UCI Moving With The Times

It's official, the UCI has allowed the use of disc brakes throughout the racing calendar including major races from the next year 2016. It's been a long term coming with those opposing and others supporting disc brakes. Personally disc brakes in the peloton will be refreshing to see in the peloton and more closely resembles the way trends are moving in the cycling industry.

We're likely to see widespread use during the spring and cobbled classics where rain, mud and wind are common. It's those conditions where disc brakes really come into their own. Some teams were already trialling disc brakes from the back end of the 2015 season and noted increased braking performance in wet weather. 

Canyon Ultimate CF SLX  Disc

Although it's exciting to finally see disc brakes in the pro peloton next year a shadow of doubt still weighs heavily, on the whole, idea. Firstly teams running Campagnolo  are yet to have a disc brake groupset, Campagnolo says they're close to finishing testing their own disc groupset when it will be ready we don't know. But it would have to be before April. Secondly disc brakes present a nightmare for  Mavic neutral vehicles who will need to carry an increased number of wheels, not only just to satisfy riders still using rim brakes but also Shimano and Sram disc equipped wheels.

At the moment, it looks like every world tour team will have a disc equipped bike model at their disposal. Only Scott remain the only brand not to have a disc version of their top end racing models whilst Canyons disc equipped Ultimate CF SLX remains a concept that we're likely to see next year.  

If the 2016 season of testing is successful disc brakes will be allowed in all levels of cycling sport and dare I say become favoured in the pro peloton in years to come.