A few days ago, the UCI has announced it will continue to test the use of disc brakes in 2016. Professional riders will be able to use the new braking technology in races from January 1. Vincenzo Nibali explained to Cyclingnews that he is in favor of this rule.
"I think it's a part of a normal evolution of cycling and bikes," the Tour de France winner told Cyclingnews. "I've never tried disc brakes on the road and so it'll be something new for me. Disc brakes on mountain bikes are great but using them in races will be a little different."
But the Italian noticed that the technology can be dangerous. "They'll be good in the wet but a doubt that perhaps remains is in the case of a crash that involves several riders. A hot disc brake can be dangerous. I think they will have to make some minor changes and perhaps add a protector of some kind. Riders also have different braking styles. Some brake hard at the beginning, while other go hard later on. The risk with good brakes is that they can lock up up; there's no ABS on bikes. So when you lock up, you skid and can crash. If the road surface is smooth, disc brakes could lock up more. So tyre compounds will be important.
"Riders will need to learn how to use disc brakes properly and learn how to modulate their braking. It's all about getting used to it."
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