and let's not forget the intense heat that brake pads and rotors can generate.
Just in. Massive fire caused by "rotor burn"
A fire broke out today destroying a trail network, 3000 hectares of bush and a shuttle bus. The cause was a man known only as pink poodle, who was out "shredding the gnar" with some "enduro bros" which is mountain biker talk for riding some dirt trails with others in the most radical way possible.
On a long descent his front brake failed causing him to overheat his rear brake to the point of ignition which is known to the mountain bikers as "rotor burn" due to the effect when one touches the overheated rotor. During a "schralp" on a section of track known as a berm the rider put the back wheel into the bush and his burning rotor set the area ablaze. The bike is ok and pink poodle escaped injury and charges. Disc brakes are now banned on catastrophic fire days.
This just in, actually someone just chucked a ciggy out of their car. Or didn't teach their kids about fire. Or was just bad. Or dry lightning happened...