Cycling is changing day by day. Bicycle manufacturers dedicate millions of euros every year to developing technical innovations and launching new products. In mountain biking, the arrival of 27.5" wheels first, and then 29" wheels, changed the market. Who wants a 26" bike now? In the road cycling segment, the last major innovation that seems to be aiming to renew the fleet of these types of bikes is disc brakes. It's not strange to think that all this is simply a strategy to sell more bikes. That's why there are many skeptical enthusiasts in this regard.

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But the same thing happened when the new wheel sizes arrived for mountain bikes. Few enthusiasts initially welcomed the change to 29” wheels. In the end, time has proven the design engineers right, and the sector has almost completely renewed itself. Will the same happen with disc brakes on the road? Is this an innovation that has come to change the market, or is it simply a trend?

Advantages of disc brakes

According to my experience using road bikes with disc brakes, and the feedback from everyone who has used them, the main advantages of disc brakes on the road are a more progressive, less abrupt braking, and the ability for harder braking. On the other hand, there is the excellent performance in rain or simply on wet asphalt, but this can be partly disregarded, since most users do not ride road bikes in these conditions. In any case, it is a point to consider.

Disadvantages of disc brakes

Next, we are going to explain what the disadvantages of this type of brake are compared to traditional rim brakes.

1. Weight

Both professional teams and those amateurs who practice cycling intensely, criticize disc brakes for the extra weight they entail. We are talking about more than 300 grams difference compared to a set of rim brakes in the same range (Ultegra, in this case).

2. Danger

The discs themselves, like the chainrings, become a cutting element exposed to the cyclist in case of a fall . It is true that there have not been too many cases of injuries caused by disc brakes in the international peloton, but it is a fear that exists among professionals and amateurs, and it should not be ignored. In fact, the UCI banned them after an accident in 2016 where a cut was caused on a knee due to contact with the front disc.

3. Price

While maintenance should not be much higher than that of a rim brake group (the pads cost approximately the same as brake shoes, as we will see later), it is true that the initial outlay is considerably higher, and in the event of a crash and the need to buy components, their prices skyrocket. For example, a Shimano 105 lever for hydraulic disc brakes has a retail price of €429, while the same lever for caliper or rim brakes does not reach €180. All this is before any possible discounts.

Wheel behavior

While it is true that wheels with discs have had less time to mature on the market, and therefore more issues with tension distribution (it is common for them to become untrue, at least in mid and lower ranges), nowadays with 142mm thru-axles they offer an advantage in convenience for any cyclist who needs to frequently remove and install wheels. In fact, they are more convenient than caliper brake wheels, since you only have to remove the axle and the wheel is off.

After several conversations with wheel manufacturers, we can confirm that the idea is that in 2 years these will be almost as light and reliable as caliper brake wheels, since work is being done on better materials for the discs, whether Center Lock or 6-bolt type.

Maintenance costs

In this regard, we have a tie. Caliper brakes require periodic replacement of cables and brake shoes, while disc brakes need oil changes, bleeding, and replacement pads. We do not see an excessive extra cost. For comparison, we can note that the price of a set of Ultegra brake shoes is about €14, while heat-dissipating pads of the same range are around €15. There is no significant price difference, although there is in performance.

What do the professionals think?

Recently, in an interview with Iván G. Cortina, from Bahrain-Merida, there was discussion about disc brakes. The cyclist from Gijón expressed his skepticism in this regard, due to the lack of maturity in the development of reliable wheels, and especially in relation to the weight of the brake set. [irp posts="1341" name=" Disc brakes are the biggest innovation I have seen on a bicycle""] A World Tour bike has a 6.8kg limit, and with this change we can exceed 7kg. Nevertheless, both he and the rest of the international peloton are already using this braking system both in spring classics (Nice, Roubaix, Amstel Gold Race, etc.), as well as in grand tours. This was the case in the last Giro d'Italia, where the rain forced most riders to use bikes with this type of brakes.

What will happen to bicycles with rim brakes?

We are at a point of no return. Technology in cycling, as in any other business sector, advances to achieve better products, better experiences and, let’s be clear, more sales. In this case, just as happened with 26” mountain bikes, sooner or later, road bikes with rim brakes will be phased out of the market. It should be noted that in road cycling, the figure of the purist is much more deeply rooted, and we do not believe these bikes will disappear completely from the roads. In any case, evolution in any area is undeniable and, in this case, disc brakes on road bikes offer us more advantages than disadvantages.