Hydraulic disc brakes vs V-brakes?

Question

Am planning to buy a durable mountain bike but will be using it for serious exercise purposes only on paved roads/trails. I am trying to decide between disc brake and V-brake --- hydraulic disc brake because it is said to have more braking power and V-brake because it is quite simple to adjust by myself if needed. Are disc brakes hard to maintain? Do they need frequent service/check from the bike shop? Please advise.

Answer 1

Depends how often you will go off road and in what conditions. If you are using a mountain bike mainly for road purposes, get the V brakes (then again, you should be getting a road bike).But if you do go off road say every other weekend or more, disc brakes would help you and give you peace of mind depending on what type of riding you do. If you go off road during muddy or wet conditions, go with discs. But if you are riding XC, V- brakes would be fine, discs would just give you peice of mind inthat situation. Discs are not hard to maintain, they just need to be bled every once in a while with a bleed kit, just like cables stretch. I do not think you are to concious about weight, so the main factors would be stopping power and price. In some cases you need more stopping power regardless, in some cases it is nice but you dont need it, so get the cheaper.
So:
Predominantly road-Vs unless discs cheaper
XC- Vs unless discs are cheaper or similarly priced
Agressive XC/ All Mt.- 6 inch discs
Downhill/Freeride- 8 inch discs

Answer 2

Disc is always the better option, no matter if hydraulic of mechanical. I've own ALL the different braking systems and I can say that I will never use anything other than disc brakes (mechanical and/or hydraulic). They work better for many reasons. Cars, airplanes, motorcycles, tanks, trains, construction vehicles, atvs, scooters, trucks, and heavy stationary machinery all use disc brakes for stopping. They are the best technology yet. You can find them cheap, light, easy to use, super long lasting, and freaking amazing. Currently using basic cheap Shimano Hydraulic disc brakes on my mountain bike which I bought on ebay for about $70 free shipping and they blow me away every time. installed them on, never had to touch them since. They just work better over all than v brakes or older type. There are haters out there saying disadvantages about disc brakes such as "heavy", "expensive", "hard to maintain", "weaker than some high end v brakes", and other bullsh** like that. Let me tell you from experience. Disc brakes will eat any other brakes alive. Even mechanical disc are way better. I've had those before switching to hydraulic for fun and they have a whole new feel. Ride safe :)

Answer 3

Hydraulic disc brakes need to be bled properly just like the ones on cars. Some use a mineral oil, others use actual hydraulic fluid which can damage the paint on the bike. The latter may also need a little more maintenance because the hydraulic fluid can damage parts of the brake lever (I've seen it in Hayes hydraulic disc brake levers). You also need to be careful not to contaminate the disc pads when bleeding. Also don't squeeze the lever without something between the pads (the rotor itself or a shim) because the pads will stick together and may get air in the line when pried apart.Disc brakes do provide better stop power than the v-brake. They are also good if the rim gets bent where v-brakes will rub a bent rim and may even have to be disconnected. V-brakes have a tendency to clog in mud which can gouge the rim or cause the brake not to work at all. The pads for disc brakes run roughly $20 up for a set where those for v-brakes run about $13 up for a pair.

Answer 4

Ok, disc brakes takes more work during the set up process. But once they are set up, they're pretty much a set and forget type.

I really like disc brakes, but I think that for paved roads and trails, a good V brake will be a good option also. And probably lighter than most discs.

You don't need an hydraulic disc brake, consider the Avid BB-7 brakes, they're like 90 bucks each from www.pricepoint.com, then you would need some levels (they're the same as for Vs since they're mechanical), for about 40 or 50, depending on which ones you go for. And the cables.

You will wear out faster Vs pads than disc pads.

Answer 5

Hydraulic V Brakes

Answer 6

Disk Brakes Vs Rim Brakes

Answer 7

It depends on where and how ytou ride, plus how much you weight. For small, light riders who live in dry climates, stick to V-brakes.

I also find Vs a lot easier to work on. My Hayes-9 disc brakes are a bit glitchy and high-maintenance next to all the Vs I've used. They're definitely more powerful and have a super-smooth feel at the lever, but I have to be careful not to touch the brake lever when I take a wheel off during a tire change, or when I'm putting in the car. If you squeeze the lever with the wheel out, the calipers close, and you have to yank the pad out and reset the piston. It takes a few minutes, but can be an unwanted delay. Plus centering them is kind of tricky, and I've already bent a rotor after just a few months.

And don't get me started on bleeding the system...not fun.

Anybody who says Vs are harder to work on hasn't really worked on discs very much.

Since you'll be on pavement, save some money and weight and stick to the V.

Answer 8

Ya, disc brakes will last an extremely long time. I have them on my bike and I do downhill. Hayes MX-2 are nice, disc brakes can be sensative to crashes though so be careful of that. Other than that they will last you longer. The only thing people shy away from is the price.

Answer 9

As for any other vehicle, disc brakes are famous for its consistent grip even during wet situation. V brake has more prone to wear n tear factor than disc type. I suggest disc brakes.
Good luck! RIDE SAFELY.

Answer 10

go with disc, they are just as easy to maintain (cable type) as a V brake. They won't lose power when muddy or even wet to a point. You'll be happy with them.