Brakes - which is liked better?

[Jody]

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

Wow. That little trust in the process that I'm going to manipluate 10 seconds and not push the pistons back properly?

How's about I pick the go pro up and film the retracted pistons after doing it? Still keeping under 2 minutes.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Wow. That little trust in the process that I'm going to manipluate 10 seconds and not push the pistons back properly?

How's about I pick the go pro up and film the retracted pistons after doing it? Still keeping under 2 minutes.

How about we are so impressed at your speed we’d just like to see it on film? We can learn from your technique. A picture, 1000 words and all that.

 

[Jody]

How about we are so impressed at your speed we’d just like to see it on film? We can learn from your technique. A picture, 1000 words and all that.

Nah, you called me out (more than once) and don't belive its possible.

If you're sure of that, place your bets!

 

[cyberknight]

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.

i have claris sti matched with tektro md550 disc which are tektro no name spyres

 

[EckyH]

The hand-between-rear-wheel-and-seat-tube-brake is a mixed bag and probably not for everyone: braking power is as good as a blocking rear wheel can be, but the actuation is somewhat arkward and the modulation is fairly binary. And it hurts...

When we told our former coach that we need new brake pads he told us: "You should steer but not brake!"

E.

 

[Alex321]

I think you are woefully underestimating how long it takes. Next time you change your rear pads you can film it unedited. Then we can see you match your estimates on film.

I was thinking of front wheel. In theory it shouldn't take much longer for the rear, but I sometimes struggle to actually get the rear wheel in and out, so in practice it often will.

 

[Alex321]

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.

Never needed one with either of my bikes that have hydraulic discs.

I do have a bleed kit, which came with some suitable ones, but the one time I have actually bled one of the brakes, I didn't need to replace one.

 

[Alex321]

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?

Why would you lay the bike down?

Either it is in a stand (which can make the wheel slightly trickier to get back in, or you have it upside don on the ground.

 

[tyred]

I think it's pretty obvious the way the market is heading with disc brakes, even to someone like myself who pays little attention to such things.

Each night when I put my bike away at the Port Charlotte hostel over the weekend, there were always quite a few other bikes there and each night, mine was the only one with rim brakes (there was also a Pashley with drum brakes but that's an outlier). I noticed this at the hostel in Connemara last month too.

On the other hand, I was still perfectly able to stop when required and I could use the money I didn't spend on an expensive new touring bike to sample the Laphraoig

 

[screenman]

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.

How soon? my 12 year old GT with Hydraulics brakes have never needed touching, Nor my 6 year old Canyon.

 

[fossyant]

Rim brakes work very well, but, there are limitations. Bike packing with a heavy bike and some challenging off road terrain, whilst my rear canti was quite capable of slowing and stopping the bike on it's own, it's much harder on the hands than a powerful disk brake for continuous use. I'm happy with rim brakes on the two road bikes and the CX bike in normal conditions, but loaded going down off road descents is something else. The four pots on my MTB have been fab, you can control speed with the rear, even turning the disc blue with heat, without causing finger and wrist issues - the action is so light.

Happy with either system.

 

[screenman]

I think it's pretty obvious the way the market is heading with disc brakes, even to someone like myself who pays little attention to such things.

Each night when I put my bike away at the Port Charlotte hostel over the weekend, there were always quite a few other bikes there and each night, mine was the only one with rim brakes (there was also a Pashley with drum brakes but that's an outlier). I noticed this at the hostel in Connemara last month too.

On the other hand, I was still perfectly able to stop when required and I could use the money I didn't spend on an expensive new touring bike to sample the Laphraoig

Maybe those with the expensive new bikes could afford the Laphraoig as well.

 

[tyred]

Maybe those with the expensive new bikes could afford the Laphraoig as well.

Quite possibly they could.

 

[Jody]

How soon? my 12 year old GT with Hydraulics brakes have never needed touching, Nor my 6 year old Canyon.

I've had my Anthem 13 years now and I've only bled the brakes a couple of times, not because there was anything wrong but just as a service.

The biggest downside of discs for me has been pad contamination. Not often but it is a pain.

 

[screenman]

I've had my Anthem 13 years now and I've only bled the brakes a couple of times, not because there was anything wrong but just as a service.

The biggest downside of discs for me has been pad contamination. Not often but it is a pain.

So nothing a £3 can of brake cleaner would not sort out then, I would imagine most people would have used it to clean rim brakes as well, or am I the only one.