Brakes - which is liked better?

[Ming the Merciless]

Why do you need the wheel out, aren't they just like car callipers?

You have to push each piston back. You can’t do that with the wheel in place.

 

[Jody]

So the results are in and it's 1:32 including wheel removal, finding out my split pin is the wind in type with a cotter pin, pistons back and wheel refitted correctly.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

So the results are in and it's 1:32 including wheel removal, finding out my split pin is the wind in type with a cotter pin, pistons back and wheel refitted correctly.

Share your video link, tah

 

[Dogtrousers]

It's now a very small niche though. I had a glance at specialised (my LBS does that brand)

No rim brakes.
Entry level mechanical disc £1000 (Claris)
Next up Tiagra hydro disc £1600

So people think they "need" hydro discs - only the cheapo rubbish doesn't have them. So it looks as though you need £1600 for a road bike worth having. Which just isn't remotely the case; the difference is minimal.

I guess we're looking at different bits of the spectrum. In the sub-£1000 Halfords/Decathlon area there still seems to be rim braked road bikes available and even the models with discs don't seem to be a lot more.

On your point of people thinking they "need" hydro disks, you're right - I'm probably one of those people. If I was buying myself a fancy bike now I'd probably put them on my must-have list without giving it much thought, so I've been brainwashed by Cyclechat. But I'm not buying such a bike so it doesn't matter.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I was chatting to someone about this subject once, he was almost an expert on hydraulic disc brakes, well he spoke like he was, he did not have them on his only bike, he had never ridden a bike with them on and could not figure out how they worked without cables.

As with every new innovation in my time as a cyclist, from six speed blocks through indexing and brifters and so on.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Add 30 minutes looking for the screw that drops on the floor and disappears, 20 minutes for sausage fingers trying to faff with small parts and 3 days waiting for the correct parts to be sent after being sent the wrong uns.

You missed me stopping after doing the fronts to make a brew and come and post on Cyclechat for everyone to know how good I am that I did a thing!

 

[Jody]

Share your video link, tah

Not that I need to prove anything

but

as you're now questioning my integrity, shall we have a wager and make it a little more interesting? £10 or above for the fun of it? As described, sub 2 minutes and either front or rear wheel?

No splitting hairs after to try and dodge the bet. Wheel, pin, pad removal, pistons back, insert pads, pin back, wheel back, pump and then prove they are working as before?

 

[Gillstay]

I find anything with a cable is good, as hydraulics soon mean you need a small O ring and either you cannot get at it, or you cannot get a replacement one.

 

[craigwend]

Whichever of my brakes are the newest seem the best (rim) Cantilever > V Brakes > Double Pivot Side Pull > Hydraulic Discs...

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Not that I need to prove anything

but

as you're now questioning my integrity, shall we have a wager and make it a little more interesting? £10 or above for the fun of it? As described, sub 2 minutes and either front or rear wheel?

No splitting hairs after to try and dodge the bet. Wheel, pin, pad removal, pistons back, insert pads, pin back, wheel back, pump and then prove they are working as before?

So wheel out and then you lay the bike down? Plus you’ve put new pads in, not just put the old ones back which would work regardless of whether you’ve correctly reset the pistons?

 

[Jody]

So wheel out and then you lay the bike down?

Why would it need to lay down? It's a MTB and I'm not bothered about scratching my brifters or bar tape.

From a standing upright position and then back to an upright position with the above having been completed.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Why would it need to lay down? It's a MTB and I'm not bothered about scratching my brifters or bar tape.

From a standing upright position and then back to an upright position with the above having been completed.

So you have put bike upside down on ground?

 

[Jody]

So you have put bike upside down on ground?

That's how I'd do it, yes.

 

[ColinJ]

Cable discs from my experience are woefully underpowered even when set up perfectly i would struggle to lock the wheels whereas my rim brakes i managed to lock up very easily in the wet

The cable discs on my CAADX are like that. A big part of the problem is the brake lever cable pull ratio being badly matched to the callipers. The brake pads don't contact the discs until halfway through the lever movement. I can pull the levers right to the handlebar before getting a good braking action.

On my Planet X bike though the pull ratio of the levers is better matched to the brake callipers. I get braking after 25% of lever travel, powerful braking after 50%, and can lock the wheels by pulling the levers more than that. The brakes are as good as the excellent rim brakes on my other bikes. They are not quite as good as the fantastic hydraulic disc brakes on my mountain bike though!

If I were buying another bike I would definitely opt for disc brakes, preferably hydraulic ones.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

That's how I'd do it, yes.

Did you put new pads in, as old pads would work even if pistons not properly pushed back?