Disk Brakes Or Hydraulic Rim Brakes

[Snell]

Hi im wondering which is better disk brakes or hydraulic rim brakes?

[Ullapool Trials Rider]

Well, disk brakes seem to work well in all weather ( not all types of disk are like this ). And some hydraulic rim brakes on a grind can work well in all weather. Rim brakes tend to have better bite, but as said disks usually work in all weather (like wet,muddy, dry conditions).

[marcus heath]

i think hydraulic are better cuz u can damage disc brakes easier .

[rupintart]

Pretty much boils down like above mate said.

HS33 pros:

Strongest grab (physics)

Nothing obtrusive to bash on

Plenty of pad options

Cons:

Crossover hose easy to break if no booster

PITA to bleed

You have to grind your rim for them to work perfectly

Disc pros:

Quiet

same performance regardless of conditions

great modulation

Disc cons:

Slightly heavier wheel build

You can bend rotors which is the biggest detractor of all

You'll have fanboys of each saying X is better than X because of X. Meh...just get whichever you feel like getting, the one that your frame is designed for, and whatever fits your budget.

You'll have a tons of people even be huge fans of Vees for the rear. Same pros and cons as HS33's except no bleeding, less to break, simpler, and cheaper. Thing that sucks about Vees is you pretty much have to know how to set them up good or they'll suck. Two people can have the same set-up and they can feel completely different. Generally speaking you should have XTR levers, XTR cables and a good set of pads and a booster, or they're useless.

Edited January 1, 2010 by rupintart

[max-t]

Both offer their pros and cons.

Many Trials riders prefer to use a rim brake on the rear, because generally they offer better hold if set up well and a disc brake up front for more modulation, to help with things like stoppies and front wheel moves etc. Having said that though there are many mod riders nowadays that go down the dual disc route. Discs can be pretty damn powerful on mods but not so much on stock, because of the laws of physics. (bigger wheels)

Discs can be hard to maintain as well and are a lot easier to break than a rim brake because of the rotor being vulnerable to hitting. With rim brakes, they are generally more tucked away. If anything should go wrong, the rim brake is generally cheaper to repair than a disc also. Also, if you have some big ass rotors on there, they can weigh a lot more that the rim brakes.

EDIT: Yer, pretty much what the guy above me said.

Edited January 1, 2010 by max-t

[Snell]

Both offer their pros and cons.

Many Trials riders prefer to use a rim brake on the rear, because generally they offer better hold if set up well and a disc brake up front for more modulation, to help with things like stoppies and front wheel moves etc. Having said that though there are many mod riders nowadays that go down the dual disc route. Discs can be pretty damn powerful on mods but not so much on stock, because of the laws of physics. (bigger wheels)

Discs can be hard to maintain as well and are a lot easier to break than a rim brake because of the rotor being vulnerable to hitting. With rim brakes, they are generally more tucked away. If anything should go wrong, the rim brake is generally cheaper to repair than a disc also. Also, if you have some big ass rotors on there, they can weigh a lot more that the rim brakes.

EDIT: Yer, pretty much what the guy above me said.

What do you mean by modulation?

[rupintart]

What do you mean by modulation?

It's more like a regular brake, i.e. it's not an on-off switch like HS33s with a grind are.

[Snell]

Oh ok.

[josh barker]

theres no such thing as a better one, its down to self preference.

maggies are very good as you can try all different pads and rim surfaces.

with disk's they offer very good modulation and performance but some can make the back end of the bike feel heavy.