A few days ago, I switched to a disc-type bike.
Unexpectedly, I had the opportunity to quickly switch from my Palight Z5 and Altum to a Willier Zero SLR.
I'm posting a review of my riding experience yesterday and today.
The Zero frame and Altum frame sizes were almost the same, so the fitting was good.
The Zero has a head tube that is further forward than the previous frame, so the handling feels a bit sluggish.
The complete bike weight is about 7kg including pedals, but the handlebars feel heavy when you hold them. The rims are lighter at the front, but the discs have a significant weight at the front.
Since the frame color is red, I'll have to wear a simple uniform. The photos aren't very good. ㅎㅎ
The Palight Altum is a frame with very good ride quality, so I was worried about the ride quality of the Zero since it has carbon spokes all the way to the wheels.
In fact, when I started riding, I felt a stiffness that was transmitted through my hands.
However, as speed increased, much of the stiffness was offset, and above 30 km/h, it became quite comfortable.
I prefer not to use tubeless tires, so today on my second ride, I replaced them with Vittoria Clinchers and latex tubes.
For my first ride, I rode clockwise with friends around Siu Ri.
On the Siu Ri downhill, in an aerodynamic position, my downhill speed was a bit faster than before. When I had to brake suddenly because there was a bus ahead of me at high speed, the disc braking felt a little unfamiliar and unsettling.
There is almost no difference in deceleration between the rims and discs, but the feeling is different.
I think the aerodynamic performance will be verified after riding frequently on familiar courses.
The Palight Altum is an endurance frame, while the Willier Zero frame seems to be a racing frame.
When you dance hard, the frame doesn't flex or feel soft at all, and it gives you a solid feeling of support.
After two days of riding with discs, there is one thing that stands out as the best part. This alone makes me want to say that disc brakes are necessary.
The lever itself. Unlike the rim brake levers, the disc brake levers have a larger head and a larger contact area for your palm.
As a result, vibrations coming up from the ground are well dispersed, significantly reducing hand and wrist fatigue.
In addition, there are about four different grip positions, so you can change the position immediately when you feel some fatigue and reduce it.
Actually, I usually get a lot of wrist fatigue after riding for about 2.5 hours, but today I rode very comfortably.
Bikes have evolved to improve aerodynamic performance and braking performance, but I think the change in lever shape has significantly reduced riding fatigue. This alone makes me want to use disc brakes.
However, when descending, I like to hold the drops with my index finger lightly pulling on the lever. Even with the shortest reach, it still feels a bit far.
The advantages of disc brakes, in my opinion, are that there is no worry about carbon wheel heat deformation due to braking and, most importantly, the levers have a variety of grip positions and transmit significantly less vibration to your hands.
