Which type of brake do you favour?

[BluesDave]

This is the type I favour easy to adjust, strong, robust, never fail, proven to have stood the test of time.




Then there is this type which I consider to look very flimsy, ineffective and poor quality, dangerous at speed and easily broken. They just look like they're going to pop out or snap. Indeed if I was going to buy a bicycle and it had these on it I would insist they removed them and replaced them with cantilever brakes before I parted with any money.

Or of course there is this type which I find very odd,very complicated, impossible to repair at the roadside, quick to wear out and not sure how they'd perform in the rain.

Well thats my uneducated, inexperienced opinion now lets read yours.
Which type of brake do you prefer and why?
What do you consider to be the plusses and minuses of each one?

I'm trying to gain some knowledge from other cyclists here.

 

[MacB]

opposite order to you:-

cantis - hardest to setup, weakest brake performance, suscpetible to conditions and wear out rims

v-brakes - easiest to setup, strong brake performance, still susceptible to conditions and wear out rims

disc brakes - mechanical - easier than cantis to setup/maintain but not as easy as v's, strong brake performance, less suceptible to weather, don't wear out rims and pads/rotors last ages compared to rim brakes

disc brakes - hydraulic - not a lot of experience of these and would be a mare if hose problems at roadside, apart from that all the pros of mechanical disc brakes and easier to setup and self adjusting

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

In addition to what MacB said, disc brakes are heavier, not just the brakes/rotors, but also impact on hubs and especially forks.

A disc wheel can plod along with buckled rims.

 

[sabian92]

I prefer discs to anything else (cable operated or hydraulic, although not used the hydraulic ones) but as I've got a road bike, unfortunately I've got V brakes.

 

[xpc316e]

I prefer brakes in the following order:

1st Hydraulic discs

2nd V brakes of good quality

3rd Mechanical discs

4th Dual pivot side pulls

5th Cantilever


Hydraulic discs are very slow to wear, are not affected by water, and are very undemanding with respect to maintenance. Most riders end up loving them, despite many being initially sceptical.

 

[zizou]

Depends on what you are using them for

Dual pivots are fine for my road bike but i now wouldnt want anything other than hydraulic discs for mountain biking - one of biggest improvements in bike technology over the last decade or whatever it is - what a luxury it is to have brakes that actually still have good stopping power in the rain and mud!

 

[Soltydog]

again, depends on use, but I have no problem with V brakes on my Hybrid, easiest to keep clean & working in winter, although I'm sure discs would be better for less maintainance

 

[Piemaster]

Hydraulic discs - have been utterly reliable. Any adjustments I think have been purely a minor tweak, down (I think)to not quite getting wheel exactly back in same place in dropouts. Entry level Juicy3 as well

Cantis. horrible things. Could never keep them adjusted properly for any length of time (such as a week) and not that impressed with performance even with (expensive) Swisstop pads, gave up and changed bikes fork to get shot of them and replaced with a mechanical disc.
Same bike - changed rear canti to V type. Same reasons.
Bike now actually stops.

SRAM Rival on the road bike. Very good, but then its never been out in the rain. Or wet. And long may it stay like that

 

[smokeysmoo]

I don't have a choice as I only ride proper bikes - caliper brakes it is then

 

[derrick]

V brakes on the mtb, easy setup seem to last forever,

 

[ianrauk]

Dual Pivot's over Canti's every time. properly set up DP brakes are very strong and reliable. Canti's are a bugger to set up properly, nowhere near as good as DP's.

Disc brakes, don't have so can't comment.

 

[MacB]

Disc brakes, don't have so can't comment.

Maybe some nice Hopes in blue

 

[rualexander]

Properly set up cantilevers are my first choice, simple, easy to adjust, work well.
Second choice would be V brakes, more effective than cantis maybe but more fiddly to adjust (at least the ones I've used were).
Third choice would be Dual Pivot calipers.
Last would be discs, heavy and unecessary (unless perhaps in true mountain biking), spares are too proprietary to brands.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

The only beginner's guide to canti setup I have found that works...

 

[Red Light]

1. Hydraulic discs
2. Hydraulic rim brake (Maguras)
3. Cable discs
4. V-brakes
5. Cantilever
6. Dual pivot
7. Single pivot
8. Drum
9. Roller
10. Coaster
11. Fixed wheel
12. Foot on tyre
13. Feet on ground