Flat mount disc brake.
Touring bike disc brakes.
The 520 touring bike has been in trek s line up for aeons.
Built for long distance comfort the best touring bikes are strong light and versatile capable of climbing steep gradients as well as allowing you to relax and enjoy the scenery.
There s plenty of debate over whether v brakes or disc brakes are better for touring.
This latest version marries a steel frame to an alloy disc touring fork with a thruskew captive quick release skewer.
However disc brakes do provide far superior stopping power especially in the wet.
V brakes for our purposes are a generic and misused term for the several varieties of caliper brakes that work by pinching the bicycle wheel s rim between two brake blocks to create friction and slow the bike.
The reason is that more braking forces are applied to the non drive side of a disc brake bike.
Disc brakes offer the best braking performance for touring bikes in both wet and dry conditions.
And as usual there s no clear cut answer.
V brakes can slow a loaded touring bike in dry conditions very well as can hydraulic rim brakes.
If you re looking for a full on touring bike for extended trips both home and abroad fuji s road disc should at the very least be on your radar.
Well chosen kit on a simple semi compact frame.
Traditionally touring bikes had rim brakes and these will certainly do the job for most road based tours.
Classic touring bikes used to have rim brakes but mechanical disc brakes are starting to take over the category.
In simple terms disc brakes move the braking surface from the wheel rim to a specially designed disc or rotor attached to the hub.
This adds to the cost.
If you re on a tight budget it s best to stay away from disc brakes.
You ll be able to kit out a touring bike with panniers cargo racks bottle holders and all the accessories you ll need for a day in the saddle or a touring.
Disc brakes are becoming almost ubiquitous on all modern bikes.
More engineering is required to design and build the frame.
Disc brakes really shine in adverse weather conditions as they re unaffected by water and dirt.