Upgrading to disc brakes?

Gorteen

I have a touring bike with rim brakes and bar end shifters. Is it a big job to upgrade to disc brakes?

magicbastarder

You will need a new frame, so yes, it's a big job, as in it's easier to replace the bike.

cletus

Well, I mean, technically you could braze on a set of disc brake bosses, plus possibly a brace on the chainstays, and then repaint the frame

km991148

Maybe a partial upgrade is easier.. change the fork, but that would give a very different set of brakes front and back!

New frame time.. or better yet.. new bike!

Our of interest, any particular reason? I.e. are the existing brakes no use? Maybe better rim brakes and pads if the existing ones are old?

magicbastarder

don't forget, components are in very short supply at the moment too.
new wheels
new brakes and brake levers
new fork
new/modified frame

07Lapierre

GCN did something similar (retro bike is rim brake)

https://youtu.be/hFT5IOtJWq0

LollipopJimmy

An OK compromise in my opinion would be exalith from mavic. Tbh I don't think there's a lot wrong with well set up rim brakes.

Adding discs to your current steed would buy you a disc braked bike

Gorteen

km991148 wrote: »

Our of interest, any particular reason? I.e. are the existing brakes no use? Maybe better rim brakes and pads if the existing ones are old?

It's a touring bike and I've had some scary downhills when loaded with bags, tent, etc. Thought (if it was easy done) better braking would be safer

cletus

Gorteen wrote: »

It's a touring bike and I've had some scary downhills when loaded with bags, tent, etc. Thought (if it was easy done) better braking would be safer

It's doable, and there's plenty of videos of guys doing it on YouTube, but it won't be easy, if doing it yourself, and won't be cheap if you pay for it to be done

marvin42

Upgrade to hydraulic rim brake might be a option:
https://www.bike24.com/p2184962.html

at1withmyself

Gorteen wrote: »

It's a touring bike and I've had some scary downhills when loaded with bags, tent, etc. Thought (if it was easy done) better braking would be safer

What kind of frame is it, as in does it have disc mounts?

Also what is the current brake caliper and lever brand/model?

It'll be easier to get advice once people have more details.

km991148

at1withmyself wrote: »

What kind of frame is it, as in does it have disc mounts?

Also what is the current brake caliper and lever brand/model?

It'll be easier to get advice once people have more details.

Yeah that's why I was asking a bit more.. what problem are you trying to solve as there may be alternatives rather than focusing on one potential solution such a dusk brakes.

Unless that solution is buy a new bike.. no one will stop that!

benneca1

Also remember disc frames and forks are engineered for different forces. Also in the early days of MTBs there was a suspicion that standard quick release could not take braking forces. Never proven but through axle is the norm now. Personally unless doing alpine descents decent cantilevers or v brakes are fine. Magura hydraulic rim brakes were awesome back in the day and are compatible wiyjout changing everything else. https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/magura-hs33r-city-mtb-brakes/rp-prod107695?mx01=a&mx02=a

magicbastarder

at1withmyself wrote: »

What kind of frame is it, as in does it have disc mounts?

i would be extremely suprised if a frame was engineered with disc mounts and sold with rim brakes.

ednwireland

magicbastarder wrote: »

i would be extremely suprised if a frame was engineered with disc mounts and sold with rim brakes.

planet x kaffenbak 2 shipped with v brake mounts and disc mounts if i remember right

wersal gummage

Not sure if these suitable for you but I recently put these on a steel winter bike with mudguards and they have loads of clearance and drop and they are excellent

https://www.google.com/amp/s/road.cc/content/review/115645-trp-rg957-deep-drop-brakes%3famp

CramCycle

Possibly just buy better pads, they do make a difference and will only set you back maybe €40. I have a disc and rim brake bike now, there are differences but none that make you safer on the road.

at1withmyself

magicbastarder wrote: »

i would be extremely suprised if a frame was engineered with disc mounts and sold with rim brakes.

I have a few albeit they are older models from when discs where becoming more standard on mtbs so just thought there might be a chance the OP has similar.

Gorteen

at1withmyself wrote: »

I have a few albeit they are older models from when discs where becoming more standard on mtbs so just thought there might be a chance the OP has similar.

I've never had a bike with disc brakes, so how does the frame differ?

km991148

Gorteen wrote: »

I've never had a bike with disc brakes, so how does the frame differ?

Place to attach them for a start.

Structurally some bikes will also be reinforced in different places to cope with different forces.

Axles might be different as disc wheels generally have through axles and such like.

Eamonnator

magicbastarder wrote: »

i would be extremely suprised if a frame was engineered with disc mounts and sold with rim brakes.

I have a 1998 Raleigh MTB, that was sold with V brakes and it is fitted with disc mounts.

ednwireland

Gorteen wrote: »

I've never had a bike with disc brakes, so how does the frame differ?

disc brakes create a twisting moment that needs stronger frame on the disc side

saccades

I did this back in the day when not even CX bikes had disc mounts. It's great, you just need to replace the fork with a disc version so long as your shifter/break units are separate and it's flat bar. If you have combo units or drops the costs really start to increase.

I had an open pro laced to an xt disc hub and fitted an alfine front brake (tarted up deore) with a steel disc fork from sjs cycles

Managed either 23 or 27k km before I sold the bike to a club mate.

The brake levers didn't match but the braking you needed was there in all weathers. Did both the ROK and W200 on it, only struggled on the climbs due to wrong gearing on the alfine hub.

Raced the Ladies leap descent (closed road for the ROK) against a proper roadie and I could brake so much later into the bends. He was a much better rider than me but I could out brake him and gain so much ground. Great fun.

It's a relatively cheap way to get much better braking on a bike you don't want to make obsolete.

saccades

magicbastarder wrote: »

i would be extremely suprised if a frame was engineered with disc mounts and sold with rim brakes.

It was done loads back in the day, especially by firms that did MTB and road stuff. Planet X/on-one bikes being the most common example I can think of.

Mtb's disc were firmly established but road/CX didn't see any benefits so a few firms would build bikes with both options and sell you the "cheap" rim version and you could upgrade if you want.

There was a niche of commuters who wanted to go fast in comfort who bought CX bikes to be able to fit wider tyres, fitted a front disc fork and used them to commute. It wasn't great as the CX frame isn't great for commuting (bit tall) and the gearing was a bit short but much better than anything else out there until adventure/gravel bikes arrived.


I still have a bike in the shed that #1 child rides which came with rim brakes and I've removed the bosses (as it was designed to do) and fitted discs, and I have a carbon disc suspension fork that came with what was effectively jubilee clip brake bosses you torqued up tight against the carbon. I always ran it with discs.

2 Wheels Good

marvin42 wrote: »

Upgrade to hydraulic rim brake might be a option:
https://www.bike24.com/p2184962.html

He's already said he's regretted the discs and parked the bike, have to assume the forks either at best vibrate from the force of the discs biting or worst case snapped. Old curved forks aren't designed for disc