Mechanical or hydraulic disk?
Discussion
I'm currently looking to replace my road bike - 15yr old Decathlon that has served me well. I'm not a gear snob and just want something of good quality that will last another 15 years.
I'm going to get a second hand gravel bike as a jack of all trades, as the bike will be used for commuting to work on potholed roads as well as leisure rides.
My budget is circa £1,000 and I'm shocked by the sheer volume of bikes that would have cost £1,500 - £1,700 new that come with mechanical disks. As a mountain biker I have always considered hydraulic disks a must have, and never owned a bike with mechanical disks. Even the bikes I've bought for my kids have been hydraulic. During my search I've discounted those bikes with mechanical disks, but I'm starting to realise that within my budget I'm probably discounting 70% of the bikes available which is making it hard to find anything decent.
Long story short - is it worth persevering and waiting until i can find a bike with hydraulics or are mechanical disks absolutely fine and I should widen my search to include them?
ps - it's also staggering the number of people selling bikes without doing any research into the prices - Loads of bikes that would have cost £1,700 when originally bought by the seller, but available online brand new from a retailer now, with a warranty, for £1,300, where the sellers asking £1,200 for their used version.
I'm going to get a second hand gravel bike as a jack of all trades, as the bike will be used for commuting to work on potholed roads as well as leisure rides.
My budget is circa £1,000 and I'm shocked by the sheer volume of bikes that would have cost £1,500 - £1,700 new that come with mechanical disks. As a mountain biker I have always considered hydraulic disks a must have, and never owned a bike with mechanical disks. Even the bikes I've bought for my kids have been hydraulic. During my search I've discounted those bikes with mechanical disks, but I'm starting to realise that within my budget I'm probably discounting 70% of the bikes available which is making it hard to find anything decent.
Long story short - is it worth persevering and waiting until i can find a bike with hydraulics or are mechanical disks absolutely fine and I should widen my search to include them?
ps - it's also staggering the number of people selling bikes without doing any research into the prices - Loads of bikes that would have cost £1,700 when originally bought by the seller, but available online brand new from a retailer now, with a warranty, for £1,300, where the sellers asking £1,200 for their used version.
JQ said:
I'm currently looking to replace my road bike - 15yr old Decathlon that has served me well. I'm not a gear snob and just want something of good quality that will last another 15 years.
I'm going to get a second hand gravel bike as a jack of all trades, as the bike will be used for commuting to work on potholed roads as well as leisure rides.
My budget is circa £1,000 and I'm shocked by the sheer volume of bikes that would have cost £1,500 - £1,700 new that come with mechanical disks. As a mountain biker I have always considered hydraulic disks a must have, and never owned a bike with mechanical disks. Even the bikes I've bought for my kids have been hydraulic. During my search I've discounted those bikes with mechanical disks, but I'm starting to realise that within my budget I'm probably discounting 70% of the bikes available which is making it hard to find anything decent.
Long story short - is it worth persevering and waiting until i can find a bike with hydraulics or are mechanical disks absolutely fine and I should widen my search to include them?
ps - it's also staggering the number of people selling bikes without doing any research into the prices - Loads of bikes that would have cost £1,700 when originally bought by the seller, but available online brand new from a retailer now, with a warranty, for £1,300, where the sellers asking £1,200 for their used version.
I would never buy a bike with mechanical discs. It is possible for them to run well but the majority of the time they wont! If budget is an issue then is second hand an option?I'm going to get a second hand gravel bike as a jack of all trades, as the bike will be used for commuting to work on potholed roads as well as leisure rides.
My budget is circa £1,000 and I'm shocked by the sheer volume of bikes that would have cost £1,500 - £1,700 new that come with mechanical disks. As a mountain biker I have always considered hydraulic disks a must have, and never owned a bike with mechanical disks. Even the bikes I've bought for my kids have been hydraulic. During my search I've discounted those bikes with mechanical disks, but I'm starting to realise that within my budget I'm probably discounting 70% of the bikes available which is making it hard to find anything decent.
Long story short - is it worth persevering and waiting until i can find a bike with hydraulics or are mechanical disks absolutely fine and I should widen my search to include them?
ps - it's also staggering the number of people selling bikes without doing any research into the prices - Loads of bikes that would have cost £1,700 when originally bought by the seller, but available online brand new from a retailer now, with a warranty, for £1,300, where the sellers asking £1,200 for their used version.
Not sure if this works for you but it's on offer at the moment
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/adventure-bikes/boa...
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/adventure-bikes/boa...
I've met people who've had good things to say about the double-acting cable calipers which work on both sides of the disc, and also the cable-actuated hydraulic calipers.
My mate's hardtail has a cable rear disc which is fine for the purpose.
But it's all compromises.
I'd guess the hydraulic lever sets on drop bars are more of a faff to service than on an MTB?
Whereas cable lever sets are relible well understood things which are easy to live with.
My drop bar bike is rim brakes, I'd prefer disc, but it's been a lot of fun for under £300....
My mate's hardtail has a cable rear disc which is fine for the purpose.
But it's all compromises.
I'd guess the hydraulic lever sets on drop bars are more of a faff to service than on an MTB?
Whereas cable lever sets are relible well understood things which are easy to live with.
My drop bar bike is rim brakes, I'd prefer disc, but it's been a lot of fun for under £300....
magpie215 said:
Not sure if this works for you but it's on offer at the moment
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/adventure-bikes/boa...
Cheers for that, it does look incredible value. However, I'm tight and for something like a bike where the majority buying have probably bought on the CTW scheme (not available to me) I can't bring myself to buy new - completely irrational. There are loads of bikes available 2nd hand that have clearly been bought on CTW and never actually used which is my target market. I just might need to up my budget if I want hydraulic discs or be more patient. https://www.halfords.com/bikes/adventure-bikes/boa...
JQ said:
During my search I've discounted those bikes with mechanical disks, but I'm starting to realise that within my budget I'm probably discounting 70% of the bikes available which is making it hard to find anything decent.
I think you are answering your own question here. In your price range, most bikes are mechanical disk.
I am the opposite to you. I've never owned hydraulic disk, only ever mechanical disk.
MD are fine, I've been happy for years with them on mountain bikes and road bikes.
Good stopping power wet or dry, easy to set up & adjust. Certainly vastly superior to
rim brakes, which I wouldn't give house room.
Servicing HD is probably more faff, but for a mechanical idiot such as myself, MD
is easy at home.
Mechanical discs are adequate for the job, but I would recommend putting Avid BB7 callipers on whatever bike it is, I have found them more reliable and easier to set up than any others I have tried. I prefer them to any cable over hydraulic system I have tried, apart from the Hope V-Twin system. The Hope system works great, right up to the point where it doesn’t, then it doesn’t work at all.
JQ said:
Cheers for that, it does look incredible value. However, I'm tight and for something like a bike where the majority buying have probably bought on the CTW scheme (not available to me) I can't bring myself to buy new - completely irrational. There are loads of bikes available 2nd hand that have clearly been bought on CTW and never actually used which is my target market. I just might need to up my budget if I want hydraulic discs or be more patient.
Well, at least you acknowledge it’s irrational.dcb said:
I think you are answering your own question here. In your price range, most bikes are
mechanical disk.
I am the opposite to you. I've never owned hydraulic disk, only ever mechanical disk.
MD are fine, I've been happy for years with them on mountain bikes and road bikes.
Good stopping power wet or dry, easy to set up & adjust. Certainly vastly superior to
rim brakes, which I wouldn't give house room.
Servicing HD is probably more faff, but for a mechanical idiot such as myself, MD
is easy at home.
Agreedmechanical disk.
I am the opposite to you. I've never owned hydraulic disk, only ever mechanical disk.
MD are fine, I've been happy for years with them on mountain bikes and road bikes.
Good stopping power wet or dry, easy to set up & adjust. Certainly vastly superior to
rim brakes, which I wouldn't give house room.
Servicing HD is probably more faff, but for a mechanical idiot such as myself, MD
is easy at home.
gazza285 said:
Mechanical discs are adequate for the job, but I would recommend putting Avid BB7 callipers on whatever bike it is, I have found them more reliable and easier to set up than any others I have tried. I prefer them to any cable over hydraulic system I have tried, apart from the Hope V-Twin system. The Hope system works great, right up to the point where it doesn’t, then it doesn’t work at all.
With all due respects Avid BB7 are the worst brakes I have ever used or fitted, always rub and very poor feel.I will only use TRP Spyre's simply the best mechanical disc brakes I have have every used, the difference is that the arm as it goes up pushes both pads in, Avid and other cheaper brakes only move one side so they bend the disc to get any stopping power.
I fully respect hydraulics are in most cases better but when building the Genesis last year, I went mechanical much less faff and easier to maintain, running decent pads and rotors (Shimano) and have never found the brakes lacking for me.
te compared to hydraulic discs. Both in modulation and feel, and that's without touching on setup and adjustment. It's non negotiable for me.I think hydraulics are popular on gravel bikes "because adventure", as in they can easily be bodged in the field if they break. It makes no sense otherwise because hydraulics are better in every way. Sure MD are easier to fettle, but they need regular fettling whereas HD are fit and forget until the pads need changing.
PS that Boardman is good value at full price...
PS that Boardman is good value at full price...
Bill said:
PS that Boardman is good value at full price...
This.The second hand gravel bike market is a minefield. I ended up buying parts and building my own. Gone slightly over my self imposed £1k budget, but will have a much nicer bike for it. But if I didn't enjoy the process and just wanted a commuter to go regular service, that Boardman is epic for the money.
Smitters said:
Bill said:
PS that Boardman is good value at full price...
This.The second hand gravel bike market is a minefield. I ended up buying parts and building my own. Gone slightly over my self imposed £1k budget, but will have a much nicer bike for it. But if I didn't enjoy the process and just wanted a commuter to go regular service, that Boardman is epic for the money.
Is it really that good?
I get on quite well with mechanical disks, but i find they need more attention than hydraulics. They are powerful enough, but need a firmer pull on the levers. On the other hand, I've had a lot of bad luck with early low-end shimano hydraulics, which constantly contaminated pads and cost a lot to keep them going.
Later shimano models seem a bit better, but the best hyd brakes I've had are TRP Hylex which came on an old trek 920 touring bike. Had them years andd have withstood the hard use that saw many shimano calipers get trashed.
If I was buying new, I think I'd go hydraulic. This has been a change of mind for me in the last 12 months or so
Later shimano models seem a bit better, but the best hyd brakes I've had are TRP Hylex which came on an old trek 920 touring bike. Had them years andd have withstood the hard use that saw many shimano calipers get trashed.
If I was buying new, I think I'd go hydraulic. This has been a change of mind for me in the last 12 months or so
JQ said:
FFS, you've got me thinking now, especially as I can get a further 7% with my wife's Blue Light Card, making it £780.
Is it really that good?
I nearly did the same. Want another £40 off? Pay with Klarna and pay it off interest free over 3 months.Is it really that good?
PS the ADV 8.9 is a very good bike. I had the CXR 8.9 and other than the usually crappy boardman thin paint it was superb.
stargazer30 said:
JQ said:
FFS, you've got me thinking now, especially as I can get a further 7% with my wife's Blue Light Card, making it £780.
Is it really that good?
I nearly did the same. Want another £40 off? Pay with Klarna and pay it off interest free over 3 months.Is it really that good?
PS the ADV 8.9 is a very good bike. I had the CXR 8.9 and other than the usually crappy boardman thin paint it was superb.
The thin paint is definitely an issue though, spend some time getting some protection on it anywhere a cable can rub.
We (wife and I) have both mech and hydraulic discs on our various bikes. None are more than 5 yrs old so relatively recent if you are buying s/h.
Both stop well and work better than rim brakes in the wet.
But overall even the budget tektro hydros on my wife's commuter are better than the high end twin piston mechanical calipers on mine. Better feel, more powerful in the dry at least and v low maintenance.
Keeping mech discs in adjustment is a weekly task, albeit only a minute or two. Hydros on the other hand rarely need touching except for pad changes. They really are v good.
Both stop well and work better than rim brakes in the wet.
But overall even the budget tektro hydros on my wife's commuter are better than the high end twin piston mechanical calipers on mine. Better feel, more powerful in the dry at least and v low maintenance.
Keeping mech discs in adjustment is a weekly task, albeit only a minute or two. Hydros on the other hand rarely need touching except for pad changes. They really are v good.
JQ said:
Smitters said:
Bill said:
PS that Boardman is good value at full price...
This.The second hand gravel bike market is a minefield. I ended up buying parts and building my own. Gone slightly over my self imposed £1k budget, but will have a much nicer bike for it. But if I didn't enjoy the process and just wanted a commuter to go regular service, that Boardman is epic for the money.
FFS, you've got me thinking now, especially as I can get a further 7% with my wife's Blue Light Card, making it £780.
Is it really that good?
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