I'm still considering motorizing one of my mountain bikes, but I heard from someone that if you travel over 20mph, that breaking with v-brakes can cause the tire to melt from the heat. I've traveled downhill pretty fast on the bike and haven't experienced enough breaking heat to come close to melting the rubber. Is this something I should be worried about? Should I invest in disc brakes?
Problems with V-brakes?
- Thread starter Mozenrath
- Start date
Disk brks are great,and you may want them later,but I have never heard of the melting tire problem other wise they would melt on cars as the brakes get super hot on them ,and think about the temp of blacktop roads in the sun and people frying eggs on it in the summer
Brake pads would melt first, long before tires.
I've never heard of such nonsense.
My tires would have caught fire a long long time ago if this was true.
Take what you here from others with a grain of salt...
Tim
I've never heard of such nonsense.
My tires would have caught fire a long long time ago if this was true.
Take what you here from others with a grain of salt...
Tim
I am a big defender of V-brakes. I think they are timeless and utilitarian.
V-brakes won't pop or "melt" your tires. If you were coasting down a mountain road at 60mph and didn't toggle your brakes, perhaps its possible you could cook a tire, but like someone said, the pads would likely be worn down before the rim could heat to a degree to overinflate a tire by heat.
I think someone wants to sell you a disk brake setup.
Use good quality pads for the rim material (aluminum, steel, or ceramic coated) you have on your wheels, and you should have great wet or dry braking.
V-brakes won't pop or "melt" your tires. If you were coasting down a mountain road at 60mph and didn't toggle your brakes, perhaps its possible you could cook a tire, but like someone said, the pads would likely be worn down before the rim could heat to a degree to overinflate a tire by heat.
I think someone wants to sell you a disk brake setup.
Use good quality pads for the rim material (aluminum, steel, or ceramic coated) you have on your wheels, and you should have great wet or dry braking.
V brakes are usable in wet conditions they just need a couple of rotations of the wheel to dry off the water and they do start slowing the bike on the first rotation after applying. Where the story came from re overheating the tire is skinny tired bikes in the mountains. If you are on a long downhill with tires like a 700c x 35 and you don't modulate the brakes the tire can heat up to the point that it will blow out. and by long I mean a mile or more. I have made hard stops to slow for a rr crossing from 45 mph and every thing worked well. My front tire was a 20x1.35. Disc brakes are arguably better than v brakes but for most people v brakes will work just fine. I seriously doubt that you will ever melt a tire it will blow out first and you most likely never do that without really trying hard.
Rim brakes don't work fer beans inna snow & ice...
...but I suspect that's not so much a problem for the OP heh
...but I suspect that's not so much a problem for the OP heh
I live in southern California, so I don't see wetness or snow as being a problem.
I really like V-Brakes, if you get the right kind, they can have massive braking power, with little effort and fade. I had center pull brakes and I couldn't stand them, then I put a vbrake on the front and it cut my braking time in half. I fiddled with the rear brake and now it don't work very well. LOL I'm all front brakes now and still better than before with both. I need new pads too, I think half the problem was the original pads were the hardest smoothest pads I've ever seen. LOL Don't skimp on brakes.
An unlikely possibility about the popped tire urban legend, is that someone was downhilling with poorly adjusted v-brakes, which wore down the pads, so that the thicker part started rubbing on the sidewall. That could destroy a tire but most people would know it was happening from the sound (scuffing) or vibration.
v-brakes are awesome. Iagree the pads make the most difference. I have some of the cheapest v-brakes (c-star), and some of the best (XTR parallell push), and they have seemingly the same power, when on the same bike, with the same shoes. The xtr is much nicer looking though, and has more quick response when releasing pressure but still braking (modulation).
VERY IMPORTANT: use some blue loctite threadlock on the v-brake mounting screws. The pivoting on the post, esp on cheap brakes and esp on the front pegs, can loosen the screw. If it backs out far enough, the return spring will have nothing to act on, and if the screw falls out, the brake will be disabled and rub on the tire, jerking your cable and lever.
VERY IMPORTANT: use some blue loctite threadlock on the v-brake mounting screws. The pivoting on the post, esp on cheap brakes and esp on the front pegs, can loosen the screw. If it backs out far enough, the return spring will have nothing to act on, and if the screw falls out, the brake will be disabled and rub on the tire, jerking your cable and lever.
I live in a place that you can fry an egg on the sidewalk.
Hot Enough to Fry an Egg? Contestants Find Out : NPR
I have had no problems with melting v brakes or tires YET!
Hot Enough to Fry an Egg? Contestants Find Out : NPR
I have had no problems with melting v brakes or tires YET!