But if you have ever ridden downhill off road when it's wet and found your cantilevers or even your V-brakes wanting, you re a candidate for disc brakes. Cycling guru Richard Ballantine recently wrote that if he had to choose between suspension forks and disc brakes on his mountain bike, he would go for disc brakes. Sure, shocks are brilliant but having the best brakes can make the difference between riding in terror and being in sweet control.
Disc brakes are easy to fit to today's bikes.
Even budget suspension forks now come with disc mounts. You are not obliged to fit discs front and rear. If your frame doesn't have disc mounts and your fork does, it's sound to fit a disc to the front alone. After all, most of your stopping power comes from the front brake. Weighing little more than a calliper brake, a disc brake can actually reduce the weight of your bike on a cross country ride.