Brakes - which is liked better?
- Thread starter neilrichardson55
- Start date
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All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
Well set up with good components, clean braking surfaces and good friction material, they all do the job well.
On the other hand flexible plastic brake levers, compressible outers and bendy calipers with 40 year old pads and steel rims makes life exciting!
On the other hand flexible plastic brake levers, compressible outers and bendy calipers with 40 year old pads and steel rims makes life exciting!
- Location
- Inside my skull
I prefer tubeless brakes
Electric_Andy
Heavy Metal Fan
- Location
- Plymouth
I've only ever used canteliever and cable disc. The discs were better in every way (especially in the wet). If hydraulic discs are anything like on a motorbike then I would certianly rate them, but never used them on a push bike
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
I have had hydraulic discs on my last two bikes, and would never go back to rim brakes if I can avoid it.
Less maintenance IME, and reliable in all weather conditions.
Less maintenance IME, and reliable in all weather conditions.
- Location
- The TerrorVortex
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Same - never touched the Guide RS brakes on my MTB, other than a known issue with the piston which was also the time I bled them. Been faultless since. Other bikes are calliper rim and canti rim (due to age). No issues with them, other than the power isn't there when carrying alot of weight - e.g. bike packing - hydros would have been far easier on the fingers.
Hydro on MTB's as you need the stopping power.
- Location
- The TerrorVortex
Dual-pivots with decent pads are pretty good.
V-brakes are more powerful and easy to set up.
None of the fleet have disks.
V-brakes are more powerful and easy to set up.
None of the fleet have disks.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I think the only kind of brakes I've ever* used are: Centre pulls and side pulls (single and dual pivot). Worst braking I've ever experienced was down to the rims, not the brakes (steel rims).
So from my (admittedly limited) experience: Dual pivot side pulls.
* Exceptions: I rode an MTB a few times in Sweden that had cantilever brakes (I think). I rode on a tandem that had drum brakes when I was a teenager. I think I rode a kiddie bike with rod brakes. No real opinion on those.
So from my (admittedly limited) experience: Dual pivot side pulls.
* Exceptions: I rode an MTB a few times in Sweden that had cantilever brakes (I think). I rode on a tandem that had drum brakes when I was a teenager. I think I rode a kiddie bike with rod brakes. No real opinion on those.
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wiggydiggy
Guru
They all mostly work when set up well. I prefer hydraulic disc brakes as the lever action is really light and for the most part they are reasonably maintenance free and the braking is more reliable and powerful. Cable discs are just as powerful but they feel more like rim brakes and can be more fatiguing on a longer ride.
I do like the brake feel of rim brakes though - there is a much more positive action to them that feels more powerful even if they aren't.
I do like the brake feel of rim brakes though - there is a much more positive action to them that feels more powerful even if they aren't.
PaulSB
Squire
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
Hydraulic discs
roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
I’ve used cantis, V brakes, dual pivots, drum brakes, cable discs and hydro discs.
Most importantly, in almost all situations, braking force is limited by tyre to surface friction, not by the brakes (but see tandem comments). Hydro discs are not in general more powerful!
Personal opinion:
Sunday best road bike: dual pivot rim brakes. Light, simple, cheap, excellent.
Commuter/winter bike: Discs, either hydro or cable, swings & roundabouts. Give mudguard clearance and avoids the issue of rim wear which is really important commuting through winter.
MTB: hydro discs. Avoids the issues with crud into the cables. But Vee brakes are actually very good and more than adequate.
Tourer: either cable discs or Vee brakes. Wouldn’t want to have to fix a hydro system in the wild – unlikely but fatal failure and hydro not needed at all for this duty.
Tandem: extra drum brake if possible. Discs alone better than rim alone simply for braking force. Would go hydro unless planning to tour.
Anyone with reduced motor function in hands – hydro discs for better mechanical advantage
Cantis are absolutely awful to set up, I can’t see why anyone would prefer them to vee brakes.
Hydro discs are great in use, but if anything goes wrong you’ll be down the LBS, and they also add significant expense. The need for hoses has led to internal cabling which is also awful for gears and drives Di2 as a result. People do love the “feel” of hydro discs.
Monitoring wear on discs is much harder than with rims, and changing pads also more of a PITA.
The kicker though, is what’s actually available. You’ll struggle to get a nice road bike without hydro discs (and probably Di2 as well…). You definitely won’t get a decent rim braked MTB at all unless 2nd hand. All this adds cost; the ubiquity of hydro discs has IME put a significant cost barrier to getting into cycling.
Most importantly, in almost all situations, braking force is limited by tyre to surface friction, not by the brakes (but see tandem comments). Hydro discs are not in general more powerful!
Personal opinion:
Sunday best road bike: dual pivot rim brakes. Light, simple, cheap, excellent.
Commuter/winter bike: Discs, either hydro or cable, swings & roundabouts. Give mudguard clearance and avoids the issue of rim wear which is really important commuting through winter.
MTB: hydro discs. Avoids the issues with crud into the cables. But Vee brakes are actually very good and more than adequate.
Tourer: either cable discs or Vee brakes. Wouldn’t want to have to fix a hydro system in the wild – unlikely but fatal failure and hydro not needed at all for this duty.
Tandem: extra drum brake if possible. Discs alone better than rim alone simply for braking force. Would go hydro unless planning to tour.
Anyone with reduced motor function in hands – hydro discs for better mechanical advantage
Cantis are absolutely awful to set up, I can’t see why anyone would prefer them to vee brakes.
Hydro discs are great in use, but if anything goes wrong you’ll be down the LBS, and they also add significant expense. The need for hoses has led to internal cabling which is also awful for gears and drives Di2 as a result. People do love the “feel” of hydro discs.
Monitoring wear on discs is much harder than with rims, and changing pads also more of a PITA.
The kicker though, is what’s actually available. You’ll struggle to get a nice road bike without hydro discs (and probably Di2 as well…). You definitely won’t get a decent rim braked MTB at all unless 2nd hand. All this adds cost; the ubiquity of hydro discs has IME put a significant cost barrier to getting into cycling.
Alex321
Guru
- Location
- South Wales
I don't think the hoses have anything to do with internal cabling. Internal cabling came about initially for "aero" bikes, then has spread to others because it supposedly looks "neater".
It does make it harder to replace bits, but not so hard you necessarily need to go to the LBS.
That isn't my experience. You can see the pads just by looking through the callipers, and they are very easy to change. Maybe slightly harder than with rim brakes, but that is offset by the fact you never have to adjust them as they wear.
