Disc brakes now legal in UK road and circuit races

[DuncanM]

Road and circuit races:
http://road.cc/content/news/232239-british-cycling-allow-use-disc-brakes-all-road-and-circuit-races

Seems to be based on the idea that loads of people have them, which is a curious way of thinking.  Maybe they will allow recumbents next if they sell well enough?
I have a disc road bike, and I don't hold much truck with the "slice you up" safety argument, but I'm not sure how well it would work at a crit or something where you need to brake and turn in - especially in the wet there will be a "peloton a deux vitesse".

[giropaul]

Manufacturers 1, cyclists and races 0 in my view.

It also only apples to domestic races, not UCI races ( such as the big races in the UK). At present it doesn’t apply to Belgium, The Netherlands , France, Spain etc either.

[Morat]

- especially in the wet there will be a "peloton a deux vitesse".

I can't see that situation holding for long if there is a competitive advantage to one system or the other.

[Ian H]

I think it's more a worry about inexperienced riders in the peloton braking suddenly.  Be interesting to see whether 4th cat races get an even worse reputation.

[DuncanM]

Manufacturers 1, cyclists and races 0 in my view.

It also only apples to domestic races, not UCI races ( such as the big races in the UK). At present it doesn’t apply to Belgium, The Netherlands , France, Spain etc either.

I think it's more complex than that. Many road bikes are now being sold with discs because discs offer better braking. That's definitely why I bought mine (after a couple of commutes where the quantity of water around meant I had very little braking it was important to me).  Having the events available to me restricted because of that choice was frustrating (though I appreciate self inflicted).

Having the national federations able to make these decisions on an ad-hoc basis is odd IMO. I believe that the US and Canada have allowed them for a year, and France allowed them and then disallowed them again after the UCI foul up. That can't be good for anyone.