What's available Cyclocross Disks?

Flanker37

I like the idea of a racer with disk brakes, but the only type of bike like that i can find so far are the Kona Dew Drop and the Focus Mares Disk.

What else is available before i commit my money?

Doing a google of cyclocross & disks only finds me a few entries in america

downwardslide

That's because disc brakes aren't race legal on cyclocross bikes.
The Genesis Croix De Fer has discs

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/series/croix_de_fer

Not too sure on any others

amnezia

Flanker37 wrote:

I like the idea of a racer with disk brakes

theres a good reason they don't build racers with disc brakes

wantaway

obrea do a road bike with disc brakes - I think it is the drop disc diem or some such. However it is not cheap.

SJLcp

Cannondale did a cyclocrosser with discs a few years back with AVID cable discs - I have one and its a favourite - really good for commuting - I even rode it when London was snowed in over the winter - good for light off roading also - put road tyres on it and its a good tourer.

The disc brakes are very good - quite a lot of bite for sudden stops if someone walks out on you and easy descending - they did glase up after a few years and I had to replace the rotors and pads - but they were as good as new again after that.

Don't understand why more road bikes don't have cable discs fitted - I would have thought that a nice Campag shiny alloy caliper and rotor set wouldn't weigh much more that rim based calipers? Definitely better for tourers - especially when you need fat tyres - most use canti's and my experience of these is that they are quite poor - also that the pads wear unevenly and require replacing more frequently.

I wonder if people just percieve cable operated discs as low rent? From my experience and what I read in the mags they are actually very good.

skins2

I've got the Focus Mares Disc and it's a great bike for the money (although I bought it when it was £699 - maybe worth asking Wiggle if they'll have another promotion?) It looks even better in the flesh. It's my bad weather commuter and handles it very well.

It's quite heavy compared to my Bianchi c2c but that was expected. I managed to fit full mudguards even though there are no proper fixing points. Also changed the bar tape to black to stop it getting grubby.

Flanker37

i really want a do it all bike, to go to work on, go on a short rides when im bored (btw a short ride is 50 miles) and something to do the coast to coast on and reivers or hadrians. I want something light. I currently have a Ridgeback Velocity from 2001, Ive upgraded it as much as i can with lighter shimano wheels, and carbon fibre seatpost & handlebars.

But i think this bike still comes in around the 12Kg mark, and i was hoping to get something around the 9 Kg mark.

I can do this easily if i dont get disk brakes, but doing the run from where i live to the lake district takes you all over those big bumpy bits, hence the need for disk brakes.

My budget is £900

mw22

Skins2 wrote:

I've got the Focus Mares Disc and it's a great bike for the money (although I bought it when it was £699 - maybe worth asking Wiggle if they'll have another promotion?) It looks even better in the flesh. It's my bad weather commuter and handles it very well.

It's quite heavy compared to my Bianchi c2c but that was expected. I managed to fit full mudguards even though there are no proper fixing points. Also changed the bar tape to black to stop it getting grubby.

Sorry to hi-jack the thread a little.... skins2 - how do you find the brakes on your Focus??
Ive got one too (same price so I guess we ordered the same week lol)... but I've found the brakes quite weak - No end of adjustment and it still hasnt helped.
Rest of the bike has been great for the commute I have - but I'm not looking forward to running it through winter cause the brakes get even worse in the wet!!!
Cheers
Mike

rolf_f

Flanker37 wrote:

I can do this easily if i dont get disk brakes, but doing the run from where i live to the lake district takes you all over those big bumpy bits, hence the need for disk brakes.

You don't need disc brakes for the Lake District. I've found the cantilevers on my old touring bike fine for steep descents (certainly better than the calipers on an old sit up and beg Sturmey Archer 3 speed I once hurtled down into Garsdale on from Dentdale not really able to slow it from 30ish! Besides, discs seem a bit "I'm gently squeezing the brakes...oh I've stopped!" for touring to me!

tardington

SJLcp wrote:

Cannondale did a cyclocrosser with discs a few years back with AVID cable discs - I have one and its a favourite - really good for commuting - I even rode it when London was snowed in over the winter - good for light off roading also - put road tyres on it and its a good tourer.

The disc brakes are very good - quite a lot of bite for sudden stops if someone walks out on you and easy descending - they did glase up after a few years and I had to replace the rotors and pads - but they were as good as new again after that.
.

Oh, that sounds nice - what sort is it?

Eau Rouge

I can see that not getting clogged with mud makes them useful on a MTB. I can see a little benefit in the wet, but I don't have problems stopping in the wet without them. I can see they weigh more, at a bad place to have things weight more (spinning on the wheel)

I can see that to stop a bike as fast as possible is to stop it such that the back wheel starts lifting. Any more and you topple over the bars. How wide do your tyres need to be before you the stopping power of discs lets you do that any faster than even roadie rim brakes though? With 23mm tyres, I don't want any more stopping power, thank you very much.

crosstowncommuter

If you want a commuter roadbike with disks, what about something like the Salsa La Cruz:

http://www.salsacycles.com/laCruzComp08.html

Its a steel frame so maybe a bit heavy, but supposed to ride really well and the Avid BB7 road disks are supposed to be about the best of their type out there.

Otherwise maybe consider something like a drop bar version of the Cotic RoadRat - it has disk tabs on it and could be built up with BB7's or similar. I am pretty sure that the Planet X Uncle John cross bike also comes with disk tabs on the frame and forks, so again you could fit road disks if its what you really want.

I came from a slicked up hardtail MTB with good Avid Juicy hydraulic disks and have to say I was concerned about moving to a road bike with rim brakes, especially in really wet weather. However I am now a complete convert having moved to a lightweight cross bike with canti brakes a few months ago - you just don't need disks on a road bike imho.

Choose a decent set of pads and rim brakes are easily up to the job - I find the Koolstop Tectonic pads with the mix and match inserts to be really good.

nwallace

When I got the discs on my tourer usable (Still not finished fitting them and I started in February) I did a brake test.

My road is a cul-de-sac with a drain in the middle of the circle and a line of tar conveniently replaced at the entry to it.

On the flat from the same speed it didn't matter which bike I was on I still stopped the thing in the same place using the front brake.

Dawes Giro with Tektro CAlipers
GT Zaskar with Deore 535s
Raleigh Sabre with Deore V-Brakes
Dawes Sardar with AVid BB7 Road front and Cantis on the back.

I only wanted them because I hate the sound of Wet weather pads on rims.

dirk_van_gently

Disks aren't on road and CX bikes because the UCI has some nutter rule that says you can't, As what is seen on competition bikes tends to find it's way to the average user (trickle down effect), there is as a result, nothing to trickle down. If the UCI lifted that rule, I reckon most road/cx bikes would eventually have disks.

Roastie

A lot of Stateside crossers are available in disc versions. IIRC, the Planet X Uncle John cross frame also has disc tabs, so it would just be a matter of getting a disc compatible fork.

As Dirk says, UCI are to blame. Discs make crossers substantially quicker in competition, fact. Of course, they would be a waste of time on road bikes because of the added weight (not just the comonents, but also the frame and particularly fork reinforcement required).

@Flanker: I like the Genesis Croix de Fer very much. If you can afford the Salsa tho, I reckon that is the winner.