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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. -- |
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