The performance benefits of disc brakes are well documented, mountain bikes have been running them for years. They offer better performance in all conditions. Aside from brake pad wear they're virtually maintenance free. And they're light.
On the road, disc brakes will allow rim manufacturers to eliminate the brake track on their rims. That means potentially less material required in that part of the rim, which would translate into less rotational weight. And it means not having to manage heat from brake pads that often wreak havoc on carbon fiber. Not to mention eliminating the home science experiment of finding the right brake pads for your carbon rims, if you're running carbon rims. Sounds good, right?
Now for the rest of the story...
Disc brakes are no joke. It seems simple enough, adding a disc brake to a carbon road fork. Well, it's not. And here's why.
Torque: The forces a disc brake applies to a carbon road fork are very different from a traditional rim brake. With brakes being mounted near the axle the fork leg needs to be reinforced (strengthened) to compensate for the torque being applied to it. And it's not just the left leg that needs to be reinforced, it's both. I pray that the run-of-the-mill producers of carbon road disc forks have figured this out. When the caliper grabs the disc brake rotor the entire fork wants to twist under the load. Again, if the fork isn't designed properly it will twist to some degree and that means handling can be compromised. The engineers at Colnago figured this out and designed their carbon disc forks to manage the load appropriately. The folks at Whisky Parts Co. also knew this would be a problem and opted for a thru-axle to unify the fork legs. Thus, they eliminated the problem.
Testing and Compliance: There are no safety or testing standards for carbon road disc forks yet. It's up to the manufacturer of the fork (or the brand buying it off-the-shelf) to blend standards to determine if the fork is safe. And there's absolutely no protocol for twisting legs under disc brake applications. The scary thing is that some off-the-shelf brands don't actually validate testing from their source manufacturer, they accept a report (often written in Chinese) that claims the fork has passed road compliance standards. The challenge there is that you're not actually sure if they've applied the mountain standards for disc brakes to their testing protocol.
Brake Pads: As Tyler from BikeRumor.com learned the hard way, don't assume the brake pads in your caliper are applicable to all riding conditions. Consumers demand quiet brakes. So, manufacturers often specify semi-metallic or organic compound brake pads for the brakes they're installing on a complete bike. And should you buy aftermarket brakes they likely come with semi-metallic brake pads installed. My point is simple, know what brake pads (the compound and it's intended uses) are in your calipers before you ride. Organic pads and 140mm rotors on the steep mountain roads of the Rockies or Smokies are probably a bad idea. The compound isn't designed to manage that much heat. And as Tyler learned you can burn through your pads pretty quickly and loose all braking ability, if you're not careful.
I'm not suggesting that disc brakes are unsafe. What I am suggesting is that you know your equipment. Most riders will probably never have a problem with their forks or brakes. All I'm suggesting is that you ask the questions and keep yourself informed.
Are disc brakes on road bikes a good idea? Yes, they are. Does it pay you to know your equipment and not to assume? Yes, it does.
I don't see many companies talking about these issues or educating their customers around disc brake usage, maintenance or set-up on road bikes. If it were me, I'd have service and sales bulletins going out to every dealer, all the sales people and anyone else I could think to include. Why? Because rather than avoiding the issue or underplaying it I'd prefer to be the leader in the conversation. Take ownership, lead the way and show your customers that you're on their side. Simple.
Testing and Compliance: There are no safety or testing standards for carbon road disc forks yet. It's up to the manufacturer of the fork (or the brand buying it off-the-shelf) to blend standards to determine if the fork is safe. And there's absolutely no protocol for twisting legs under disc brake applications. The scary thing is that some off-the-shelf brands don't actually validate testing from their source manufacturer, they accept a report (often written in Chinese) that claims the fork has passed road compliance standards. The challenge there is that you're not actually sure if they've applied the mountain standards for disc brakes to their testing protocol.
Brake Pads: As Tyler from BikeRumor.com learned the hard way, don't assume the brake pads in your caliper are applicable to all riding conditions. Consumers demand quiet brakes. So, manufacturers often specify semi-metallic or organic compound brake pads for the brakes they're installing on a complete bike. And should you buy aftermarket brakes they likely come with semi-metallic brake pads installed. My point is simple, know what brake pads (the compound and it's intended uses) are in your calipers before you ride. Organic pads and 140mm rotors on the steep mountain roads of the Rockies or Smokies are probably a bad idea. The compound isn't designed to manage that much heat. And as Tyler learned you can burn through your pads pretty quickly and loose all braking ability, if you're not careful. I'm not suggesting that disc brakes are unsafe. What I am suggesting is that you know your equipment. Most riders will probably never have a problem with their forks or brakes. All I'm suggesting is that you ask the questions and keep yourself informed.
Are disc brakes on road bikes a good idea? Yes, they are. Does it pay you to know your equipment and not to assume? Yes, it does.
I don't see many companies talking about these issues or educating their customers around disc brake usage, maintenance or set-up on road bikes. If it were me, I'd have service and sales bulletins going out to every dealer, all the sales people and anyone else I could think to include. Why? Because rather than avoiding the issue or underplaying it I'd prefer to be the leader in the conversation. Take ownership, lead the way and show your customers that you're on their side. Simple.
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