In
June 2010, the
UCI announced they would allow disc brakes for cyclo-cross
and techno geeks rejoiced. They knew the rule reversal was the first step
to seeing the technology trickle to the road, and trickle it will.
So
for that reason alone, discs have clear benefits for road bikes, and
still there are a host of other advantages:
- Better modulation, which is more important in braking
performance than power (of course, there's the possibility of more
power too)
- The ability to build new rim shapes that are more aero,
more compliant or stronger, due to the fact that they don’t have to
accommodate a brake track
- Faster wheel changes, especially between wheels
equipped with different rim shapes
- Possibility of less rotational weight, due to the
reduced material needs of a brake-track-free rim
- The ability to further tune chassis components
(seatstays, fork) for ride characteristics, rather than reinforce them to
accommodate brakes
- The consistency, durability and adverse condition
performance of hydraulics versus mechanical systems
- Ending premature wear to rims and wheels by moving
braking wear to a rotor
- No need for ultra expensive carbon-rim-specific
brake pads
- And, for advanced users, a new ability to drive their
bikes with their brakes
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