Cost/feasibility of converting these wheels from V-brakes to disc?

[poorlittlefish]

How feasible/costly would it be to convert my mountain bike to have disc brakes rather than V-brakes? According to the bike's user manual it has the mounts for disc brakes (see photos - are these the mounts?). I asked in a bike shop this morning and was told it would cost hundreds of pounds as the discs alone would be £160, yet I saw discs on the Decathlon site for a tenth of that price, so I'm not sure what else is needed and whether I'd just be better off buying a new bike - thanks.

[NUKe]

you would need New hubs for the rear or new wheels
front fork doesn't look to have the bosses so it might be easier to replace the fork.
Do you want mechanical or hydraulic brakes I would estimate at least £200 even with low end mechanical brakes, if someone elseos doing the work. the only mechanical brakes worth having are SRAM bb7 or bb5.
YOu could get a great second hand MTB with Hydraulics if you shop around

[Ivor Tingting]

you would need New hubs for the rear or new wheels
front fork doesn't look to have the bosses so it might be easier to replace the fork.
Do you want mechanical or hydraulic brakes I would estimate at least £200 even with low end mechanical brakes, if someone elseos doing the work. the only mechanical brakes worth having are SRAM bb7 or bb5.
YOu could get a great second hand MTB with Hydraulics if you shop around

Avid BB7 or BB5 mechanical disc brakes not SRAM! Avoid BB5s they are not good.

[PH]

I'd say possible but not financially viable. Front fork and frame both look to have the mounts to me.
BTW - SRAM and Avid are the same company.

[Paulatic]

When you wear out your existing rims then maybe look into changing then. I’ve no experience of disc brakes but I ride a MtB with V brakes and fail to see why I’d need to stop any quicker or easier than they do. I’ve memories, 20+ yrs ago, of a descent into Starbottom with cantilevers and can still feel the strain of pulling those levers
I got modern a few days ago and rode a 7 stanes red route places I’ve avoided for years. Surrounded by high spec MtB all with discs but what I did discover is brakes are barely needed because all the bends were banked.

[Ivor Tingting]

How feasible/costly would it be to convert my mountain bike to have disc brakes rather than V-brakes? According to the bike's user manual it has the mounts for disc brakes (see photos - are these the mounts?). I asked in a bike shop this morning and was told it would cost hundreds of pounds as the discs alone would be £160, yet I saw discs on the Decathlon site for a tenth of that price, so I'm not sure what else is needed and whether I'd just be better off buying a new bike - thanks.

IMG_20190709_144244_resized_20190709_024343212.jpgIMG_20190709_144301_resized_20190709_024343436.jpg

I would say the bike shop are not far wrong for the total cost but they are talking out of their behinds for the cost of the discs. You can get Shimano Deore discs for £10 each.

You need to budget for new disc hubs front and rear.
Wheel builds x2 £45 each.
Disc brake set including callipers levers and hoses/cables £120. Avid BB7 with Avid Speed dial levers another £30 or Shimano Deore Disc brakes £120.
Rotors £20-30.
Cables or brake fluid and bleed kit £15-25 kit.
Are you going to fit them yourself in which case no charge but for an LBS who knows, £60?

Might better be to find a second hand disc brake bike or just buy new. I am sure you could get a reasonable one for £300-400 e.g. Decathlon.

TBH disc brake conversions are only worth while if you have a bike that is "worth it" or you are very attached to it because of sone feature or capability, but even then it is not going to be economically justifiable unless you have deep pockets, or the bike already has disc brakes and you are upgrading to a much better model of disc brakes and DOING THE UPGRADE YOURSELF.

For cheap run of the mill cheapo ubiquitous bikes it simply isn't worth it imho. Look for another bike.

[ross.anderson.58]

So you would need a new set of hubs or alrternativly its probably easier to buy a new set of wheels which are disc compatible. You can probably buy a set of brand new brakes online for around £150 dependong on what you get. I bough a brand new but secondhand set of slx shimano brakes a few years ago for £80 so there are deals to be had if you look. Both your fork and frame have IS mounts. You would probably need to get IS to post mount adapters depending on what brakes you buy though these are normally not expensive.

Overall depending on how you buy and what level of specs you buy id expect it will run cheapest (secondhand wheelset? Lightly used brake set?) £200+. All depends on what level of kit you are looking for.

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my LG-H930 using hovercraft full of eels.

[ross.anderson.58]

How feasible/costly would it be to convert my mountain bike to have disc brakes rather than V-brakes? According to the bike's user manual it has the mounts for disc brakes (see photos - are these the mounts?). I asked in a bike shop this morning and was told it would cost hundreds of pounds as the discs alone would be £160, yet I saw discs on the Decathlon site for a tenth of that price, so I'm not sure what else is needed and whether I'd just be better off buying a new bike - thanks.

IMG_20190709_144244_resized_20190709_024343212.jpgIMG_20190709_144301_resized_20190709_024343436.jpg

I would say the bike shop are not far wrong for the total cost but they are talking out of their behinds for the cost of the discs. You can get Shimano Deore discs for £10 each.

You need to budget for new disc hubs front and rear.
Wheel builds x2 £45 each.
Disc brake set including callipers levers and hoses/cables £120. Avid BB7 with Avid Speed dial levers another £30 or Shimano Deore Disc brakes £120.
Rotors £20-30.
Cables or brake fluid and bleed kit £15-25 kit.
Are you going to fit them yourself in which case no charge but for an LBS who knows, £60?

Might better be to find a second hand disc brake bike or just buy new. I am sure you could get a reasonable one for £300-400 e.g. Decathlon.

TBH disc brake conversions are only worth while if you have a bike that is "worth it" or you are very attached to it because of sone feature or capability, but even then it is not going to be economically justifiable unless you have deep pockets, or the bike already has disc brakes and you are upgrading to a much better model of disc brakes and DOING THE UPGRADE YOURSELF.

For cheap run of the mill cheapo ubiquitous bikes it simply isn't worth it imho. Look for another bike.

This is probably the best bit of advice here. If it is a bike you will keep for years then maybe its a worthwhile thing to do.

If you see yourself enjoying riding more and more, ride it like it is a save the cash for a complete upgrade in the future.

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my LG-H930 using hovercraft full of eels.

[pwa]

If you want disc brakes it is new bike time. You could do it with that frame and forks but you would need new wheels (disc brake wheels are different) and the brake parts, and the cost of fitting if you don't want to do it yourself. It won't be cost effective.

[Ivor Tingting]

When you wear out your existing rims then maybe look into changing then. I’ve no experience of disc brakes but I ride a MtB with V brakes and fail to see why I’d need to stop any quicker or easier than they do. I’ve memories, 20+ yrs ago, of a descent into Starbottom with cantilevers and can still feel the strain of pulling those levers
I got modern a few days ago and rode a 7 stanes red route places I’ve avoided for years. Surrounded by high spec MtB all with discs but what I did discover is brakes are barely needed because all the bends were banked.

Hydraulic/cable Avid BB7 disc brakes are far superior in every way. Firstly you can actually stop in ALL weathers, your bikes wheel rims aren't worn down every time you apply the brakes and brake fade is far far less. You can stop a fully loaded bike with disc brakes far more easily on a steep descent of a mountain than a rim braked bike. Also if in the unlikely event a disc braked wheel is buckled you still can ride it where as with a rim braked wheel you may well be stuffed unless you can re-true it which is what you would probably do with a disc braked wheel as well anyway. When a rim braked rim is worn out and the braking surface splits, it's new wheel time and ££££. Disc brakes are far far far better on every single count. And that make far far less mess i.e. a grinding paste from brake dust, crud, lube from the chain and grit grinding down the rims. Old technology. Just move on.

[pete75]

A reasonable pair of wheels with Deore hubs and fairly decent Rigida rims https://www.taylor-wheels.com/bike-whee ... 044124443# . I've had Taylor wheels and so have several other people I know. They're not bad at all.
About 65 quid posted to Britain. Pair of BB7 calipers complete with pads, discs and fitting bots 53 quid https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SRAM-Avid-BB ... Mh5FogVy1Q . You can use existing tyres, tubes, rim tape and brake levers. Add another tenner for new brake cables and you can do the job for under £130. Fitting is simple and will take under an hour.
If your old wheels are okay you'd probably recoup some of the cost by selling them on ebay.

[Bez]

You could even go a smidge lower: I got some new Shimano M315 hydraulics for my son’s bike on eBay, including rotors and IS mount adapters, for under £45. So about £110 with those wheels from Taylor.

[pwa]

Disc brakes are far far far better on every single count.

That is a bit of an exaggeration. Some rim brakes are bad in the wet. Mine aren't. Some rim brakes wear the rims down. My CSS rims don't wear as quick as the hubs in the same wheels. Disc brakes add weight and stop you having a springy fork. But yes, they do have the advantages you mentioned too. When they work. All brakes have to be set up right and maintained to work well. Even disc brakes. It is misleading to promote disc brakes as some sort of panacea. They have their pluses and minuses.

Would you say the OP is going to find disc brakes easier to maintain than vee brakes?

[Ivor Tingting]

Disc brakes are far far far better on every single count.

That is a bit of an exaggeration. Some rim brakes are bad in the wet. Mine aren't. Some rim brakes wear the rims down. My CSS rims don't wear as quick as the hubs in the same wheels. Disc brakes add weight and stop you having a springy fork. But yes, they do have the advantages you mentioned too. When they work. All brakes have to be set up right and maintained to work well. Even disc brakes. It is misleading to promote disc brakes as some sort of panacea. They have their pluses and minuses.

Would you say the OP is going to find disc brakes easier to maintain than vee brakes?

Assuming the OP has a reasonable level of mechanical and bicycle expertise and doesn't buy a crappy set of disc brakes, then yes most definitely.

[Ivor Tingting]

Disc brakes are far far far better on every single count.

That is a bit of an exaggeration. Some rim brakes are bad in the wet. Mine aren't. Some rim brakes wear the rims down. My CSS rims don't wear as quick as the hubs in the same wheels. Disc brakes add weight and stop you having a springy fork. But yes, they do have the advantages you mentioned too. When they work. All brakes have to be set up right and maintained to work well. Even disc brakes. It is misleading to promote disc brakes as some sort of panacea. They have their pluses and minuses.

Would you say the OP is going to find disc brakes easier to maintain than vee brakes?

No, it's not. They are just better in every way. Period. I concede if you are a pro team rider you ride with whatever you are given generally top of the range components whether rim or disc brakes. In any case you have a team of mechanics to service your bike and issues of longevity are not a worry. You certainly don't have to get your hands dirty or dip into your wallet for a new wheel when the rim splits and go through all the hassle that entails of getting it replaced and back on the road.