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I have a Flying Cat brand electric bike. It is the Style City model. Currently it has V-Brake SHIMANO AV/AR. Full details of the bike are here: http://www.flying-cat.fr/velo-ville-electrique-style-city.php

I am wondering if changing my brakes to progressive brakes (disc brakes) is a possibility.

This is because while cycling to work someone cut in front of me and I instinctively braked hard. The bike slipped and I fell and have hurt myself. Apparently progressive (disc?) brakes could make my braking safer and more controlled.

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    If you skidded, you almost certainly braked too hard for the surface. "Better" brakes wouldn't help with that. There might be some benefit from more suitable tyres, but emergency stops are always a problem. At some point most of us have probably crashed or come close to crashing from instinctively braking too hard. Hopefully most of us have learnt from the experience.
    – Chris H
    Commented Sep 23, 2018 at 15:33
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    The problem here seems to be proper braking technique rather than the kind of brakes in use.
    – Carel
    Commented Sep 24, 2018 at 7:53

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I think you have a misconception about disc brakes. You may have heard that (hydraulic especially) disc brakes allow better modulation, which does allow for increased braking control, but if you yank the levers hard, they provide instant, full power braking.

Properly set up V-brakes can provide sufficient modulation to be controllable. Your evidently offer enough power to stop quickly.

Practicing emergency stops on grass is probably a good idea so you have more control of the bike under hard braking.

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This photo is from the page you linked:

Flying Cat - Style City electric bike

I don’t see mounting points for disc brake calipers on the fork or left chainstay. The motor is a hub motor, and presumably neither hub has a mount for a brake rotor as it is fitted to a V brake bike.

It’s not worth trying to convert this bike if those observations are correct, it would mean a compromised calliper installation and possibly a new and expensive (disc) rear hub and front hub. Better option is to swap and buy a bike with hydraulic disc brakes if that’s what you want.

Whether different brakes could have prevented you falling off is open to interpretation, but no reason not to upgrade

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  • Thank you so much Swifty!! I am unsure if having different brakes could have helped me. I was on a gravelly bike path nearing a cross roads. The cars on the parallel road had stopped at the lights although they had already turned green for me and the cars. The cars were not moving, so I went ahead and then a foot scooter zoomed in front of me (we drive on the right here) - the scooter must have cut through the red light, in front of the cars and then did not think to look on the bike path. I already know I have to look for people doing "anything" but I am wondering if I can make my bike safer.
    – E A
    Commented Sep 23, 2018 at 10:44

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