Gustav Larsson’s “tattoo” and the question of disc brakes

Road disc brakes are soon to be allowed in UCI competition, but for many observers, that raises all new questions. For one, there’s the issue of responsiveness: disc brakes, as per their appeal, are faster and more effective than the rim brake variety. But what happens if the competitor ahead of you slams on the brakes and, at the mercy of rim brakes, you can’t stop as quickly?

That’s just one consideration. A photo shared by Gustav Larsson’s Instagram account raises another.

As Larsson describes, contact of barely a “millisecond” resulted in the hot metal surface of his disc brake creating what he called a “new brake tattoo,” burning the shape of the mechanism into his lower leg. So, all that considered — their use, the implications of maintaining such equipment, and the prospect, evidenced here, of burning yourself on their hot metal surface in a pile-up — what do you think? Disc brakes: good idea or bad idea?