Rim Brakes Vs Disc Brakes: Which Really Are Better?

Rim brakes versus disc brakes. It’s the eternal debate that rages in the comments of every GCN Tech video! So we've decided it’s now time to do some science and work out which actually are best. Ollie tests two Pinarello superbikes in a series of challenges to see which brakes are faster and more effective. Cue angry comments in 3, 2, 1…!!

0:00 Intro
1:28 Emergency Stop Test
3:36 Descending Test
6:44 Wet Weather Test
8:30 Summary

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What do you make of the results? Do you even care? Are you team rim or team disc? Let us know in the comments below! 💬

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[gcntech]

What do you make of the results? Do you even care? Are you team rim or team disc?

[illuminat]

Rim brakes for a good sunny ride but disc brakes for long steep descents and unpredictable weather. I like the simplicity, ease of cleaning/maintenance, lower price range and lighter weight of a rim brake bike but I also like the confidence boosting brake power/modulation of disc brakes. The downside of disc brakes are the rotor rubbing sounds (alignment issues/rotor warping), leaking brake fluid reservoir, brake/rotor contamination, piston issues, and much more expensive.

[lostisleminstrel]

Part of why I love watching your channel is seeing testing that I am unable to do myself. ;Rim brakes for me. Dry weather rider, do all my own maintenance work on bikes. Never had a rim brake that didn't get me stopped fast enough during a life threatening car vs bicyclist situation. Keep up the good work.

[jmpete]

I live in a relatively flat area in the US. Rim brakes on my road bike work great for me here. Even in wet conditions. I generally ride 18-20mph. Descents are not long enough to justify disc brakes. My road bike is 10 years old. No need to buy a new bike just to upgrade to disc. I’ve ridden the same bike in Colorado on mountain roads. I felt safe at 45-50mph. Braking time was not a concern. Plan ahead and kept my fingers on the brake levers to be ready.

[SignorLuigi]

My experience with rim brakes is that the brake pads I use can play a significant factor in performance. Not saying the best performing rim brake pads weren't used in this test, but... Also significant advances have been made recently by certain rim brake carbon wheel manufacturers with regard to their stopping ability, especially in wet conditions. Not saying this test didn't use one of these higher performing rim brake carbon wheels, but... Also, as Ollie said/implied, the type braking system you use most often will help you to get the most out of the system. Ollie is a master climber, so maybe he does use rim brakes most often. But on your videos, he seems to be using disk brakes most of the time. So in this one time test, I would think his better instincts with disk brakes would give disk brakes an advantage. I know I am sounding like a bitter, rim brake lover. But experimental design is a big part of my job and so I obsess over these things. Cheers, Mr. Luigi

[andreemurray]

I've used alloyrims for over 40 years the problem I see is the carbon rims and the brake pads are rubbish in wet everyone to their own choice but I'm happy on alloy rim brakes 😀

[rmnstr]

Tires make a much bigger impact on braking performance. It’s easy to lock the wheels with both rim and disc brakes. It’s not lack of stopping power but rather lack of grip that makes the biggest difference.

[keithfoley-chell]

I'm 100% convinced that disc brakes stop better, especially in the wet and allow faster descending. Even more so after watching this video. However, when I bought a new bike last year I chose rim brakes. Reasons:
1. Lighter
2. Less expensive
3. Easier to change a flat
4. Less maintenance. Rim brakes pretty much just need new pads every now and then.
5. At 72yo, I don't race any more and am a dry weather only rider. If it's raining, hello Zwift! 🙂

Even though I've never had a problem with rim brakes in 42 years of riding and road racing, if I was racing now and training in the wet, I would definitely choose discs.
It's "horses for courses". You just have to know what your own needs are (or own 2+ bikes!)..

[truthseeker]

A Rim brake is a 700mm disc Alloy rim with rim brake would work better. Best advantages of disc brake 1. Through axle keeps wheels in alignment 2. Hydraulic lines can be routed through frame without effecting braking performance 3. More likely to be in good adjustment with average rider. 4. A bigger choice of Carbon wheels 5. Makes you wallet lighter for less weight 6. A disc will clear water quicker because it is not down near the ground. 😃 The extra weight is not just the braking components..the wheels need more spokes/through axles, hubs need disc mounting, the fork needs to be stronger and the frame needs to be stronger

[troyg]

I enjoy the content you guys produce. I have a road bike with rim brakes / carbon Campagnolo Bora wheels AND a road bike with Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. No question disc brakes outperform in the wet. The braking feel and consistency of discs is very similar in wet or dry on disc brakes (just like a car), BUT in dry conditions, I can stop very quickly on rim brakes with carbon wheels.

I think we need to remember that skill and technique are probably the biggest factors of stopping distance for modern cycling equipment. How many cyclists practice emergency braking? A well executed emergency/hard stop does not include a long rear wheel skid. Emergency stopping is 90% front brake control - braking to the limits of front wheel grip. The rear brake contributes only a small amount of stopping power as the weight transfers forward and thus lightens the rear wheel, reducing grip. Moving your body back over the rear wheel can add a bit extra stopping power in an emergency stop.

In terms of comparing braking in the dry of the 2 different systems, the test should be conducted by 2 cyclists that were equally highly skilled in their preferred use of rim / disc brakes. I think we would see a much smaller difference between the 2 braking distances in the dry. Reading the comments, the best braking system for you is the one that you are most confident using.

[deanokeano]

I came from mountain bikes and bmx with rim (v) brakes, then disc on the mountain bikes after about 2005, i got a gravel bike with disc brakes a year or so ago, loved the road type of bike, so I recently built up a pure road bike, I was worried a little by all the talk of rim brakes being not very good, also caliper brakes In my past were complete garbage, I’m pleased to report that my ultegra rim brakes on 50mm carbon clinchers are more than capable of hauling my 94kg up without a fuss even when at 50-55 kph, discs are nice but not required has been my experience

[matt_m]

I am not in favour of one or another, however the first test involved Ollie locking up. Once this happens, the tires are what is stopping you, not the brakes, so I think it would be invalid.

[chrissinclair]

My last rim bike, Giant Propel Advanced Pro had lovely carbon wheels, until it rained. Being a heavy rider I dreaded descents in wet, or anything not dry. Now on disc's I don't worry at all.

[Stefano-czbo]

My experience is only with rim brakes and aluminium wheel rims. With this combination, you can easily apply enough braking torque to overturn and fall ahead of your bike or to loose adhesion on the rear wheel and loose control of the bike. So, in the end, the distance of a safe emergency stop (especially downhill) will be much more affected by your skills as a driver than by having a rim-braked or disk-braked bike.
Similarly, the time I need to ride downhill is mostly affected by things like cars I find on my way, a bit of sand or water on the road which will make me a bit more cautious etc.
To me, riding a bike with disk brakes means having available a lot of extra braking torque which however will be seldom exploited by a less-than-average driver like me.

[KY-pkrd]

After quite a lot of rainy rides, I would like to share some of my feelings over rim vs. disc.

1. People argue that the main point of disc is better than rim is that the braking power doesn't decrease during rainy day. It is true, however, I don't see many people ride on rainy days, also, during rainy day ride, debrids on the road, grease mixed with water from other cars can enter the gap between the disc and calipers, causing the brake to make unpleasant squeaky noise. Also, as the cooling water get contact with the hot disc, it may cause mini-bend on the disc, cause more unnecessary scratches. And you guessed it, the squeaky sound can persist even days after many many dry day rides.

2. An ordinary rim can greatly lose braking power in rain, however, the one I use, Mavic Exalith, with tiny grooves with ceramic coat on the rim surface, I will say the braking power still retains roughly 90% even in big rain, so for me I don't see any problem.

3. In any case, you don't ride fast during rainy day, because the friction between the pavement and wheel is also decreased, the worst scenario is the wheel been locked.

Final verdict: If you can ignore the unpleasant noise from the disc after rainy day ride, then disc is totally fine, let alone if you have hydraulic brake, your hands are way less stressful and tired. If you have much experience in rain with rim and know how to properly control, rims are fun, low-maintenance and still powerful.

[steveco]

My summer road bike has rim brakes and alloy rims. Discs don't offer any real improvements in the dry for me, and add weight and complexity. I don't push the limits on the brakes. My winter and XC bikes have discs, which are undoubtedly worth it in bad conditions.

[tquindt]

"Can I get a ride to the top?" For a moment Ollie was sounding like a mountain biker.

[woutervanderdoes]

One major factor that would have been important to keep similar between the two bikes is the wheel/tyre combination. Using significantly different rims (in this case rim brake was on 19 mm internal, disc brake 21 mm internal) and different tyres (cinturato/all season vs p zero/race tyre) has a large impact on grip. And exactly what Ollie said, the road were very smooth, which results in limited grip.

Obviously disc brakes offer better stopping power, but in this case the odds were further stacked against the rim brake bike by using narrower rims combined with less grippy tyres with a higher rolling resistance, which I presume to have had a noticable impact on the "scientific" aspect of this video.

[LucasGerrijts]

I've used a rimbrake MTB and racing bikes for many years in the past. In 2019 I upgraded both bikes. I got the MTB first and using that I was so impressed with the stopping power and the ability to control the pressure/braking force in all weather conditions; I decided that my new racing bike just had to have hydraulic brakes as well.
I don't care about the few additional seconds uphill or due to aero; but the safety it brings in emergency stops is what matters most.

[nstrug]

Direct mount rim brakes are spectacularly good (especially the Campag ones ❤️). I love rim brakes on dry rides but in the wet, especially on carbon rims, give me disc any day. My concern is that the whole industry is going towards disc meaning that we are having less and less options on quality frames.