2 ms·
If the primary focus is reliability and ease of maintenance, cable actuated disc brakes are by far the best. It is very easy to change pads and they just work.
by osigurdson 4y ago
If the primary focus is reliability and ease of maintenance, cable actuated disc brakes are by far the best. It is very easy to change pads and they just work. Hydraulic disc brakes have far better performance (important for mountain bikes) but eventually require bleeding, cable changes, etc. Caliper breaks can be lighter weight (good for high end road bikes). For a commuter bike however, cable actuated disc brakes are inexpensive and best.
- chr-s 4y agoI'd argue hydraulic disk brakes are easier to maintain. They automatically adjust as your pads wear down and won't have any potential problems with the cables corroding, wearing, sticking, etc.
- osigurdson 4y agoI have hydraulic brakes on my mountain bike and cable actuated disc brakes on my commuter. The commuter bike requires no maintenance outside of changing pads. Every mountain bike I’ve ever owned has required semi-regular brake bleeds. This is a clear performance / reliability trade off.
- bmj 4y agoAgreed. And you don't have "mystery" issues with mechanical discs, like when the piston gets gunked up and doesn't return properly when releasing the lever.