Am I a bad bad person?

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Lovacott

Über Member
Even the cheapest no name V brakes seem to work well. Probably the biggest unrecognised improvement in bike brakes of the last few decades. The drawback being, that as fitted usually to MTBs the extra power helps to grind the environment into the rims, which doesn't help with rim longevity. Hence the move to discs on anything but a basic model nowadays. On a general purpose hybrid or round town type MTB, not such a problem, and a good brake.
Horses for courses.

On muddy back roads, you can't beat discs but they cost a bit to maintain.

On proper roads, you are better off with rim brakes.

For stopping power, I can't notice any difference between the rim brakes on my road bike and the discs on the MTB?

That said, my judgement is slightly skewed because I never take the road bike out in the wet.

That's the joy of having more than one bike (as of today, my bike count is three and the missus is talking divorce).
 
OP
OP
Blue Hills
Location
London
Do you do many long, wet, muddy rides on those wheels? I found on some of the killers round here that I could wear brake blocks out in a few such rides and the worn blocks had slithers of alloy in them so the rims were also taking a battering. I wore one pair of blocks through mid-descent, but it was too dangerous to stop braking. By the time I got to the bottom, my wheel rim had been destroyed!
I'm assuming that this is on road riding - not offroad MTBing, where I can see the point of discs.

But assuming this is on road, don't you clean your rims regularly/check the pads for bits?
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Giant had a closed hydraulic system at one time, if you was on the brakes for a long descent in warm weather the would stay on giving you an automatic comfort brake, the first time it happened I was struggling to pedal on a steep descent.
The Giant MPH system was like that. I was safety officer (2IC) on a course with a team from Lincs Police. The sun came in quite strong early lunchtime, and within an hour all their brakes had locked on. Fiddling with the dial malarkey did bugher all. Luckily a twizzle of the bleed nipple to relieve the pressure fixed them, but a bit of a poor show for the all conquering walking on water disc brake.
 

Lovacott

Über Member
The Giant MPH system was like that. I was safety officer (2IC) on a course with a team from Lincs Police. The sun came in quite strong early lunchtime, and within an hour all their brakes had locked on. Fiddling with the dial malarkey did bugher all. Luckily a twizzle of the bleed nipple to relieve the pressure fixed them, but a bit of a poor show for the all conquering walking on water disc brake.
I've never ridden a hydraulic disc brake bike but I've just bought one.

I'd have preferred a cable set up for ease of maintenance but the bike I wanted only had the hydraulic option.

The main advantage with a disc is that it is away from the worst of the crap on muddy roads and tracks and performs the same in the wet or the dry.

A couple of the guys at work are seriously into off road mountain biking (a big thing in places like Exmoor) and they swear by discs.

I can't see the point of discs on a road bike though? I've yet to see a club cyclist with discs on a road bike.

Like I said earlier, it's horses for courses.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I'm assuming that this is on road riding - not offroad MTBing, where I can see the point of discs.

But assuming this is on road, don't you clean your rims regularly/check the pads for bits?
That was on my first mountain bike and offroad. The replacement MTB has disk brakes.

That reminds me - the MTB needs a lot of work doing, especially to the brakes. My cousin gave me a box of parts including improved brakes. I'll have to get to work on it.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
I don't think its an expense thing. I'll merrily spend more than is wise on cycling fripperies. Its a simplicity thing, and simplicity, lack of unnecessary complication, and elegance of function and design can be found at any price point.
 

swee'pea99

Legendary Member
I don't think its an expense thing. I'll merrily spend more than is wise on cycling fripperies. Its a simplicity thing, and simplicity, lack of unnecessary complication, and elegance of function and design can be found at any price point.
Absolutely. I've never understood the demise of the quill stem in favour of the A-head for that very reason. But that's another story...
 
OP
OP
Blue Hills
Location
London
So in conclusion we all need to be more spendy than the skipdiver but not buy anything too nice things because of what the other wallet guarders may think (and boy do they pile on when anyone mentions dura-ace)
not about money - one of my self-builds (original core cost £21) has a brand new XT rear mech on it - I know it will last/give good simple reliable service. Another of my self-builds (original core cost £30) has an Ultegra rear mech - it is on its second bike though with new jockey wheels. Another (original core cost £30) has Spa handbuilt wheels. All have other quality components, some second-hand as they'd been discontinued. All 9 speed. All simple - don't see any serious maintenance issues with any of them - have spare bits ready for any that wear out.
 
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davidphilips

Veteran
Location
Onabike
Like Blue Hills and Drago like to keep with simple cycling technology as Drago said, lack of unnecessary complication, if it works its reliable and easy to maintain thats what i like.

TBH i fail on the spending as i do spend/buy a lot of nice bits but as i dont drink smoke or gamble, drive a used cheap car so why not?

Andy in Germany, you have the same problem as myself N+1 usually means owning bikes that would last 100 life times.
 
OP
OP
Blue Hills
Location
London
Like Blue Hills and Drago like to keep with simple cycling technology as Drago said, lack of unnecessary complication, if it works its reliable and easy to maintain thats what i like.

TBH i fail on the spending as i do spend/buy a lot of nice bits but as i dont drink smoke or gamble, drive a used cheap car so why not?

Andy in Germany, you have the same problem as myself N+1 usually means owning bikes that would last 100 life times.
I'd definitely go ahead and build @Andy in Germany - if the stuff is all nice and simple it can all be taken apart again later in life if needed and used on other bikes, unlike the componentry of some of the more advanced concoctions - three of my bikes (2 bought new, 1 built) use the same 12-36 9 speed cassette but they are quite different bikes.
 
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