Peter Flax article for Bicycling.com about the challenges presented by DTC ebikes

[Stefan Mikes]

You'll have to explain that one. I've adjusted mechanical brakes several times. It's easy, quick, and never been painful.

You never need to "adjust" hydraulic disk brakes. These require very rare bleeding the hydraulic lines. They (as any other brakes) require replacing brake pads. After you have replaced brake pads, loosened the brake calliper screw, pressed on the brake lever and retightened the bolt, you are good to go for many many miles without any further "adjustment".

Hydraulic disk brakes proved to be reliable on many dramatic downhill rides of mine. At some occasions the rotors were as hot as you could burn your fingers by touching them. I had several situations in which I had to do a dramatic emergency braking (like, a kid ran onto a bike path right in the front of my bike).

I would have never trusted any "mechanical " brakes anymore, especially with e-bikes that are heavy and fast.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Regardless of what company it is cable operated disc brakes on a new Ebike in this day and age is a red flag at best. Meaning if you're looking at bike with them be very suspicious of adequacy of them.

I've never had hydraulic brakes on a bike so I can't make a comparison, but my cable-operated disc brakes are extremely quick and easy to adjust and they stop the crap out my bike. I have no doubt whatsoever that I could flip myself over the handlebars just about anytime I wanted to. I'm pretty sure I'd be happy to have hydraulic brakes but it's about impossible for me to think they would be much better on a practical level.

My previous analog bike has cable-operated rim brakes and I don't recall ever having a problem stopping. I did actually flip myself over the handlebars on it once though.

If hydraulic brakes do require less maintenance that's a nice point in their favor, but again, my cabled brakes take an Allen wrench and less than minute to tune, so should I really care?

Anti-lock disc brakes might be nice....

TT

 

[Mr. Coffee]

Decent cable disk brakes like the TRP Spyre or Paul Klamper can be easily adjusted without tools, can be overhauled in field conditions with a multi-tool, and offer as much stopping power as hydraulic brakes, if somewhat less modulation.

The major downside of mechanical disk brakes is that you will have to apply more force (on the average) at the brake lever to apply the brake. Depending on the levers, brakes, your finger strength, and where you ride this can be either a disastrous problem or a non-issue.

I would go with a good set of mechanicals over a cheap hydraulic system any day.

 

[procreator]

I have two bikes - One with hydraulics and the other with mechanical. Both lock up the wheels with similar amounts of force. Which brings up another point... Will we ever see ABS on bikes?

 

[Asher]

My road bike has 105 Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. They are 'auto-adjusting' - after a hard braking, there's a little disc rub that quickly fades away as everything comes back into alignment.

Compare with my old Juiced with cheap Tektros hydraulics, which got brake rub very easily and would certainly not go away of its own accord.

I have a newer Juiced with cheap Logan disc brakes, but these haven't had brake rub issues thankfully.

Brakes just seem like one of those things that easily pay off from buying non-bargain basement varieties, if you bike with any regularity, whereas cheap Shimano/Microshift derailleurs can work just fine. If you're slinging cheap brakes, you're probably counting on a consumer base too ignorant or cheap to care.

 

[Asher]

I have two bikes - One with hydraulics and the other with mechanical. Both lock up the wheels with similar amounts of force. Which brings up another point... Will we ever see ABS on bikes?

ABS is already on bikes. It's just costly and heavier.

eBike ABS: safe braking for eBikes – Bosch eBike Systems

Brake your eBike, not your flow! With the Bosch ABS, you reduce the risk crashing over the handlebars or skidding.

www.bosch-ebike.com

 

[Nomad]

I have two bikes - One with hydraulics and the other with mechanical. Both lock up the wheels with similar amounts of force. Which brings up another point... Will we ever see ABS on bikes?

they already have anti-lock brakes for bikes