Disc Brakes Versus V-Brakes - Which Should You Choose?

With the widespread adoption of the mountain bike as the default type of bike for on and off-road use comes a (somewhat) big decision - what type of break should we use?

Let's take a look at the two most popular choices out there - v-brakes and disc brakes:

V-Brake Advantages

- they are cheap, even the good ones costing only around 30-40 dollars
- easy to install and maintain, as the brake pads and arms can be changed quite easily even by novices
- except for some very high end, specialized bikes, every bike design supports v-brakes

V-Brake Disadvantages

- if for some reason the tire rim is bent or out of shape, the brake can't reach the rim or even if it does it might not apply enough pressure to stop the bike
- on especially rainy days the brake loses it's efficacy so you should pay attention to traffic or incoming obstacles
- if the brakes are used a lot in a short time frame then they can overheat the rim, losing their efficacy and even bursting the tubes
- after a few thousand miles of heavy usage you might start to see grooves in the tire rim, caused by the brakes; if not careful, this could lead to a quite serious accident

Disc Brake Advantages

- superior stopping power - some disc brakes are strong enough that you might feel your face coming off; they are simply unbeatable when compared to v-brakes
- if the rim is bent the brake will still work, as the disc is attached to the wheel hub
- they have almost the same power in all conditions, whether it's water, mud or snow
- barring any accidents the components will last much longer; unlike v-brakes, where rubber acts on aluminum, disc brakes are made of much more reliable materials
- you can choose your stopping power by choosing the disc brake type (mechanical vs hydraulic, the latter being more powerful) and the rotor size (bigger is always better here).

Disc Brake Disadvantages

- the price; if you want top notch brakes you'll have to spend quite a lot, as brakes under 80-100 US Dollars might not give you the performance you need and want
- installing and maintenance - you should be pretty good at tinkering with bikes if you want to install a disc brake and make it actually work

From the lists above it might seem that I am biased towards disc brakes... and I am. But as they say, you should pick the right tool for the job. If you go out biking occasionally and you're not a speed demon, or if you go biking just in the city, v-brakes will suit you just fine. As an urban cyclist, I myself have v-brakes on my bike and I'm quite happy with them even if I do have to readjust them often.

However, if you are an off-roader and you feel the need to go all out, you should invest in a good disc brake, hydraulic preferably. You will feel the difference in handling and your confidence will rise knowing that no matter what, you can trust your brakes.