brakes become best. Another issue to think about is if you’re a 200 lb rider as i am, you’ll truly 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, in line with reports, Avid disc brakes, Hayes disc brakes, and Tektro disc brakes are all easily obtainable in kits and as separate components making it possible to suit any kind of application needed.
This entry was posted on Monday, June 28th, 2010 at 3:18 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.