CAAD12 Rim brake or Disc

cruiser98

Hi there, thinking of getting my first road bike. My local cannondale bike store is running a promotion 10% off the CAAD12 and 20% off the CAAD 12 DISC. The equivalent pricing of the CAAD 12 ultegra is $3510SGD=$2425USD and CAAD 12 Ultegra disc brake is $3600SGD=$2490USD price is after discount. Weighed the bikes there and the caad 12 is abt 7.4kg and the other 8.2kg, the rim brake one is also anodized while the disc is powder coated. However the disc has a scratch on it, the salesman offered us 100sgd off or could repaint it for us but wait is 3 months. Given this what would you guys get ?

ugo.santalucia

Where do you ride?

HYDRAULIC Disc brakes are superior if you have to contend long and steep descents or if you ride in wet weather... if neither of those is true, then rim brakes are lighter and have less aerodynamic drag and are superior in that respect...

Isn't Singapore flat as a pancake?

I wouldn't worry about the scratch and happily live with it for a discount... chances are you will scratch it anyway at some point

cruiser98

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Where do you ride?

HYDRAULIC Disc brakes are superior if you have to contend long and steep descents or if you ride in wet weather... if neither of those is true, then rim brakes are lighter and have less aerodynamic drag and are superior in that respect...

Isn't Singapore flat as a pancake?

I wouldn't worry about the scratch and happily live with it for a discount... chances are you will scratch it anyway at some point

Yea Singapore is pretty flat, our tallest Hill is 50-60metres and that's not open for roadbikes. So in every other aspect besides descents rim brakes would suffice? Also, is the braking power of the rim brakes severely compromised in wet weather or merely a minor thing?

ryan_w-2

Love my CAAD12 Disc, great bike to commute on but hard to get super light...

Mine is a 56cm (8,510g) and will be down to around 7,300g once new wheels go on. Spent about a grand to get it there.

ugo.santalucia

If you don't have to descend there is no reason to go for disc brakes. Yes, they are better in the wet, but again, rim brakes are more than adequato to stop you on the flat even if it's wet.

I suspect the lack of winter also means your roads are generally clean, so even the rim wear argument is a pretty feeble one. I would go for rim brakes

hsiaolc

cruiser98 wrote:

Hi there, thinking of getting my first road bike. My local cannondale bike store is running a promotion 10% off the CAAD12 and 20% off the CAAD 12 DISC. The equivalent pricing of the CAAD 12 ultegra is $3510SGD=$2425USD and CAAD 12 Ultegra disc brake is $3600SGD=$2490USD price is after discount. Weighed the bikes there and the caad 12 is abt 7.4kg and the other 8.2kg, the rim brake one is also anodized while the disc is powder coated. However the disc has a scratch on it, the salesman offered us 100sgd off or could repaint it for us but wait is 3 months. Given this what would you guys get ?

I will get the disc. I have two now and love them. Will never go rim ever again. Not sure why it took so long.

Soon all will be discs like MTBs.

cruiser98

Given the current state of disc brakes should I let it mature before I get a disc bike or just go head in?

sloppyschleckonds

hsiaolc wrote:

Soon all will be discs like MTBs.

No, they wont.

meanredspider

For Singapore, you could go with either and you'd be fine. Nothing wrong with going disc now but rim brakes would be OK for that region. I love discs brakes but bought the Foil for the Netherlands (with a standard double and 12-23 gearing) and it was fine (just so long as I didn't visit the Ardennes). There's nothing about that spec I'd use in (most of) UK.

Too bloody hot and humid in SIN for me for riding. I guess you acclimatise. Out there in a couple of weeks.

cruiser98

Thanks guys, really appreciate the help, I probably will get the right brake CAAD 12 ULtegra

cooldad

You might want a left brake as well.