Brake Parts
Conversion options
There seems to be a lot of folks buying the nice looking bikes available at the big box stores these days.
They seem to be great value for the money.
Conversion to Motor Assisted Bicycle use brings a few significant issues into the picture beyond the basic, "will the HT Chinagirl motor actually FIT in the frame?", consideration.
A pleasant afternoon leisurely pedaling along a bike path enjoying the day is considerably different than the capability of a MAB for, well, not to put too fine a point on it, SPEED !
Riding a MAB can be compared to going downhill, at top speed, ALL THE TIME !!!
In traffic, or in the hills, coaster brakes are simply NOT sufficient, or safe.
They heat up quickly and begin to fade, leaving the rider with NOTHING but feet to drag upon the ground !
NOT good!
Included are some pics of basic brake configurations which I hope will inform new MAB enthusiasts what might be necessary to get that MAB conversion stopped.
Disk brakes are far superior to any other braking systems, yet I shall not discuss them here, as my own familiarity with them is very limited. I'll speak of rim brakes only.
Caliper brakes in their basic configuration are the first step up from a coaster brake. Many bikes, whether actually equipped or not, have a frame stay with a hole drilled appropriately, in the top seatpost stay, and some have that same hole drilled in the front fork. Frequently they are used to mount a fender, or a reflector.
If the distance to the rim is suitable, caliper brakes could be added easily.
Next step up is center pull calipers.
They are superior in strength and power, but require a cable stay mounted above them directly above the brake assembly. This is frequently a bracket at the seatpost tightening bolt, or in the front, at the fork stem crown nut.
Most center pull brakes pivot from lugs welded/brazed on the top seatpost stay, or lugs on the front fork. This is superior to a mount on the crossbar in the frame, or hole in front fork stem.
Most recent improvement in this style brake is the inline pull method. There are many who say it is smoother, can exert more pull pressure, yet I have seen claims they require a slightly different handlebar lever to function optimally.
Also pictured is what we have called a 'bulldog brake', though the one here is from some different name manufacturer. In this brake the cable pulls a wedge upwards, putting pressure on the pads.
In closing I should advise that improved brake pads make a very big difference in stopping power. A company named Kool Stop offers some Salmon colored pads that are reportedly quite good. They have a design feature to wipe water from the rim, in addition to superior rubber friction compounds.
Hopefully this information is helpful.
If anyone can offer corrections, improvements, or better than my shabby pics, please do so!
Best
rc
Conversion options
There seems to be a lot of folks buying the nice looking bikes available at the big box stores these days.
They seem to be great value for the money.
Conversion to Motor Assisted Bicycle use brings a few significant issues into the picture beyond the basic, "will the HT Chinagirl motor actually FIT in the frame?", consideration.
A pleasant afternoon leisurely pedaling along a bike path enjoying the day is considerably different than the capability of a MAB for, well, not to put too fine a point on it, SPEED !
Riding a MAB can be compared to going downhill, at top speed, ALL THE TIME !!!
In traffic, or in the hills, coaster brakes are simply NOT sufficient, or safe.
They heat up quickly and begin to fade, leaving the rider with NOTHING but feet to drag upon the ground !
NOT good!
Included are some pics of basic brake configurations which I hope will inform new MAB enthusiasts what might be necessary to get that MAB conversion stopped.
Disk brakes are far superior to any other braking systems, yet I shall not discuss them here, as my own familiarity with them is very limited. I'll speak of rim brakes only.
Caliper brakes in their basic configuration are the first step up from a coaster brake. Many bikes, whether actually equipped or not, have a frame stay with a hole drilled appropriately, in the top seatpost stay, and some have that same hole drilled in the front fork. Frequently they are used to mount a fender, or a reflector.
If the distance to the rim is suitable, caliper brakes could be added easily.
Next step up is center pull calipers.
They are superior in strength and power, but require a cable stay mounted above them directly above the brake assembly. This is frequently a bracket at the seatpost tightening bolt, or in the front, at the fork stem crown nut.
Most center pull brakes pivot from lugs welded/brazed on the top seatpost stay, or lugs on the front fork. This is superior to a mount on the crossbar in the frame, or hole in front fork stem.
Most recent improvement in this style brake is the inline pull method. There are many who say it is smoother, can exert more pull pressure, yet I have seen claims they require a slightly different handlebar lever to function optimally.
Also pictured is what we have called a 'bulldog brake', though the one here is from some different name manufacturer. In this brake the cable pulls a wedge upwards, putting pressure on the pads.
In closing I should advise that improved brake pads make a very big difference in stopping power. A company named Kool Stop offers some Salmon colored pads that are reportedly quite good. They have a design feature to wipe water from the rim, in addition to superior rubber friction compounds.
Hopefully this information is helpful.
If anyone can offer corrections, improvements, or better than my shabby pics, please do so!
Best
rc
