touring and flying with hydraulic disc brakes

[molzor]

Hello,
I am currently in the process of building up a tourer using a croix de fer frame. The man in the bike shop couldnt understand why I wanted canti brakes, and they dont fit on the frame anyway. I guess i can go with cable disc brakes...But do any of you have any thoughts on using hydraulic disc breaks on a tourer.

I understand some of the pro points for using hydraulic brakes but are they really suitable for touring? and furthermore, has anyone had issues flying with them?

[m-gineering]

Hello,
I am currently in the process of building up a tourer using a croix de fer frame. The man in the bike shop couldnt understand why I wanted canti brakes, and they dont fit on the frame anyway. I guess i can go with cable disc brakes...But do any of you have any thoughts on using hydraulic disc breaks on a tourer.

I understand some of the pro points for using hydraulic brakes but are they really suitable for touring? and furthermore, has anyone had issues flying with them?

The current crop of hydraulic disk brakes (as most bikeparts these days, rant, rant) is designed for use in situations where it is only an hours walk back to the car. Having to bleed the brakes again or replacing a leaky or stuck caliper or lever is pretty common, so you want to limit your tours to those area's where they can be serviced.

Don't be surprised if your bikes need bleeding after airtravel (although they might selfrepair with luck) , as the air in the reservoir will expand to a larger volume, so there is more chance of it entering the system.

[TonyR]

The current crop of hydraulic disk brakes (as most bikeparts these days, rant, rant) is designed for use in situations where it is only an hours walk back to the car. Having to bleed the brakes again or replacing a leaky or stuck caliper or lever is pretty common, so you want to limit your tours to those area's where they can be serviced.

Don't be surprised if your bikes need bleeding after airtravel (although they might selfrepair with luck) , as the air in the reservoir will expand to a larger volume, so there is more chance of it entering the system.

Had them for years on several bikes and the only thing I've had to do to them is replace the pads every so often (but a lot less than on rim brakes). Taken them on planes many times and never had to bleed them after either.

Are you speaking from experience or speculation?

[simonhill]

I have heard speak of people having problems with these boarding planes, but don't know whether it is fact or speculation. Maybe a deep Google search may reveal something.

What I do know is that security restrictions are continually changing, with some things being banned and others (now) being allowed. Also it seems more stuff can only be carried in handluggage, eg anything with a rechargeable battery.

As ever, check in is in the hand of the local agent and that makes it very unpredictable. As any type of oil is banned, I could see someone taking against hydraulic fluid, even I it isn't oil. Again as ever, a boxed bike is much easier to smuggle ilicit stuff like inflated tyres in, what the eye can't see, etc.

[jacksonz]

My bike with basic Shimano hydraulic brakes has travelled between Australia and Europe eight times now without "hydraulic incident". They're great brakes, I have never had any problems. If something goes wrong, deal with it!

[TonyR]

As any type of oil is banned, I could see someone taking against hydraulic fluid, even I it isn't oil.

Nonsense. Oil isn't banned. You are limited in how much you can carry in your hand luggage but there are plenty of oil based cosmetics that go in checked in baggage. So unless you are planning to carry your hydraulic brakes in your hand luggage no problem.

http://www.heathrow.com/departures/secu ... nned-items

[Tiberius]

I built my 'tourer' up last year...Surly Troll/Rohloff/SON 28...and initially fitted Avid BB7 cable disc brakes. They were powerful but felt crude, I just didn't like them. I replaced them with Shimano XT hydraulic brakes and they are so much better. Powerful with lots of 'feel'....VERY controlable one finger braking everywhere.

4,500 miles later....I haven't touched them once.....no new pads, no bleeding, no adjusting or anything else. I wouldn't think twice about setting off anywhere with them. I would carry spare pads and that would be it.

I think people worry too much about the so called 'complexity' of hydraulic disc brakes. The hydraulic disc brakes as fitted to push bikes are simple things. We are not talking linked/servo assistance/ABS here (yet ?) they are just lever/tube/caliper. Granted, they ARE more complex than Vs or cantilevers but they are still fairly simple things and they work so much better (IMHO).

Anyone who thinks that they would be stuck if their push bike brakes developed a fault when they were out riding in the back of beyond, really shouldn't be riding there in the first place.....

Just my 2p.....

[TonyR]

Anyone who thinks that they would be stuck if their push bike brakes developed a fault when they were out riding in the back of beyond, really shouldn't be riding there in the first place.....

I agree. The breakages I've had to deal with touring were far more challenging than a fault in a hydraulic brake. But successfully dealing with them is half the fun of touring. I remember in one of Nick Crane's books him reassembling the freewheel pawls in a Greek town square with spares he found in a junk shop. Mine have not been that extreme fortunately.

[simonhill]

As any type of oil is banned, I could see someone taking against hydraulic fluid, even I it isn't oil.

Nonsense. Oil isn't banned. You are limited in how much you can carry in your hand luggage but there are plenty of oil based cosmetics that go in checked in baggage. So unless you are planning to carry your hydraulic brakes in your hand luggage no problem.

http://www.heathrow.com/departures/secu ... nned-items

As a cyclist, when I said oil I meant as in the lubricating stuff, rather than cosmetics, eg a bottle of White Lightening, WD40 etc. I have always understood that to be banned as it is flammable.

Although I am probably just speaking nonsense.

[irc]

As a cyclist, when I said oil I meant as in the lubricating stuff, rather than cosmetics, eg a bottle of White Lightening, WD40 etc. I have always understood that to be banned as it is flammable.

Although I am probably just speaking nonsense.

I think you are correct. BA state

Paint, petrol, lighter refills, solvents, varnish etc.

banned in either checked or carry on luggage.

http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/inf ... strictions

For flights to or from USA airports - https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-scr ... ited-items

No aerosols except toiletries, no Flammable Liquid, Gel, or Aerosol Paint

[TonyR]

And yet once you've cleared security they'll happily sell you up to litre bottles of flammable liquids to carry on the plane and even serve you little bottles on-board.

[reohn2]

Hello,
I am currently in the process of building up a tourer using a croix de fer frame. The man in the bike shop couldnt understand why I wanted canti brakes, and they dont fit on the frame anyway. I guess i can go with cable disc brakes...But do any of you have any thoughts on using hydraulic disc breaks on a tourer.

I understand some of the pro points for using hydraulic brakes but are they really suitable for touring? and furthermore, has anyone had issues flying with them?

We've cover this aspect of hydro disc before but here goes again.
Downside of hydros are if they loose fluid yer goosed,until you get to a shop.
They're designed for short sharp braking applications,as in MTB's or fairly flatish terrain,if you have to drag them on long descents in the big hills, they can fail suddenly and catastrophically without warning due to the fluid boiling.
If using with drop bars the levers are vulnerable and very costly in a fall flat bar levers aren't as vulnerable.

By contrast cable discs are able to be stripped by the roadside and a cable can be changed as quick as rim brakes and no messy oil.
They don't fade when dragged on descents.
The pads last as long a hydro pads.
The only downside compared with hydros is that the pads need adjusting manually once in a while,which is a 30 second job.

I'd recommend Avid BB7's as very good cable disc brakes.
I have them on three solos and one tandem and have no complaints whatsoever with their stopping power,which is second to non,and ability to work extremely well in all weathers and conditions.
The nearest thing to them for stopping power are V's but they eat pads in bad weather and wear out rims.

If the bike is securely packed there should be no problem flying with disc brakes.

[reohn2]

I built my 'tourer' up last year...Surly Troll/Rohloff/SON 28...and initially fitted Avid BB7 cable disc brakes. They were powerful but felt crude, I just didn't like them. I replaced them with Shimano XT hydraulic brakes and they are so much better. Powerful with lots of 'feel'....VERY controlable one finger braking everywhere.

4,500 miles later....I haven't touched them once.....no new pads, no bleeding, no adjusting or anything else. I wouldn't think twice about setting off anywhere with them. I would carry spare pads and that would be it.

I think people worry too much about the so called 'complexity' of hydraulic disc brakes. The hydraulic disc brakes as fitted to push bikes are simple things. We are not talking linked/servo assistance/ABS here (yet ?) they are just lever/tube/caliper. Granted, they ARE more complex than Vs or cantilevers but they are still fairly simple things and they work so much better (IMHO).
Just my 2p.....

I'm glad your hydros are serving you well,but I'd hardly call BB7's crude, simply designed yes, but that's their beauty as they're so easily and quickly serviced,and their stopping power is exceptional,even on the tandem.

Anyone who thinks that they would be stuck if their push bike brakes developed a fault when they were out riding in the back of beyond, really shouldn't be riding there in the first place.....

I disagee,it wouldn't be a fault of the tourist being there but a bad choice of equipment,if the bike can't be repaired by the roadside.
Hydros whilst reliable aren't infallible,as cable discs aren't either,but it's the inability to repair hydros by the roadside that makes them a bad choice IMV.
BB7's can be stripped and rebuilt in 1/2 an hour with a couple of small tools in the back of beyond and a cable replaced in minutes,can the same be said for hydros?.
Whilst that may never need to be the case with either system,I know which I'd rather be dealing with.

[FarOeuf]

the only thing I've had on flights is bent rotors, due to poor packing or the bike box being thrown around. I take the rotor off now (I only have a disc on the rear), before packing the bike.

[TonyR]

BB7's can be stripped and rebuilt in 1/2 an hour with a couple of small tools in the back of beyond and a cable replaced in minutes,can the same be said for hydros?.
Whilst that may never need to be the case with either system,I know which I'd rather be dealing with.

But that's the point. I have often had to deal with problems with cables when touring. They seize, they don't release and they sometimes break. The calipers themselves are pretty reliable. I've never had to touch my hydraulic brakes apart from occassional pad changes. And I've had them on a variety of my bikes for up to 15 years. Would you rather have to deal with brake problems on tour or not deal with them? I know which I'd rather do.

And as said if you can't deal with problems, then restricting your touring to more cycling civilised countries is probably advisable. I have had to deal with rebuilding wheels, changing a cassette because a couple of cogs shattered (including jury rigging until I could get a replacement) and cutting off a granny ring that had folded itself round the down and seat tube on a particularly viscious short hill. All much more difficult than hydraulic brakes that will run on even water in an emergency.