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#1
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Disk brakes might be useful
I went for a ride last Saturday -- it was neither long, nor fast, nor
scenic, a little trip to a neighboring town. On the way back it was about 25F (-4C), below freezing, but hardly frostbite weather. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, the crows were singing merrily to keep the seagulls in their place. The streets were mostly clear, at least in the travel lanes, but were damp with melted brine. We haven't had much snow this year, and local governments are dealing as best they can with the dire prospect of a road salt budget surplus. The brine tends to get tracked into the mean right tire track, forming a dark stripe, which is where I rode a great deal of the time. To the right were piles of ice and snow, patches of crusty salt, dog**** popsicles and cigarette butts. To the left it was already a bit hard for drivers to pass. Two blocks from home, having not touched the brakes in quite a while, I meant to slow for a left turn, and applied the brakes. Just perceptible slowing obtained, even when squeezing hard. This was a little disappointing, not what most would expect from brakes at all. Unlike rain, the problem didn't go away as water was wiped from the rims -- it stayed crappy until I almost missed my turn in the neighbor's front yard. When I got home I looked at the rims. They were coated in white frosty stuff that looked a lot like snow, but stuck much more resolutely. Not normally much for washing bicycles, I spent a few minutes cleaning off the frost and salt. To be clear, the brakes are not modern equipment, but Weinmann Vainqueur centerpulls, albeit with Kool Stop cartridge pads. I do find them more than adequate ordinarily. If I ever buy a new bicycle, I believe I'll favor those fashionable disk brakes. -- |
#2
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Disk brakes might be useful
On 2019-02-05 07:21, Radey Shouman wrote:
I went for a ride last Saturday -- it was neither long, nor fast, nor scenic, a little trip to a neighboring town. On the way back it was about 25F (-4C), below freezing, but hardly frostbite weather. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, the crows were singing merrily to keep the seagulls in their place. The streets were mostly clear, at least in the travel lanes, but were damp with melted brine. We haven't had much snow this year, and local governments are dealing as best they can with the dire prospect of a road salt budget surplus. The brine tends to get tracked into the mean right tire track, forming a dark stripe, which is where I rode a great deal of the time. To the right were piles of ice and snow, patches of crusty salt, dog**** popsicles and cigarette butts. To the left it was already a bit hard for drivers to pass. Two blocks from home, having not touched the brakes in quite a while, I meant to slow for a left turn, and applied the brakes. Just perceptible slowing obtained, even when squeezing hard. This was a little disappointing, not what most would expect from brakes at all. Unlike rain, the problem didn't go away as water was wiped from the rims -- it stayed crappy until I almost missed my turn in the neighbor's front yard. I remember many snow rides from Europe. Sometimes I had to let the pads gently rub on the rims well before an intersection to make sure there'd be some stopping power. Rim brakes are about as "modern" as those wood blocks against the wheels of a chuckwagon. Also, winter rides tend to eat rims. So do rain rides. Replacing a brake rotor takes five minutes (with coffee) and about $20-$25, changing out a rim is a different story. When I got home I looked at the rims. They were coated in white frosty stuff that looked a lot like snow, but stuck much more resolutely. Not normally much for washing bicycles, I spent a few minutes cleaning off the frost and salt. To be clear, the brakes are not modern equipment, but Weinmann Vainqueur centerpulls, albeit with Kool Stop cartridge pads. I do find them more than adequate ordinarily. If I ever buy a new bicycle, I believe I'll favor those fashionable disk brakes. Try them out on a friend bike or a rental. You'll never look back. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
#3
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Disk brakes might be useful
On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 11:24:20 AM UTC-5, Joerg wrote:
I remember many snow rides from Europe. Sometimes I had to let the pads gently rub on the rims well before an intersection to make sure there'd be some stopping power. Rim brakes are about as "modern" as those wood blocks against the wheels of a chuckwagon. Also, winter rides tend to eat rims. So do rain rides. Replacing a brake rotor takes five minutes (with coffee) and about $20-$25, changing out a rim is a different story. So many problems! Problems that cyclists have dealt with just fine for 100 years, but can suddenly be solved only with newly fashionable equipment! Yes, it's a good idea to occasionally test your brakes in bad conditions. It's not difficult. I've been doing that since the 1970s. (Funny that a southern California guy is giving warnings about winter riding!) - Frank Krygowski |
#4
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Disk brakes might be useful
On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 11:24:20 AM UTC-5, Joerg wrote:
On 2019-02-05 07:21, Radey Shouman wrote: I went for a ride last Saturday -- it was neither long, nor fast, nor scenic, a little trip to a neighboring town. On the way back it was about 25F (-4C), below freezing, but hardly frostbite weather. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, the crows were singing merrily to keep the seagulls in their place. The streets were mostly clear, at least in the travel lanes, but were damp with melted brine. We haven't had much snow this year, and local governments are dealing as best they can with the dire prospect of a road salt budget surplus. The brine tends to get tracked into the mean right tire track, forming a dark stripe, which is where I rode a great deal of the time. To the right were piles of ice and snow, patches of crusty salt, dog**** popsicles and cigarette butts. To the left it was already a bit hard for drivers to pass. Two blocks from home, having not touched the brakes in quite a while, I meant to slow for a left turn, and applied the brakes. Just perceptible slowing obtained, even when squeezing hard. This was a little disappointing, not what most would expect from brakes at all. Unlike rain, the problem didn't go away as water was wiped from the rims -- it stayed crappy until I almost missed my turn in the neighbor's front yard. I remember many snow rides from Europe. Sometimes I had to let the pads gently rub on the rims well before an intersection to make sure there'd be some stopping power. Rim brakes are about as "modern" as those wood blocks against the wheels of a chuckwagon. Also, winter rides tend to eat rims. So do rain rides. Replacing a brake rotor takes five minutes (with coffee) and about $20-$25, changing out a rim is a different story. When I got home I looked at the rims. They were coated in white frosty stuff that looked a lot like snow, but stuck much more resolutely. Not normally much for washing bicycles, I spent a few minutes cleaning off the frost and salt. To be clear, the brakes are not modern equipment, but Weinmann Vainqueur centerpulls, albeit with Kool Stop cartridge pads. I do find them more than adequate ordinarily. If I ever buy a new bicycle, I believe I'll favor those fashionable disk brakes. Try them out on a friend bike or a rental. You'll never look back. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ CRIKEY! What am I doing WRONG? I ride all year round and I don't have problems with my rim brakes stopping any of my bicycles. That is even true for my ancient long out of production Shimano Adamas AX brakes and my Shimano Dura Ace AX brakes. Grant the Dura Ace AX bicycle is kept for nicer weather but I have got caught out in the rain with it and never had a problem. Not have i ever worn out a rim because of brake wear. I ride thousands of miles every year too. I just don't get how some people have such drastic problems with rims wearing out. Cheers |
#5
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Disk brakes might be useful
On 2019-02-05 09:51, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 11:24:20 AM UTC-5, Joerg wrote: On 2019-02-05 07:21, Radey Shouman wrote: [...] When I got home I looked at the rims. They were coated in white frosty stuff that looked a lot like snow, but stuck much more resolutely. Not normally much for washing bicycles, I spent a few minutes cleaning off the frost and salt. To be clear, the brakes are not modern equipment, but Weinmann Vainqueur centerpulls, albeit with Kool Stop cartridge pads. I do find them more than adequate ordinarily. If I ever buy a new bicycle, I believe I'll favor those fashionable disk brakes. Try them out on a friend bike or a rental. You'll never look back. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ CRIKEY! What am I doing WRONG? I ride all year round and I don't have problems with my rim brakes stopping any of my bicycles. That is even true for my ancient long out of production Shimano Adamas AX brakes and my Shimano Dura Ace AX brakes. Grant the Dura Ace AX bicycle is kept for nicer weather but I have got caught out in the rain with it and never had a problem. Not have i ever worn out a rim because of brake wear. I ride thousands of miles every year too. I just don't get how some people have such drastic problems with rims wearing out. Well, the rims on my 1st MTB were nearly shot after the first 1000mi of foul weather riding. Most of the time I reached on on soggy winter trail rides there was this goose bump eliciting sandpaper noise. Needless to say, the next MTB had disc brakes and none of this is happening now. Why should people put up with inferior components if there are better ones that even reduce cost per mile over the years? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ |
#6
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Disk brakes might be useful
On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 10:06:39 AM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2019-02-05 09:51, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 11:24:20 AM UTC-5, Joerg wrote: On 2019-02-05 07:21, Radey Shouman wrote: [...] When I got home I looked at the rims. They were coated in white frosty stuff that looked a lot like snow, but stuck much more resolutely. Not normally much for washing bicycles, I spent a few minutes cleaning off the frost and salt. To be clear, the brakes are not modern equipment, but Weinmann Vainqueur centerpulls, albeit with Kool Stop cartridge pads. I do find them more than adequate ordinarily. If I ever buy a new bicycle, I believe I'll favor those fashionable disk brakes. Try them out on a friend bike or a rental. You'll never look back. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ CRIKEY! What am I doing WRONG? I ride all year round and I don't have problems with my rim brakes stopping any of my bicycles. That is even true for my ancient long out of production Shimano Adamas AX brakes and my Shimano Dura Ace AX brakes. Grant the Dura Ace AX bicycle is kept for nicer weather but I have got caught out in the rain with it and never had a problem. Not have i ever worn out a rim because of brake wear. I ride thousands of miles every year too. I just don't get how some people have such drastic problems with rims wearing out. Well, the rims on my 1st MTB were nearly shot after the first 1000mi of foul weather riding. Most of the time I reached on on soggy winter trail rides there was this goose bump eliciting sandpaper noise. Needless to say, the next MTB had disc brakes and none of this is happening now. Why should people put up with inferior components if there are better ones that even reduce cost per mile over the years? Regardless of how one feels about discs, it is true that rim brakes will wear out rims when use in wet and grimy conditions. Like I've said before, I work with a clydesdale who commutes 24 miles a day on mostly flat terrain, and he was going through rims every two years. My experience with rim brakes on my commuter was better, but I've been on discs so long that I can't recall how fast I was going through rims. -- Jay Beattie. |
#7
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Disk brakes might be useful
On 2/5/19 7:22 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 10:06:39 AM UTC-8, Joerg wrote: On 2019-02-05 09:51, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 11:24:20 AM UTC-5, Joerg wrote: On 2019-02-05 07:21, Radey Shouman wrote: [...] When I got home I looked at the rims. They were coated in white frosty stuff that looked a lot like snow, but stuck much more resolutely. Not normally much for washing bicycles, I spent a few minutes cleaning off the frost and salt. To be clear, the brakes are not modern equipment, but Weinmann Vainqueur centerpulls, albeit with Kool Stop cartridge pads. I do find them more than adequate ordinarily. If I ever buy a new bicycle, I believe I'll favor those fashionable disk brakes. Try them out on a friend bike or a rental. You'll never look back. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ CRIKEY! What am I doing WRONG? I ride all year round and I don't have problems with my rim brakes stopping any of my bicycles. That is even true for my ancient long out of production Shimano Adamas AX brakes and my Shimano Dura Ace AX brakes. Grant the Dura Ace AX bicycle is kept for nicer weather but I have got caught out in the rain with it and never had a problem. Not have i ever worn out a rim because of brake wear. I ride thousands of miles every year too. I just don't get how some people have such drastic problems with rims wearing out. Well, the rims on my 1st MTB were nearly shot after the first 1000mi of foul weather riding. Most of the time I reached on on soggy winter trail rides there was this goose bump eliciting sandpaper noise. Needless to say, the next MTB had disc brakes and none of this is happening now. Why should people put up with inferior components if there are better ones that even reduce cost per mile over the years? Regardless of how one feels about discs, it is true that rim brakes will wear out rims when use in wet and grimy conditions. Like I've said before, I work with a clydesdale who commutes 24 miles a day on mostly flat terrain, and he was going through rims every two years. My experience with rim brakes on my commuter was better, but I've been on discs so long that I can't recall how fast I was going through rims. Similar here. Actually I've had exactly the same happen on rim brakes as described by the OP, but it is rare, you do need just the right combination of conditions. Freezing rain will do it as well :-( For me, Shimano mineral oil disc brakes have been maintenance free for years now. Was looking at the front disc over the weekend and it might be due for replacement after some 8,000 miles. Given it's a centerlock, that's going to be a 2 minute job! |
#8
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Disk brakes might be useful
On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 1:06:39 PM UTC-5, Joerg wrote:
Snipped Well, the rims on my 1st MTB were nearly shot after the first 1000mi of foul weather riding. Most of the time I reached on on soggy winter trail rides there was this goose bump eliciting sandpaper noise. Needless to say, the next MTB had disc brakes and none of this is happening now. Why should people put up with inferior components if there are better ones that even reduce cost per mile over the years? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ Indeed! Why should I put up with the cost and hassle of replacing discs (and my bicycles)when all my bicycles braking systems are perfectly fine for MY needs? Most of my bicycles are of circa mid-1980s vintage and as I said before I have yet to wear out a rim because of braking. Even my MTB that I use for 2 weeks long remote mining/logging roads touring has never needed a rim replaced. YMMV and usually does. Cheers |
#9
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Disk brakes might be useful
On Tue, 05 Feb 2019 10:06:40 -0800, Joerg
wrote: On 2019-02-05 09:51, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 11:24:20 AM UTC-5, Joerg wrote: On 2019-02-05 07:21, Radey Shouman wrote: [...] When I got home I looked at the rims. They were coated in white frosty stuff that looked a lot like snow, but stuck much more resolutely. Not normally much for washing bicycles, I spent a few minutes cleaning off the frost and salt. To be clear, the brakes are not modern equipment, but Weinmann Vainqueur centerpulls, albeit with Kool Stop cartridge pads. I do find them more than adequate ordinarily. If I ever buy a new bicycle, I believe I'll favor those fashionable disk brakes. Try them out on a friend bike or a rental. You'll never look back. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ CRIKEY! What am I doing WRONG? I ride all year round and I don't have problems with my rim brakes stopping any of my bicycles. That is even true for my ancient long out of production Shimano Adamas AX brakes and my Shimano Dura Ace AX brakes. Grant the Dura Ace AX bicycle is kept for nicer weather but I have got caught out in the rain with it and never had a problem. Not have i ever worn out a rim because of brake wear. I ride thousands of miles every year too. I just don't get how some people have such drastic problems with rims wearing out. Well, the rims on my 1st MTB were nearly shot after the first 1000mi of foul weather riding. Most of the time I reached on on soggy winter trail rides there was this goose bump eliciting sandpaper noise. Needless to say, the next MTB had disc brakes and none of this is happening now. Why should people put up with inferior components if there are better ones that even reduce cost per mile over the years? That is because you use those cheap and dirty aluminum rims. Switch to proper chrome plated steel rims and they will last practically for ever :-) -- Cheers, John B. |
#10
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Disk brakes might be useful
On 2/5/2019 3:27 PM, John B. Slocomb wrote:
On Tue, 05 Feb 2019 10:06:40 -0800, Joerg wrote: On 2019-02-05 09:51, Sir Ridesalot wrote: On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 11:24:20 AM UTC-5, Joerg wrote: On 2019-02-05 07:21, Radey Shouman wrote: [...] When I got home I looked at the rims. They were coated in white frosty stuff that looked a lot like snow, but stuck much more resolutely. Not normally much for washing bicycles, I spent a few minutes cleaning off the frost and salt. To be clear, the brakes are not modern equipment, but Weinmann Vainqueur centerpulls, albeit with Kool Stop cartridge pads. I do find them more than adequate ordinarily. If I ever buy a new bicycle, I believe I'll favor those fashionable disk brakes. Try them out on a friend bike or a rental. You'll never look back. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ CRIKEY! What am I doing WRONG? I ride all year round and I don't have problems with my rim brakes stopping any of my bicycles. That is even true for my ancient long out of production Shimano Adamas AX brakes and my Shimano Dura Ace AX brakes. Grant the Dura Ace AX bicycle is kept for nicer weather but I have got caught out in the rain with it and never had a problem. Not have i ever worn out a rim because of brake wear. I ride thousands of miles every year too. I just don't get how some people have such drastic problems with rims wearing out. Well, the rims on my 1st MTB were nearly shot after the first 1000mi of foul weather riding. Most of the time I reached on on soggy winter trail rides there was this goose bump eliciting sandpaper noise. Needless to say, the next MTB had disc brakes and none of this is happening now. Why should people put up with inferior components if there are better ones that even reduce cost per mile over the years? That is because you use those cheap and dirty aluminum rims. Switch to proper chrome plated steel rims and they will last practically for ever :-) That's 'cause after a short while, the rider gives up entirely on braking in the wet. Mark J. |
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