Brakes - which is liked better?

[raleighnut]

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.

I use fairy liquid and a green scourer pad

Tried that, with sanding and trying to burn it off but it seems to embed itself in the material.

I used to clean rim brakes with a brillo pad. Always looked brand new after but not sure it was the best choice.

Bit harsh I find

 

[Jody]

Bit harsh I find

I was only 11/12 at the time so could probably be excused

 

[HLaB]

Not by choice, but a Vauxall Corsa was pretty effective in stopping me.

Hopefully that was a long time ago and its safe to laugh at it now. With me my claim to fame is I wrote off the taxi I used for a brake. Stupid black cab, it should have been wearing hi viz

 

[Sharky]

Hopefully that was a long time ago and its safe to laugh at it now. With me my claim to fame is I wrote off the taxi I used for a brake. Stupid black cab, it should have been wearing hi viz

Yes a while back, in 2008, riding to work. Experienced a ride in a helicopter, the same day!

Long time ago now, so safe to laugh about it.

 

[albion]

Once you have hydraulic brakes you never want to go back.
Even those long descents are a very gentle pull.

 

[EckyH]

Once you have hydraulic brakes you never want to go back.

Tried hydraulic brakes (Hope Tech X2), switching to cable actuated TRPs with Jagwire KEB-SL "compressionless" housing and good quality cables.
The hydraulic brakes surely have slightly more braking power and a slightly better modulation. The TRPs in that mentioned setup are good enough and easier to maintain for me.

E.

 

[Conrad_K]

The important part here is that disc brakes mean the sides of the rim are free for use for ADVERTISING! without it being wiped off by the brake pads.

 

[HLaB]

Tried hydraulic brakes (Hope Tech X2), switching to cable actuated TRPs with Jagwire KEB-SL "compressionless" housing and good quality cables.
The hydraulic brakes surely have slightly more braking power and a slightly better modulation. The TRPs in that mentioned setup are good enough and easier to maintain for me.

E.

Not enough modulation for me, when my hands go numb (chemo damage) 🤕 I prefer my rim brakes, TRP and dual pivot brakes, for modulation and feel.

 

[albion]

I found rim brakes made my arthritis in the hands far too painful for long steep descents, especially so on rocky descents where you are forced to use a stabbing technique.

Zero pain in the hands now.

 

[Alex321]

Not enough modulation for me, when my hands go numb (chemo damage) 🤕 I prefer my rim brakes, TRP and dual pivot brakes, for modulation and feel.

I really don't understand that answer at all.

The modulation is far better with hydraulic disc brakes. It is in fact their biggest advantaage for most. In good weather, with properly set up braakes, you can stop as quickly with most types. But the amount of force required to do is is far greater with rim brakes, and a little greater with cable disc brakes.

And needing less effort means modulation is easier.

 

[HLaB]

I really don't understand that answer at all.

The modulation is far better with hydraulic disc brakes. It is in fact their biggest advantaage for most. In good weather, with properly set up braakes, you can stop as quickly with most types. But the amount of force required to do is is far greater with rim brakes, and a little greater with cable disc brakes.

And needing less effort means modulation is easier.

You've maybe got to have had the side effects of chemo (nerve damage) to understand (I hope you don't by the way!). I can feel the pull of rim brakes better as I think its more pressure on my whole hand and maybe wrist and modulate better. I can modulate ok at times with hyrdraulics with my fingers however when the they start going numb its only on or off and little modulation. Whereas with rim brakes I've still the hands to feel the brakes/ modulate when the fingers go numb. Less effort is less modulation for me sometimes.

 

[YellowV2]

I would agree, I find dual pivot rim brakes have more ‘feel’ which is why I had a new bike made to take them. I rode similar bikes from the frame builder with discs and didn’t like them at all.

 

[slow horse]

Just the usual side pull calipers for me thanks. Easy to adjust and fix, and still stop me after all these years.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

Don't think there will ever be a consensus on this.

I found winter commuting was a brilliant way of wearing out rims. Much easier to swap out a rotor.
No getting away from it though, disk brakes are generally more expensive to maintain.

The best brakes are well set-up brakes, so long as steel rims or wet carbon rims are not involved.

 

[rydabent]

When you look at technical perfection, disc brakes win hands down. They do not destroy rims.