Thought disc brakes were overkill for road bikes, changed my mind after a rainy century

I used to be one of those guys who said rim brakes were fine for road riding. Last spring I did a 100 mile ride up in the Shenandoah valley and it poured rain for 40 miles. Coming down a steep grade around mile 75 my rim brakes were barely grabbing, even with Kool Stop pads. I had to stop twice to dry off the rims with my shirt. That scared me enough to try a bike with disc brakes the next month. Now I run TRP cable discs on my commuter and I sleep better knowing I can stop in wet conditions. Has anyone else had a close call that made them switch?

2 comments

2 Comments

rodriguez.cora9d ago

Dang, I totally get that! I had a similar wake up call on a group ride when I dove into a turn and my rims were so wet I felt like I was on ice skates. Ended up riding the brakes down the whole hill while my buddies yelled at me from behind. Swapped to disc brakes the next week and now I only white-knuckle it on dry days for old times' sake.

oscarthompson8d ago

Did you notice a big difference stopping in the rain right away?