Hi End 'V' or Hydro Disc ?

mr_eddy

So I am going to be getting a new commuter soon in the sales. My current touring bike which I use to commute on needs a fair bit spending on it to bring it up to scratch and financially its just not worth it.

I have narrowed it down to either a Hoy Shizuoka .000 or .001, Both bikes have the 1x setup that I prefer (very few hybrids have a 1x setup for less than £500 - I don't like hub gears). The major difference for me is that the .000 comes with linear pull brakes (V brakes) and the .001 has Tektro Hydro discs.

The .001 is £60 more expensive so I was just wondering if I got the .000 and replaced the stock V brakes for something high end like TRP CX9 CNC machined mini V's would they work better than the stock discs Tektro HDC300 found on the .001 ? I already have some nearly new Kool Stop dual compound V pads from a previous project so they would be fitted as well.

I am starting to sway towards the V brake option as I have had good experience with V's in the past and I know that a quality properly setup V can be as good as a cheap Hydo disc but really I need to know from someone who has used the Tektro HDC300 ? Are they any good - Lots of reviews say they are heavy and poorly modulated.

My other concern is that cheaper option is already nearly a kilo lighter than the disc version and with the high end V brakes this would probably knock a bit more weight off too - I am not too bothered about super light but if I can save weight especially rotational weight (disc brakes) then I think its worth looking into. That being said I know that discs will be better in the wet and more reliable in varied conditions but they are much heavier than the CX9 brakes.

My commute is 8 miles each way with some long steady climbs so less wheel weight I think would be beneficial - Regardless of choice I will be fitting my 25c Gatorskins from my tourer so that will help.

The costs for the cheaper option with the CX9 brakes would be roughly the same as the disc brake version so I am torn as to which one to go for ?

Thoughts ?

jamesco

Here's a BR thread about the Tektros. As you say, there are a fair few complaints so it's not a clear choice.

Maybe take the disk-braked one for a spin and see if you like them? If you do, I'd suggest getting it as it's less work and disk work well in my experience. My bike (Cube SL) has bottom-of-the-barrel Shimano disk-brakes and they've been fantastic.

mr_eddy

Yep I will defo test ride both models - I know some entry level discs can be excellent, I am just concerned that these Tektro's seem be fairly weak according to that link and they are heavy. If I can get the same braking power for the same price but at 1/3 of the weight then it may be worthwhile but as you say discs can be fit and forget.

My other concern is that the last bike I had with Discs had some Hayes discs and within 2 years the replacement pads were no longer available (or not easily acquired at least), I suppose with V brakes I can put in any type of V pad.

I wills see what the test rides show.

Ta

The Rookie

Tektro turn out 100's of 10000's of brakes, all manufacturers have some issues, generally I've found them pretty good and reliable.

Discs are great when the rims all covered in muck and water (so 11 months of the year in the UK!) and you don't wear the rim out.

I'm using some cheapy mechanical discs, work fine for me.

mr_eddy

Went with V brakes from Avid in the end - They work brilliantly, I nearly went over the handlebars the other day in the wet using 2 fingers so power is not an issue, Modulation is also good.

I get the thing about Discs working better in rubbish weather but I don't really get how people can leave their bikes for months and months without checking things over. I clean my bike weekly not so much for the vanity aspect but it keeps everything running smoothly and lest me pick up on any loose bolts or worn parts. A quick tweak of the brake cable every now and then is no hardship.

Ta

lostboysaint

How very retro.

Enjoy your new ride!

The Rookie

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19763981#p19763981]mr_eddy[/url] wrote:

I get the thing about Discs working better in rubbish weather but I don't really get how people can leave their bikes for months and months without checking things over.

Not sure how the two halves of that sentence relate to each other, if I ride 100 yards in crappy weather the rim is crappy regardless of how clean and working perfectly it was when I set off.