# Shimano roller brake?



## andyfromotley (27 Jun 2008)

looking at a nexus commuter bike its got these brakes, any good?

andy


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## alicat (2 Jul 2008)

Andy

I have got the Giant Expression N3 with these brakes. They are brilliant and need next to no maintenance. I only wish the Froggleg cantilever brakes on my audax bike stopped as quickly.


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## andyfromotley (2 Jul 2008)

Cool, that is the very bike i am interested in, any good?
andy


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## mickle (2 Jul 2008)

They work well but the cable attachment can be a fiddle, they weigh a ton and have fore and aft play which makes headset adjustment a bit of a pain. Also, getting the wheel back in can be a pain when you try to align the torque arm in its slot _and_ the axle in the drop-outs at the same time. And they're fugly. And they're made by Shi**no. 

I'm a big fan of QR wheels and sometimes let this cloud my judgement when it comes to hub brakes and gears. The bottom line is that they work exceedingly well, are super reliable and, like discs, don't wear out your rims. They have the advantage over discs that it's impossible to contaminate the braking surfaces and of course discs can easily get bent.


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## andyfromotley (2 Jul 2008)

Mickle,
the amount you know about bikes scares me................. a lot.


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## Jelly Mould (2 Jul 2008)

Up until recently I'd have said "avoid", but I've now replaced the useless BR-IM50 brakes that came on my bike with the newer BR-IM70 units. These have a much bigger cooling fin, and seem to work much better on steep Sheffield Hills.

As Mickle says, they're heavy and can be a pain to remove. In addition they need filling up with a special grease every so often, and the front hub has a "power modulator" fitted which is meant to prevent you from locking the wheel under heavy braking (and throwing yourself over the handlebars), but in reality just limits the maximum strength of the brake. And they rattle. And Sheldon Brown did not like them.

Apart from that I quite like them though - overall they do require less maintenance than other types of brake, work just as well in the wet as in the dry, create zero mess with brake dust, and don't wear out the rim! Probably better overall though if you live in a relatively flat area.


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## fossyant (2 Jul 2008)

What the F........is a roller brake - Mickle knows loads, most of is about 'odd bike bits...... - he is a bit odd ! He..he...only kidding...Sheldon Brown of the UK if you have an 'odd bike'........


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## skwerl (3 Jul 2008)

fossyant said:


> What the F........is a roller brake - Mickle knows loads, most of is about 'odd bike bits...... - he is a bit odd ! He..he...only kidding...Sheldon Brown of the UK if you have an 'odd bike'........



it's a type of drum brake that uses a cam/roller assembly to press drum against braking surface


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