Disc brake cyclocross bikes: 2012 season guide

Two years after the UCI announced their approval for disc brakes on cyclocross bikes, production versions have hit the consumer market in a big way, with more than a dozen major brands and countless smaller outfits now producing them. 

Purists might continue to balk at disc bikes’ non-traditional aesthetics, their increased weight and the lack of high-end wheel choices, but there’s little argument against them in terms of pure functionality.

Admittedly, top-level pros have been somewhat slow to make the switch, but that tide seems to be turning. Case in point is Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com rider Tim Johnson, who started racing regularly on discs last season and continues to compete on them full-time.

“It’s definitely the most commonly asked question at the races – every single person asks how they are, how they feel, and the most effective thing I’ve been able to do is just hand them my bike and let them ride it,” Johnson told BikeRadar. “They’re almost always totally blown away. I really don’t think it’s going to last much longer where [top European pros] don’t think it’s the right move. I guess the question is just getting access to it.”