# Disc Brakes vs. Cantilever



## KThump (Mar 5, 2008)

Hi,

I am looking to purchase my first cross bike this spring. It will be for all around training and hopefully a cross race or two per year. I've noticed a few manufacturers are now offering disc brakes. Is this a growing trend in cross? Will the CX elite shun me for bringing discs to a race? Thanks.


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## colinr (Nov 20, 2006)

This topic has been addressed before, try this searching the cx forum for "disc" inthe post title (under advanced search). I just tried it and found a bunch of discussions.

People are pretty opinionated about it so you'll probably get some more responses here as well.

I would say it's not a growing trend, more like an established niche. 

Pros: 
Rotors stay drier than rims = less variation in braking when wet/muddy vs dry.
Discs have potentially more stopping power, although you may not need it
Less mainentance and no toe-in issues

Cons:
Heavier
Not as "pro"
Banned in UCI
Could theoretically cut someone in a crash, but come on, you have a lot of stuff on your bike that meets that description

I'm sure I missed a few, but that's the basic overview.

I would run discs, except there are no disc tabs on my ebay bike and I have UCI dreams.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

KThump said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am looking to purchase my first cross bike this spring. It will be for all around training and hopefully a cross race or two per year. I've noticed a few manufacturers are now offering disc brakes. Is this a growing trend in cross? Will the CX elite shun me for bringing discs to a race? Thanks.


Yer biggest problem with discs is gonna be wheel availability, plain and simple. There's just not a whole lot of selection of disc road wheels. At least, that's what i discovered when I got my Las Cruces, which is spaced for 135 hubs...

130 spacing, there are all manner of cheap and strong wheels- someone's always running a deal on ultegra hubbed open pro wheels, but for 135... not so much. 

Figure you can get 130 hubs fairly light and cheap. Light disc 135s get spendy pretty quick. Disc 130s are almost non-existent.

29er wheels are becoming more of an option, but the cheap ones are super heavy and have really wide rims, the good ones are pricey.

my 2 cents.


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## goldsbar (Apr 24, 2002)

Disc brakes stop you. 

Cantis just slow you down. Sometimes. Unless it's wet. Or Steep. Especially if there's a car slowing down in front of you on a wet, steep road. I can certify that brake cables are nearly impossible to break.

Lot's of people claim you can get good braking power from cantis but I haven't been able to achieve it. Many cross racers don't care because they generally only need to bleed some speed every so often.


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## marty_hd (Feb 19, 2008)

buck-50 said:


> Yer biggest problem with discs is gonna be wheel availability, plain and simple. There's just not a whole lot of selection of disc road wheels. At least, that's what i discovered when I got my Las Cruces, which is spaced for 135 hubs...
> 
> 130 spacing, there are all manner of cheap and strong wheels- someone's always running a deal on ultegra hubbed open pro wheels, but for 135... not so much.
> 
> ...


I am in the same boat as the OP, I have a Redline Conquest frame coming my way as my first cross bike. 
Was wondering about some of those cheap mavic A317 wheelsets that are in the bay every now and then with disc hubs? Any good?

Also, any suggestions for brake levers? I am going to run avid-bb7s mountain brakes because I already have them. Are there any hydro discs that can be used with drop bars? 

Cheers,
Marty


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

marty_hd said:


> I am in the same boat as the OP, I have a Redline Conquest frame coming my way as my first cross bike.
> Was wondering about some of those cheap mavic A317 wheelsets that are in the bay every now and then with disc hubs? Any good?
> 
> Also, any suggestions for brake levers? I am going to run avid-bb7s mountain brakes because I already have them. Are there any hydro discs that can be used with drop bars?
> ...


My frame has canti-studs as well as disc mounts, so I'm just running cantis. cheap and easy. And, I can still cram a regular road wheel in and ride it if I feel like it. 

Wheels were custom built on xtr hubs. 

Discs really seem to limit your flexibility...


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## Kris Flatlander (Sep 9, 2006)

marty_hd said:


> Also, any suggestions for brake levers? I am going to run avid-bb7s mountain brakes because I already have them.


DON'T DO THIS!

Mountain disc brakes are much different than road disc brakes. If you have any thoughts on using a drop bar and the matching brakes the cable pull will not work with your mountain brakes. You will need to get the Road Specific BB7's. Or get a Travel Agent (mixed reviews on these), which basically makes up for the differences in cable pull.


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

Ugh, wheel availability is key. My disc bike is using 135mm spaced mountain hubs. I stretch the frame out from the 130mm stock spacing.

I don't have UCI dreams and people look at me funny when I show up to road races on my freakbike. Whatever.


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## Streetking (Jan 5, 2007)

buck-50 said:


> Yer biggest problem with discs is gonna be wheel availability, plain and simple. There's just not a whole lot of selection of disc road wheels. At least, that's what i discovered when I got my Las Cruces, which is spaced for 135 hubs...
> .


 

For 135mm spacing, it is no problem to get a wheelset.....

For shimano, you can use any mtb disc hub. Rims could be mavic open pro, cxp 33/22 or dt rr 1.1/1.2. 

For campagnolo, you can use a tune king/kong or a dt 240s disc hubs, change the freewheelset from shimano to the campa and thats it.

By the way, i don't understand why some manufactures of cc-frames use for their disc-option frames 130mm rear spacing?


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

Streetking said:


> By the way, i don't understand why some manufactures of cc-frames use for their disc-option frames 130mm rear spacing?


Yes, this is totally misguided.


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## meat tooth paste (Oct 6, 2004)

For me, I ride dry conditions went for v-brakes. 

Although that Salsa Las Cruces frame is sweet looking, made me think twice, but went my Tricross frame instead in the end.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

Streetking said:


> For 135mm spacing, it is no problem to get a wheelset.....
> 
> For shimano, you can use any mtb disc hub. Rims could be mavic open pro, cxp 33/22 or dt rr 1.1/1.2.
> 
> ...


Cheap, prebuilt 700c wheelsets with 135 spaced hubs are few and far between...

but yeah, there is no shortage of 135 hubs, as long as you don't mind building up a wheelset. I got a wicked nice set built for my las cruces, but they weren't cheap.

What I don't like with the 135 spacing is that I really can't just buy off-the-shelf wheels. and that kinda sux.


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## marty_hd (Feb 19, 2008)

buck-50 said:


> Cheap, prebuilt 700c wheelsets with 135 spaced hubs are few and far between...
> 
> but yeah, there is no shortage of 135 hubs, as long as you don't mind building up a wheelset. I got a wicked nice set built for my las cruces, but they weren't cheap.
> 
> What I don't like with the 135 spacing is that I really can't just buy off-the-shelf wheels. and that kinda sux.


Seems like there quite a few 29er wheelsets that periodically show up on ebay w/ 135 rear disc hubs that might fit the bill. Having said that I am a total cross newbie so I don't really know how wide of a rim is too wide. But there are the occasional Salsa Delgado Cross wheelsets with disc hubs being sold as 29er wheels.


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

I had no trouble building a set of wheels up for my Las Cruces around King ISO Disc hubs, which are 135mm. They were expensive... but that was a given... plenty of disc hubs out there though. There are a few selections for mechanical road disc brakes too. Shimano BR 505R, Avid BB7, Hope and Magura now has a road disc.


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

Dajianshan said:


> I had no trouble building a set of wheels up for my Las Cruces around King ISO Disc hubs, which are 135mm. They were expensive... but that was a given... plenty of disc hubs out there though. There are a few selections for mechanical road disc brakes too. Shimano BR 505R, Avid BB7, Hope and Magura now has a road disc.


I used CK ISO hubs as well. 

What brakes are you referring to from Hope and Magura? I have not seen any road offerings. They are known for their lightweight MTB brakes so you perked my interest. I shed weigh off my disc brake set using Alligator serrated rotors (net 40 gr reduction per rotor down to 90gr/rotor) and using Ti rotor bolts.


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

My builder was showing me the catalogues.. I don't remember the numbers. I had to pass because the Magura rotors were HOT PINK. Their website is a bear to navigate.


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## KThump (Mar 5, 2008)

*Thanks for all the feedback*

I appreciate everyone's input. For I want / hope to do, it sounds like cantis are the easy choice. I will most likely be buying a complete bike - so many more options with cantilever brakes. I have it narrowed down to the Felt F1X, Jake The Snake and Fuji Cross Pro. They are all with $100 of each other on price at my LBS's. Fuji has the definite advantage on components, though there is something about the Jake that I like.


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## elmar schrauth (Feb 19, 2007)

i wanted discbrakes for years .
then i put min-vnow on my bakes .
i dont want them anymore ..
i ride them since 3 years now .
15-20 cyclocrossraces/ year and 10 roaddraces /year.
light ( 102 Gramms tuned), excellent power ,every wheel fits , everybakeepad works with every rim .even supercheap ones .
.


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## MIN in PDX (Nov 29, 2007)

I think people can save a lot of compatibility headaches with canti or mini-Vs. My bike is 18# so I don't necessarily feel constrained my the weight but compatibility is huge. I recently flatted at a race and there was obviously nothing in the support car I could use. With that said, I like my disc brakes and wouldn't give it up.


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