Pros and Cons of Disc Brakes in Bikes

Disc Brakes are a type of brakes used in vehicles to stop or slow down them from a moving motion. They basically use calipers which squeezes a pair of pads to a disc. The disc brake is now widely used in vehicles as standard. They are often regarded as the more efficient braking systems to be used in vehicles. Many motorcycle companies provide disc brake as a standard in their motorcycles, scooters, and even mopeds. But every mechanical part has its fair share of pros and cons. So today we are going to talk about the various pros and cons of disc brakes in bikes.

Pros and Cons of Disc Brakes in Two Wheeler Bikes

Pros of Disc Brakes

Better Braking Power – It generates more braking power which means that the rider has to apply less pressure on the brake levers to stop the vehicle. This is very useful especially in long descents which reduces muscle tiredness where you need to check your speed constantly.

Consistent Braking – The disc brake braking force is much more consistent which means the rider will be able to judge more accurately how much force to apply to the brake lever to get the desired amount of braking.

Reliability in wet weather – A disc brake is generally protected from wet conditions. With a disc brake, the rider doesn’t get a slight delay in braking as in the case of rim brakes which has to first displace water from the rim before touching on the surface. So, disc brakes have far more resistance in wet weather conditions which provides better safety for the rider.

A Faster Ride – A disc brake provides a faster ride to the user as they have more trust and braking power on discs and they can brake fractionally later than if they were using rim brakes. As a result of this, the riders can spend more time traveling at higher speeds as they are spending less time on the brakes.

Reduced wear on wheels – As the bike goes through rough roads with grit and dirt, the wheels have a higher chance of wear and tear. By using disc brakes, you are moving the braking point of contact away from the rim which means that there is no heat build up on the rim and this minimizes the chance of wear and tear on the tube tyres.

Better Clearance – Disc brakes don’t use brake caliper on either side of the wheel rim as a result of which it has allowed the use of much wider tyres. The wider the tyre, the more the grip and comfort the rider experiences. Also, wider tyres mean we can use mudguards easily in disc brakes.

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Cons of Disc Brakes

Weigh more – Disc brakes, especially hydraulic disc brake systems are generally heavier than rim brakes. A disc brake in some cases doesn’t provide enough speed and lightness in vehicles which is a disadvantage to the rider.

Cost more – A disc brake is costlier in terms of both maintenance and purchase. Although they last longer than regular rim pads, they are expensive when we replace them and can cost as much as three times more than rim pads.

Difficulty of maintenance – If there is an air bubble trapped in the disc brake system, it may need ‘bleeding’ which is not an easy task. The ‘bleeding’ process has to be done occasionally which may take up a lot of time, energy and cost on the disc brake.

Not Transferable – The transfer of a disc brake is not an easy task as to use it, we would need a different wheel hub than on standard rim brake wheels and the fork would need brake mount tabs to accommodate disc brakes. This results in a lot of extra costs on different equipment just to make the disc brakes compatible.