There’s a debate among road cyclists over whether disc brakes are better for safety and performance than the long-used, traditional rim brakes.
Do they work better? Are they easy to maintain? Are they aerodynamic?
The answer to the first question has been pretty much established as a yes, particularly on wet roads, and in very hot weather.
And no doubt because the pro peloton regularly rides on wet roads and occasionally in ridiculously hot weather, the UCI, cycling’s governing body, is changing its rules. It will allow road bikes to have disc brakes in 2017.
Observers predict that not long after that, disc brakes will become standard on road bikes, just as they are on mountain bikes.
There is no shortage of logic to the change, though traditionalists are barking that it’s just not necessary, the good ol’ rim brakes work great. What’s not to like?
But it looks like disc brakes are the best technological answer to safely and efficiently slowing down carbon wheels, which are used by pros and pretty much everybody else these days.
The pro-disc crowd points out that carbon rims don’t provide a consistent braking surface, and when wet, just slip and slide and don’t slow wheels down at all when brakes are applied.
This is absolutely true. Not only is such a scenario a hair-raising experience, it can lead to a nasty crash. A ride I did in the rain a few years ago had a very steep descent, it seemed like I was literally riding down a wall of wet pavement. And even as I squeezed hard on my rim brakes, they slowed but couldn’t stop me. They squealed loudly in protest all the way down. Since I live in a dry climate this is almost a non-issue for me. But for riders who have to ride on wet roads on a routine basis, it’s a huge deal.
Aside from that, carbon rims also conduct heat and that’s a problem in hot weather. Rim brakes have been blamed for building up enough heat on carbon rims to blow up tires in the searing heat of the Tour of Qatar this year.
Heat-caused blown up tires is another unsafe scenario. The 2014 Amgen Tour of California had a stage that passed through mountains descending into the 110-degree-plus May heat of Palm Springs in Southern California. And while no tire blow-ups took place then from brakes overheating carbon rims, it was only luck that they didn’t. The winding descent into Palm Springs was fast and technical, and any riders having their tires explode then while riding curves at high speed and high heat, surely would have been hard pressed to keep from crashing.
But opinions pro and con on this still abound.
Here’s a good road test of a road bike with disc brakes, which answered a lot of questions I had. Check it out…
Ya just never know…
I’ve found when I go out on my go-to ride of 51 miles, an out and back, I never really know how it will go until after the first few miles. It’s then that I do a little inventory on two key indicators: My overall energy level, and how my legs feel. For me they kind of go together. But not always. It’s a little bit different every time.
Like sometimes my brain tells my legs to go, and they have pretty much nothing. They feel mushy, drained of strength. Then I can do one of two things: Listen to the legs and just ratchet down the pace. Or do a Jens Voigt, tell them to shut up and push them into a higher pace.
That sometimes works, sometimes not. I’ve found it usually only works when another rider passes me and I want to see if I can catch his/her wheel. Then, my brain is jolted with an energizing idea, the legs are told to go, forget about being listless, chase that rider.
Sometimes the legs respond and after an initial acceleration that blows away the cobwebs, they settle into a nice, faster pace. That pace can last for several miles and be enough to catch the rider.
Or, it can flame out. When that happens, the legs are drained of any power that may have been residing in the recesses of their muscles, and they back off. Because they seriously got nothin’ left. Not gonna do it.
Other times, the legs feel fresh and strong for the whole ride, no whipping into shape necessary.
This past week, I had two consecutive days when I had time to ride. The first day was windy, and when I got out on the trail, even with a tail wind, I had nothing. My legs felt like they had oatmeal in them. The ride back home, into 25 miles of mostly headwinds, was just a head down, lead- legged pedal.
The second day was just as windy, if not a bit windier, and I set out thinking, Oh man, this looks like another slog in the wind. But strangely, I had a lot of gas in the tank for some unknown reason, and my legs felt strong, free and easy. I rode a strong pace with the tailwind out and was able to ride into the headwind on the return with a nice tempo. I finished 15 minutes earlier than the day before.
I was amazed at the difference in energy in the two days, but really can’t point to anything to explain it. It really just reminded me that you really don’t know how you’re going to feel on the bike until you get out there. It’s tough to call. At least for the amateur roadie without a team cook, massages and other things to help bring on consistently fast riding.
Why we ride our bikes
Out on the trail, coming in the opposite direction the other day, I saw a rider on a fat-tire bike. He had a big beard, and a cowboy hat, and looked to be in total bliss traversing back and forth in his lane. It was great to see. He was a person completely loving his experience riding his bike, so much into it, fully immersed in a heavenly mindset. That’s why we all ride bikes, I thought to myself. We know that freedom that a bicycle gives us, and no doubt about it, it can be pretty darn close to a religious experience.
Til next time, remember to pull on a helmet every time you get on the bike. Then keep the rubber side down, ride safely, and above all, have a blast.
--Mark Eric Larson
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