More teams switch to disc brakes for 2020 season

It’s a busy time of year as professional cycling teams reveal new rider signings and sponsors for the 2020 season so here’s a quick roundup of some of the fresh new bikes that have been revealed this week.

The big news appears to be an increasing number of teams now making the wholesale transition to disc brakes. This comes as no surprise; more teams have been gradually making the switch and last year Deceuninck–Quick-Step capped another season as the most successful WorldTour team having made the decision to only ride disc brakes at the beginning of 2019.

- Everything you need to know about disc brakes

There appears to be no change for the Belgian team this year, so it's Specialized Tarmac and Venge bikes with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets and Roval wheels. 

Another Belgium team, Lotto Soudal, has announced it is switching to disc brakes. The team is sponsored by Ridley with Campagnolo EPS Disc groupsets and Caleb Ewan, John Degenkolb, Philippe Gilbert and co. will ride the Ridley Noah Fast Disc and Ridley Helium SLX Disc models.

Caleb Ewan notched up 10 victories for the team last season aboard the Noah Fast, but for 2020 will be hoping to emulate this success with a big change from rim to disc brakes. The team has announced it’ll be unveiling some custom painted bikes for several of its star riders once the season commences. We love a good custom paint job and can’t wait to see what they’ve come up with.

Mark Cavendish has joined Bahrain Merida McLaren and will switch from Cervelo of last season to a Merida, with photos on social media showing him riding a Scultura Disc. Given his sprinting prowess we’re sure he’ll jump aboard the Merida Reacto, the company’s aero race bike, when the season gets underway. We can presume the entire team will race on disc brakes given all the photos shared thus far only show disc-equipped bikes, making this the latest team to make the switch to disc brakes.

Movistar is a huge team in the cycling world and after 37 years of Campagnolo and rim brakes, for 2020 it is switching to SRAM and disc brakes. I never thought I’d see the day when this Spanish team would ride disc brakes, and I’m pretty certain Alejandro Valverde thought he’d retire before being made to ride disc brakes. The team will continue with Canyon bikes, with a choice of Aeroad and Ultimate, and use SRAM Red eTap AXS groupsets with Quarq power meters and Zipp wheels.

AG2R La Mondiale is once again riding Eddy Merckx bikes with the 525 Disc and Stockeu69 Rim the two bikes at its disposal. Unlike some teams which are 100% committing to disc brakes, this French outfit is preferring to retain rim brakes for hilly and mountainous races, because of the obvious weight saving benefits, while the 525 Disc will be used on flat and rolling races.

Not a WorldTour team but a professional continental outfit, Italian setup Bardiani CSF Faizanè will be riding this Guerciotti E-740 Disc equipped with Campagnolo Reecord EPS. The Guerciotti E-740 Disc has a claimed 840g frame and is designed entirely around disc brakes with internal hose routing and thru-axles. The company says the frame is made as a single piece in one mould and features extremely thin seat stays to reduce the overall frame weight. With the pink paint work and matching bar tape it’ll be one of the more distinctive bikes in the peloton.

Corendon-Circus, otherwise better known as the team that Dutch sensation Mathieu van der Poel rides for, will become Alpecin-Fenix in 2020 following the collapse of the Katusha-Alpecin team. It’s only a UCI Pro Continental level team which means they’re not automatically invited to all WorldTour level races, but we’re sure they’ll get plenty of invites due to van der Poel as which race organiser wouldn’t want him competing at their event? The team will be sponsored by Canyon with a full range of road race, cyclocross and mountain bikes to choose from as the team is billed as a multidisciplinary affair - Mathieu van der Poel’s big target this year is a gold medal in the mountain bike race at the Olympic Games. The Aeroad and Ultimate road race bikes will be equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets and wheels and Selle Italia saddles.

Remember that argument years ago that you carnage would ensue it half the peloton was on disc brakes and half on rim brakes? Looks a bit silly now doesn’t it…