Disc Brakes--Maintenance

Anyone out there have disc brakes? My new 'cross bike has them and I was wondering what I be aware of in terms of when to change the brake pads, how to know when they are wearing out, etc? Thanks, in advance, for any advice.

Disc Brakes on a cross bike? That's is awesome! (Though, it is illegal at UCI races). I have disc brakes on my mountain bike and they are great. Disc brakes are generally low maintenance, but you need to consider a few things: break pads will wear out, rotors will wear out, capilers might need adjusting, and lines will need bleeding once in a while (you have to buy a kit for this).

Here is a random website that I googled which gives a nice overview.

bicyclehabitat.com/page.cfm?PageID=362

Another important thing is DO NOT flip your bike upside down (I read this directly from my manual). Granted, if you brakes were done properly there should be absolutely no air in them. But, you never know and you could be moving air through the lines which could cause your brakes to not work. Then you would have to bleed the lines.

What kind of disc brakes do you have? You might want to check out the manufacturer's website to get more info.

Renee -- Thanks for the link and the info. My brakes are mechanical (Avid). I will check their website for more info. I'm looking forward to not having my rims ice up if (when, probably) it gets really cold outside.