Mountain Bike Disc Brakes - Mountain Bike Zen
Why choose disc brakes?
Disc brakes are generally the chosen type of braking system for higher spec mountain bikes, although many budget bikes will have disc brakes now they are not good brakes and generally cheap disc brakes should be avoided as they will cause you much heartache and gnashing of teeth.
Disc brakes provide stronger braking power and are less prone to reduced braking power with burn out than v brake pads are.
If you are used to v brakes you may initially find disc brakes are much more subtle in control, meaning you have much more chance of braking too hard and hence having a mishap. So if you are swapping over or getting used to disc brakes for the first time, make sure you take a little time to get to know them before going down any steep slopes.
Disc brakes do tend to make more noise than cantilever brakes and will need cleaning more carefully, are slightly more complex to adjust and are more expensive to maintain and replace.
As with v brakes you can get mechanical brakes and hydraulic brakes. Hydraulic brakes are way more expensive and have a siginificantly higher maintenance cost in terms of time and money, there is also increased risk of damage while riding resulting in leakage etc. which would not only ruin the ride but mean new hydraulic cables. If properly maintained they are more reliable and allow more control and they are not prone to cable stretching as with mechanical systems.