Road Bike Battle: Rim Brakes vs. Disc Brakes

Written by: Rémy Rossi | February 9, 2025 | Time to read 6 min

When I first rode a bike with disc brakes, I was instantly converted. The increase in performance is immediately noticeable, though rim brakes can, of course, still get the job done.

• Better braking in the wet: the performance of rim brakes drops off significantly in wet and muddy conditions, posing a safety risk. Disc brakes retain strong stopping power in all weather conditions.

• Larger rotors mean more braking force: It’s clear that the level of braking power scales up with rotor size. While not all bikes are compatible with larger rotors, you can keep this in mind when buying or outfitting a road bike.

• Better heat management: Descending is one of the best parts of road cycling, but long, fast descents can put stress on rim brakes and rim (especially carbon ones). Disc brake rotors better dissipate heat and are less prone to overheating on long descents.

• Reduced hand fatigue: Disc brakes deliver more power while requiring less hand pressure at the lever— this is especially true with hydraulic disc brakes. Rim brakes can cause hand cramps or fatigue on long downhill stretches.

• More complicated maintenance: Rim brake repairs are wonderfully easy— especially for home mechanics— but working on disc brakes requires a bit more expertise. For example, bleeding hydraulic brakes is a tricky task even I have trouble with occasionally.

• Slightly heavier than rim brakes: Disc brakes also carry a slight weight penalty and aren’t as lightweight as rim brakes. This disparity continues to decrease and all pro teams use disc brakes now anyway, so it’s not a dealbreaker unless you’re a professional hillclimber.

The road bike industry let the mountain bike manufacturers play around with disc brakes for many years before embracing the technology. Initially, disc brakes made more sense for mountain bikes and e-MTBs because of the higher required braking power, intense forces, and muddy conditions compared to road biking. And the extra weight of disc brakes was less of an issue for mountain bikes.

Technology progressed and disc brakes became more reliable and lighter, presenting themselves as viable candidates for professional road biking (which continues to get faster). There were worries about the disc rotor causing injuries in the event of a crash, but the safety boost from improved braking— especially in wet conditions and long descents— outweighed those doubts. Disc brakes don’t require a braking surface along the rim, meaning wheel makers can play around more with rim profile and material.

I hung onto rim brakes longer than most road cyclists. But I eventually caved and got myself a road bike equipped with disc brakes— not that I had much choice considering nearly every model comes with disc brakes these days. I was riding in an area with very little rain and few steep descents, so rim brakes provided more than enough stopping power.

But disc brakes— especially hydraulic brakes— have been a huge step up in both comfort and braking performance. Unless you are riding or building up an older road bike, disc brakes are likely the right choice for nearly all road riders.