How hydraulic bicycle disc brakes work.
Touring bike disc brakes vs.
In terms of parts it offers a jones loop handlebar shimano slx hydraulic disc brakes microshift thumb shifters front and rear racks and a cane creek suspension seatpost.
The best touring bike trek 520.
After analyzing and aggregating more than a dozen professional reviews we believe the 2020 trek 520 is the best mid range road touring bicycle for most people.
It has an old school mountain bike aesthetic right down to the wtb mountain drop bars but a geometry built for touring mechanical disc brakes and enough tire clearance to accommodate 29x2 0.
And as usual there s no clear cut answer.
Disc brake compatible bike frames also cost more than frames that are designed for rim brakes.
That doesn t mean that if you run rim brakes you re going to crash into the first corner you come across in the rain well you might but it isn t because of your brakes.
Disc brakes will offer you better braking in the rain that rim brakes.
If you re on a tight budget it s best to stay away from disc brakes.
While it s technically more of an off road touring bike it can easily be re purposed for road and gravel use by fitting some schwalbe super moto x slick tyres.
The biggest downside to disc brakes is the added weight.
Disc brakes offer the best braking performance for touring bikes in both wet and dry conditions.
By the time you add everything in including front and rear brakes and the added weight of the disc specific hubs you end up with around 150 to 350 grams additional weight to the whole bike.
V brakes for our purposes are a generic and misused term for the several varieties of caliper brakes that work by pinching the bicycle wheel s rim between two brake blocks to create friction and slow the bike.
There s plenty of debate over whether v brakes or disc brakes are better for touring.
This weight number greatly depends on the wheels rims hubs and disc brake system you choose.
Disc brakes really shine in adverse weather conditions as they re unaffected by water and dirt.
As most touring bikes have a decent amount of weight over the rear wheel this kickstand type is undoubtedly the most stable given its ultra wide stance.
This adds to the cost.
Here manufacturers get rid of the steel cable and use a sealed fluid filled system instead.
While it was a hard call between the trek 520 and the surly disc trucker winner of our customizable pick we chose the trek because we think it is a better value as an entry level bike.
More engineering is required to design and build the frame.
If you re planning on going on a bike trip where you need to carry 10 days of food and a decent amount of water you may be best served with the 35 80kg capacity models.
The reason is that more braking forces are applied to the non drive side of a disc brake bike.