700cc with disk brakes

MikeParkin65

Can anyone suggest a bike with 700cc and with disk brakes? The list I have so far is

Charge Mixer
Ridgeback R25
Boardman Hybrid

Of the above, the Mixer appears sold out - most suppliers are expecting to restock in November or December, the Ridgeback is a limited edition of just 100 - and I'm told that the factory has no stock whilst the Boardman seems to attract constant criticism of the rear brake and associated vibration through the frame.

So what else is there? My employer has just joined the bike to work scheme so I'm hoping to make a purchase of something truly all weather capable yet still fast enough to be fun. By definition not a mountain bike! My preference is for hydraulic brakes because I've read that cable discs loose their efficiency relatively quickly but I've no experience of didk brakes so I'll stand correction form those who know!

Any suggestions appreciated.

ride_whenever

you could buy a rigid 29er and fit slicks.

el_presidente

there's a trek cross bike w/ disks I think

GrantyBoy

I noticed a Focus Cyclocross with disc's the other day on Wiggle. Looks a nice machine.

cupofteacp

I think Kona Dr Dew

DevUK

Trek 7.5FX DISC. I have the 7.5FX (non disc) and like it

Can't seem to find the disc version on the trek site though, but they do one called the "Soho".

Fixedweasel

Cotic Roadrat

philbill1973

Ive just bought a Felt QX85, lovely looking bike, haven't ridden it yet tho' as I've put my back out.
Others I looked at were Merida S'presso 500-D, Cannondale Badboy 700, Trek soho 4.0 and Ridgeback Nemesis/Storm/Tempest.

Good luck

redddraggon

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Focus ... 360031290/

Best of both worlds, drops and discs

georgee

wow, that focus is spot on, if only a way to fit conventional mud guards and i'd go out and buy one right now as my winter bike.

phil_ss1

Why not fit some race blades, they come on and off easily.

Another bike is the Specialized Sirrus Sport Disc like mine!

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkMode ... spid=21809

Phil

damianmc

Trek Portland?

garryac

Kona Sutra

SJLcp

Don't be put off by cable operated discs - I have a Cannondale crosser with AVID road disc brakes and they are excellent - not as much ultimate stopping power as hydraulics but still very good and they last the pace - my dale is 3 yrs old now and get commutted reguarly and the brakes are still going strong - its got secondary brake levers on the tops so you can ride along head up and still whack the brakes on full - and they work in the rain!

That Focus with Shimano cable discs looks very good too!

meanwhile

Cotic Roadrat. Two top tube lengths for each size - choose the short for drops unless you are a mutant. Can take discs or v brakes, and arguably has the best disc brake fork available. Your LBS can order the frame and fork for £260, or you could go (if your B2W scheme allows it) to www.18bikes.co.uk.

The Roadrat can virtually any 700c tyre and it can take fenders and racks for commuting. There are reviews in Bikes & Gear here. The overall vibe is of a sort of ultimate courier bike that's a racer/bmx influenced mtb hybrid, which also works well as a crosser and tourer.

Powertrain wise, the Cotic seems to be able to run anything - I've seen Ultegra, Alfine IGH, singlespeed, fixed. Oh, and it can use 29er and even 26 inch disc brake wheels as well as 700c, and will use either road or MTB hubs.

If you want it as a drop bar, you can either the road version of BB7s and virtually any lever, or regular discs and DiaCompe 287Vs and separate shifters. If you want a flat bar, then you that's even easier.

www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/r ... drat-10010

www.cotic.co.uk/roadrat/

MikeParkin65

Thanks for all the replies. There are far more options available than I imagined! That Focus is certainly tempting although a 'Meanwhile' above has hinted, our Bike to Work scheme aren't keen on buying over the net at the moment. The Focus led me to look at other cycle cross machines, of which quite a few have at the least the option of disks. Examples included one from Cannondale and an absolutely beautiful La Cruz (although I couldn't even find a UK distributor so or B2W team would be even less impressed! It’s a shame the Specialized Tricross doesn't have a disk option.

I'm still weighing up the options and there is no rush because I already have a good bike in service (2006 Raleigh Venture Pioneer) but thanks again for all the contributions here.

Peyote

Been riding one of these:

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 155c002912

For the past 1000 miles, very happy with it I am! It was a toss up between the above and a Kona Sutra.

GrantyBoy

just curious, why are you keen to have disc's?

meanwhile

Granty -

Discs give instant and full power braking in wet weather - unlike rim brakes. This is especially useful because bicycle tyres don't hydroplane in the wet, so with weather proof braking your stopping distance is the same in the wet as in the dry.

The bike Peyote is wearing looks a terrific deal - BB5 discs and drops, a compact frame with alu tube that's designed to be springy, and only £600 - a bargain compared to, say, the Trek Portland. But I don't think EBC did the bike any favours calling it the "Country Explorer" - I bet they'd sell twice as many with a sexier name and picture.

Shimnolo

Don't forget Edinburgh Cycles' Courier Race. I'm on my second and they are brilliant value at £320.
The Tektro cable discs are simply stunning, they'll stop you whatever the weather and without fuss, and I've not noticed any deterioration over time.

If there is a downside, it's the tyres. The Conti Sport Contacts are a little heavy for me and I shall swap for Gatorskins when they wear out. But not before.

It comes with rack mounts; it takes full mudguards and it has decent Alivio cogs and my favourite WTB saddle.

Got to be bargain of the decade.

MikeParkin65

Wet weather braking is what is driving my interest in disk brakes. My commute involves some fast downhills on main urban roads. The Tekro Oryx canti's on my Raliegh are fine in the dry but the performance drop in the wet is significant. I've tried various pads and found some better than others but all drop thier performance in the wet. I've got Mavic Askium wheels and these have a better braking surface than the original Alexrims.

I'm looking for a wet weather ride thats fast and offers something different to the Raliegh

GrantyBoy

I've always found a well set up pair of V brakes to be fine for on the road, but can understand if you need to go down the disc route.

That Focus does look very appealing the more I look at it.

il_principe

MikeParkin65 wrote:

Wet weather braking is what is driving my interest in disk brakes. My commute involves some fast downhills on main urban roads. The Tekro Oryx canti's on my Raliegh are fine in the dry but the performance drop in the wet is significant. I've tried various pads and found some better than others but all drop thier performance in the wet. I've got Mavic Askium wheels and these have a better braking surface than the original Alexrims.

I'm looking for a wet weather ride thats fast and offers something different to the Raliegh

You don't need Discs. This years Etape was soaking wet, I descended the Tourmalet at speeds of around 40mph in the wet with cold hands and had no braking issues whatsoever. If caliper brakes are good enough to stop pro riders in the wet then they're good enough for the likes of you and me. Just buy a bike with Shimano or Campagnolo brakes and you'll be absolutely fine, although for added security you can buy wet weather pads (kool stop sell some good ones). Discs are unnecessary and will just add weight.

andymiller

If caliper brakes are good enough to stop pro riders in the wet then they're good enough for the likes of you and me.

Agree that you don't need disc brakes, but the needs/priorities/skills of pro riders are completely different from those of normal people buying a bike for general commuting. So what they may or may not be riding with is pretty irrelevant.

il_principe

I don't get it. It's not just that you don't need them, it's a case of them being a pointless on roadbikes... I mean you can lock a wheel with rim brakes on a roadbike so why would you want discs when surely you run the risk of locking up much more easily with potentially disastrous consequences.

cee

meanwhile wrote:

Granty -

Discs give instant and full power braking in wet weather - unlike rim brakes. This is especially useful because bicycle tyres don't hydroplane in the wet, so with weather proof braking your stopping distance is the same in the wet as in the dry.

I think I might disagree with this (although have no experience of 700cc tyres so sould be off the mark...)

Surely in the wet it would be much easier to break traction and lock the wheel? Not so much a hydroplaneing?sp? issue (where the tyre has a bed of water underneath it and floats across the surface) but more that wet weather tends to drive all the filthy fuel out of the tarmac making it super slippy.

Dunston_checks_in

@jashburnham

But it's precisely this issue that makes disc brakes so desirable in my view.

The key difference is that the extra power of disc allows you to modulate your braking power (in both the wet and the dry) much more effectively. This means you are much LESS likely to lock up and can apply your brakes in a much more controlled and controllable manner.

Incidentally, I have Ultegras on my road bike which will stop me dead if I want them too. But that's just the problem: they're a bit 'on or off' in the dry, and unpredicatble in the wet. In contrast, the discs on my mountain bike are totally confidence inspiring under all conditions...

il_principe

I'd imagine locking your brakes on a fast wet descent would be fairly terrifying... I don't pretend do be an expert but surely the smaller tire/tarmac contact on a roadbike makes it easier to lock brakes anyway? I just can't see that the OP is gonna be in a situation that will actually require discs while on a roadbike... unless he's gonna be descending an alp in a monsoon.

ride_whenever

I think it is more the consistancy that he is looking for rather than the absolute power, with discs you can fairly accurately guage how much a given effort will effect your speed and grip, regardless of weather.

The other issue is that you'll require less effort to brake, my experience with low end road brakes is that they leave a lot to be desired in terms of control, perhaps that is what he is looking for? If you can lock the wheels with a hard squeeze of two fingers, then with one you can effortlessly and precisely control yourself.

meanwhile

cee wrote:

meanwhile wrote:

Granty -

Discs give instant and full power braking in wet weather - unlike rim brakes. This is especially useful because bicycle tyres don't hydroplane in the wet, so with weather proof braking your stopping distance is the same in the wet as in the dry.

I think I might disagree with this (although have no experience of 700cc tyres so sould be off the mark...)

Surely in the wet it would be much easier to break traction and lock the wheel? Not so much a hydroplaneing?sp? issue (where the tyre has a bed of water underneath it and floats across the surface) but more that wet weather tends to drive all the filthy fuel out of the tarmac making it super slippy.

If you hit a diesel slick then balance is your problem not braking (been there with an HGV behind me..) Other than that a wet road has plenty of traction for braking.

meanwhile

jashburnham wrote:

MikeParkin65 wrote:

Wet weather braking is what is driving my interest in disk brakes. My commute involves some fast downhills on main urban roads. The Tekro Oryx canti's on my Raliegh are fine in the dry but the performance drop in the wet is significant. I've tried various pads and found some better than others but all drop thier performance in the wet. I've got Mavic Askium wheels and these have a better braking surface than the original Alexrims.

I'm looking for a wet weather ride thats fast and offers something different to the Raliegh

You don't need Discs. This years Etape was soaking wet, I descended the Tourmalet at speeds of around 40mph in the wet with cold hands and had no braking issues whatsoever. If caliper brakes are good enough to stop pro riders in the wet then they're good enough for the likes of you and me. Just buy a bike with Shimano or Campagnolo brakes and you'll be absolutely fine, although for added security you can buy wet weather pads (kool stop sell some good ones). Discs are unnecessary and will just add weight.

The point to discs is that they give instant full on braking in the rain - there's a real delay with rim brakes, although it can be reduced with the right pads. (Apparently you haven't noticed this, but this sort of thing has ceased to surprise me.) That's not an advantage in a race - certainly not enough to compensate for the weight of a heavier braking system - but races don't take place in traffic. If a car door opens in front of you in heavy rain, the discs and competent braking skills may save your life.