I have enjoyed using my mountain bicycle for upwards of ten years. In recent times it might qualify more as a hybrid bike due to changes I’ve made to add a lot more comfort to the ride. This grows more necessary to us as we grow older.
One area where I believed it had been always lacking was the brakes. Even though they are Shimano center pull caliper brakes, they just will not perform well in damp weather or muddy conditions. So I was impressed when I recently borrowed a close friends bike with new disc brakes. One of many major benefits of bicycle disc brakes may be the excellent all-weather performance. Another point I really like is that there isn’t any maintenance necessary as opposed to the standard adjustments required on cable activated traditional brakes. When you install the disc brakes, setup the calipers you are able to just ignore them.
Needless to say should you opt to upgrade to disc brakes you will find them higher priced then traditional rim brakes. But their functionality is so great that many will gladly pay the purchase price. The other negative would be that the disc brake assemblies and rotor do add some weight to your bicycle. Again, you need to evaluate if considering your riding habits, this is suitable. Generally to change to bicycle disc brakes you may need new wheels also. Disc rims can’t be set up on standard hubs used with typical rim brake wheels.
Even though it will require some work and additional cost to up grade to bicycle disc brakes, if you need far better and consistently improved brake performance in most conditions, disc brakes make the perfect investment. But you need to determine if the cost is worthwhile. Truthfully speaking, not everyone actually has to upgrade to bicycle disc brakes. Lots of riders are very happy with their rim brake and ride in an natural environment where rim brakes manage the job such as in flat and dry ground. However when you take to more steeper trails and wetter conditions, disc brakes become most effective. One more issue to consider is if you’re a 200 lb rider like me, you will truly appreciate the improvement in braking power.
I’ve tried the Shimano disc brakes and as with all Shimano bicycle parts, they performed flawlessly under just about any conditions from mountain trails to riding through creek beds.
Besides Shimano, based on reviews, Avid disc brakes, Hayes disc brakes, and Tekro disc brakes are all available in kits and as individual components making it likely to match almost any application needed.