I have enjoyed riding my mountain bike for more than ten years. In recent times it could qualify more as a hybrid bike as a result of alterations I’ve made to add much more comfort to the ride. This grows more important to us once we get older.
The one area in which I believed it had been continually lacking was the brakes. While they are Shimano center pull caliper brakes, they just never perform well in damp weather or muddy conditions. I really was impressed when I recently borrowed a close friends bicycle with new disc brakes. Among the main benefits of bicycle disc brakes is the fantastic all-weather operation. An additional point I truly like is that there isn’t any maintenance needed unlike the standard adjustments needed on cable activated traditional brakes. Once you install the disc brakes, setup the calipers it is possible to merely ignore them.
Not surprisingly if you do decide to upgrade to disc brakes you’ll find them higher priced then traditional rim brakes. But their effectiveness is so good that most will happily pay the purchase price. One other negative could be that the disc brake assemblies and rotor do add a bit of weight to your bike. Again, you need to determine if considering your riding habits, this really is acceptable. Generally to switch to bicycle disc brakes you may need new wheels also. Disc rims cannot be set up on standard hubs used with typical rim brake wheels.
Though it will require some work and additional cost to up grade to bicycle disc brakes, if you’d like much better and consistently improved brake overall performance in all conditions, disc brakes are a good investment. However you must determine if the cost is worthwhile. Truthfully speaking, not everyone actually needs to upgrade to bicycle disc brakes. A lot of riders are quite very pleased with their rim brake and ride in an natural environment where rim brakes manage the job like in flat and dry ground. However as you decide to try more steeper trails and wetter conditions, disc brakes become most valuable. One more point to consider is if you are a 200 lb rider like me, you will really appreciate the improvement in braking power.
I’ve tried the Shimano disc brakes and as with all Shimano bicycle parts, they performed beautifully 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 Tekro disc brakes are all obtainable in kits and as individual components making it possible to suit almost any application needed.
