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Biking Essentials or Luxuries?

I recently bought a Gary Fisher mountain bike for an adventure race. Having only front suspension, do you think it was necessary for me to get disc brakes?

Steve Jones's Answer:

	Steve Jones The author of four mountain-biking books, Steve Jones has logged thousands of miles of trails and backroads. Meet Steve Answer Archive Biking Forums

Jesenia,

Every time I hop on my bike and head into the woods, it's an adventure. As far as racing goes, the only place I worry about winding up is on my saddle again the next day. Racing and riding fast isn't why I ride. However, if a pack of wild dogs gets on my tail (which has happened), I use the No-Brakes-and-Lots-of-Prayer Approach.

All that is to say,"Disc brakes aren't a necessary accessory, either with or without a front shock." Disc brakes, as you no doubt have discovered by now, simply allow you much more control, response, and overall stopping power. They also work much better in wet and muddy conditions, since standard brake pads tend to work slowly, if at all, once they get damp.

But your question hits on a topic that most mountain bikers consider important: accessories and upgrades. Some people just aren't having fun unless they are riding the most bike they can afford. The mountain biking industry has, naturally, worked hard to create this attitude in its consumers: us, the mountain-bike riders.

The Bare Essentials

But is it necessary? Without getting bogged down in what the word "necessary" means, I would have to say, "All that's necessary is to have a frame, wheels, tires, a way to make it go as fast as you want, and a way to stop it all safely and in time to avoid serious injury." Oh yeah, don't forget your helmet, but even a saddle isn't necessary if you're a real mountain biker.

I'm sure you have friends like I do who couldn't be having any more fun regardless of the frame's weight, suspension, or any other components. The goal for them is to ride today, tomorrow, and for as long as they can swing their leg over the top tube. Several of them don't even have front suspension, so I know what they would tell you: "Disc brakes are not necessary."

More, More, More

Judging by the bikers I meet at trailheads and on the trail, I do admit that many, if not most, bikers obtain a great deal of apparent enjoyment from riding the newest, lightest, and fastest-stopping bike they can afford. Of course, there's nothing wrong about this mind-set, and in fact, economists would say this is the attitude that drives America's fiscal engine.

But putting all philosophical discussion aside, riding a bike with more sophisticated equipment allows you to do more with the bike. And if that is what shifts your gears, then by all means disc brakes become a necessary addition to your approach to biking. The most important thing to remember is that you should have as much fun as possible while riding a bike.

I met a biker on the trail one day, and during our conversation I commented on his bike, which was obviously a very high-tech affair. "Yeah," he told me, "my bike is better than I am." And I suppose that if you're going to have a bike either better or worse than you are, it is certainly advisable to have one better. If you can afford it, that is. And if you can't, then get out there on the bike you enjoy the most. Just get out there.