What will discs cut? The raw meat episode
Our team heads to the shop for another not-so-scientific experiment with disc brakes. Will our results prove that rotors are dangerous?
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On Thursday, we went down to the VeloNews shop for a very unscientific experiment to see how dangerous disc brakes really are. You, dear readers, gave us lots of feedback on Twitter, Facebook, and probably other social media sites we aren’t even aware of, so it seemed worthwhile to produce a follow-up video.
In the sequel to “Will it Cut?” we address a couple of your most common critiques. Managing Editor Chris Case hopped on the bike to put out some serious watts. We grabbed some meat from the local butcher to see whether riders are risking their flesh with discs. Did we heat up the rotor? No, because most crashes occur when the peloton is going fast, and no one is hitting the brakes for extended periods of time — hence, the rotors aren’t being heated by the friction of braking action.
Our silly little demonstration doesn’t prove a whole lot, but it seems to indicate that, yes, under some unique circumstances, disc brake rotors could cut you. To be fair, bladed spokes would also do damage. Chainrings are quite sharp too. So have fun, ride safe, and don’t try this at home.