Brake Poll -- Because sometimes you have to stop the fun!

[Andyinchville1]

Hi All,

With all the cold weather outside, I've been getting restless and trying to think up some possible new new products for our bikes (Motorized or not)....(Yes, I know I should be installing my Shifter Kit ;-))....

I was thinking, with all the emphasis on speed enhancing products, I would take a stab at the other side of the equation....Slow enhancing products....OK, simply know as better braking ;-)

With this in mind, I have an idea for a new product (and I know there are many out there that would love to stop better under both dry AND wet conditions).....So, to see which system I will try to upgrade first, I figured I would see what everybody has out there in terms of brakes....

I figure I will try to upgrade the most popular brakes first....

Thanks for your input!

Andrew

 

[Easy Rider]

I'm a firm believer in having the best brakes. My idea of good brakes is having a hydrallic front disc brake with an 8" rotor. I found a place that sells the front brake and rotor for under $80.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

I have always built older bikes with coaster only brake. The last build I added a set of side pulls to the front. The one I am biulding now is a moondog, and it has some fancypants "high tech" brakes that I don't know what they are called.

I can stop with about 2 miles of road in front of me where ever I go, cause out here in the wilderness...well there's no reason to stop the fun.

 

[MB-Monkey]

i use both coaster and side pull brakes on the back and side pull in the front it stops well unless its raining

 

[2door]

Hi All,

With all the cold weather outside, I've been getting restless and trying to think up some possible new new products for our bikes (Motorized or not)....(Yes, I know I should be installing my Shifter Kit ;-))....

I was thinking, with all the emphasis on speed enhancing products, I would take a stab at the other side of the equation....Slow enhancing products....OK, simply know as better braking ;-)

With this in mind, I have an idea for a new product (and I know there are many out there that would love to stop better under both dry AND wet conditions).....So, to see which system I will try to upgrade first, I figured I would see what everybody has out there in terms of brakes....

I figure I will try to upgrade the most popular brakes first....

Thanks for your input!

Andrew

Andy,
I'm showing my ignorance here but maybe others besides me would benifit from a picture of each type you have listed. I know what coasters are and hub or drum brakes, and certainly discs, but I'm a little unclear on the others. I think I have what's called 'V' brakes but how do the differ from cantilever, center pull and side pull? I was checking brakes on new bikes at the bike shop last week and no two of them looked alike. They all seemed to be similar in operation but the designs varied a lot. Maybe just a good closeup of the three cable operated versions I mentioned above would clarify the differences. Thanks
Tom

 

[Dave31]

Andy,
I'm showing my ignorance here but maybe others besides me would benifit from a picture of each type you have listed. I know what coasters are and hub or drum brakes, and certainly discs, but I'm a little unclear on the others. I think I have what's called 'V' brakes but how do the differ from cantilever, center pull and side pull? I was checking brakes on new bikes at the bike shop last week and no two of them looked alike. They all seemed to be similar in operation but the designs varied a lot. Maybe just a good closeup of the three cable operated versions I mentioned above would clarify the differences. Thanks
Tom

Bicycle brake systems - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[jg767]

I changed over to disc brakes from rim brakes when I noticed the side walls of the rims were wearing down after many thousand miles. I've also continued to "ride that thing" straight through the winter. I now have much better stopping power and they work even in snow, rain and ice. It's well worth upgrading to disc brakes, other wise you'll be spending your money on new rims eventually, as well as taking a chance of a rim failure at thirty miles or so an hour. I consider disc brakes a necessity on a MB. There's a reason that they're so popular on motorcycles. The above poll shows that they're popular here, too! I'll stop here, (no pun intended)LOL

 

[NunyaBidness]

I love the disc brakes on my TREK mtn bike but have had to replace the pads at 20$ per set, 40$ front and back. The way I like to ride it, I can see that I will have to replace them often. That leads me to believe disc brakes on a motor bike may need to be replaced even more often.

Having said that, I would love to have good hydraulic disc brakes on a motor bike. I love the ability to stop when needed. It takes skill to use a good set of brakes on any 2 wheeled means of transport. After all the miles I put on my pedal bike over the last 10 years, I've learned how the bike will handle with varying applications of good brakes. I have never tried to do a 'front wheel stand' on purpose, only 3 times I've done a 'front wheel stand' were out of necessity. Twice my feet stayed in my 'clip-less' pedals and when the rear wheel came back down I rode off. The other time, through instinct I guess, I stepped over the handle bars with my right foot and stood over them as I guided my bike to the ground kind of behind me. The lady whose dog ran in front of me was very happy that her dog was not hit and thanked me profusely. I just smiled and said that a leashed dog is a loved dog, got back on my bike and rode on home.

I guess my point is this, brakes must be able to stop you when your life, or someone else's life, depends on it. Or when you don't want to hurt the nice, clueless puppy dog.