Argh.. no brakes..!

[downfader]

Cantis on the Jake suck. Thats it, I've had it with them. I went to brake the other week in the wet, despite adjusting toe-in, cleaning rims and cleaning pads - I just shoot along pulling full on the drops for about 15-20 feet until I slowed enough to put my foot on the ground and stop that way.

This shouldnt be happening. Its dangerous and I'm going to get hurt. I was lucky there was no traffic about.

I cant be cleaning the rims after EVERY ride, this is my commuter and only bike (until the Kinesis is sorted) and to add to the insult more the damn frogs get caught, snagged, on the pannier bag everytime I brake now. There isnt the clearance.

I bought some Tektro mini Vs to try and install at some point and have only just had the time and good weather to fit them. However my rear brake cable has now decided to fray and unravel. It looks more like a wire brush than a cable now. I've sorted V brakes in the past before on other bikes with no problems, but this is just silly.

I've had enough, the bike is in the shed. Its staying there until I can get the LBS to do it properly and fit the brakes for me. They can fit the mini V for me, change the cable etc.

end rant

 

[2Loose]

Since switching to a rim-braked bike from a disk braked one, also living at the top of a fair hill along with the recent monsoon like weather....I fully sympathise.

When someone pulled out on me about 10 metres in front, I ended up being less than nice to her despite it being the wet and my brakes to blame for such an avoidable problem. Well, avoidable in that I should have ridden the dirty bike instead that day.

Can we have a pad\cartridge type thread before winter please?
I hear Koolstop Salmon's are the pads to beat, but surely there are some new pretenders to the throne by now?

 

[Tynan]

rim brakes on my bike are fine as long as I keep them adjusted, you can only lock the wheel, which with 14 and a half stone of me plus pannier I try to avoid for the tyres' sake

clean rims do help mind

 

[Moodyman]

I went from rims to discs and would never go back.

I live in a hilly area and on so many wet occasions I'd get no braking down big hills.

My current commuters have discs and never had a problem. The mechanical one needs very little adjustment, the hydraulic one needs none.

For year round commuting discs are the way to go - especially in a hilly area

 

[fossyant]

Depends upon the compound. My road bikes are seriously good at braking, that I back off. MTB with XT canti's is OK for me - I am no downhiller.......... but properly set up 'v's should be damn good.

 

[downfader]

Depends upon the compound. My road bikes are seriously good at braking, that I back off. MTB with XT canti's is OK for me - I am no downhiller.......... but properly set up 'v's should be damn good.

Exactly. I've used Deore equiped hybrids down very steep hills in the wet. No problem. With the Jake I changed my route to avoid having to deal with said scenario. It was ok in the dry, but even then not great.

 

[nich]

I like my 105 brakes on my road bike, they are even quite good in light rain, but as soon as it's a heavy downpour, I've had it. Close to zero braking, horribly large stopping distances, and black goo on the rim. I'm currently running black koolstops on them which are meant to be better than average in the wet.


Swissstop pads are meant to be the best, but they are £20~

As far as discs go, I've always run Shimano Deore o SLX - both have been excellent. My commuter is running mechanical discs which aren't as good, but still better than rim brakes. I'll see how they perform this winter. If they end up sucking, I might get some Avid BB mechanical discs, we'll see

 

[downfader]

I like my 105 brakes on my road bike, they are even quite good in light rain, but as soon as it's a heavy downpour, I've had it. Close to zero braking, horribly large stopping distances, and black goo on the rim. I'm currently running black koolstops on them which are meant to be better than average in the wet.


Swissstop pads are meant to be the best, but they are £20~

As far as discs go, I've always run Shimano Deore o SLX - both have been excellent. My commuter is running mechanical discs which aren't as good, but still better than rim brakes. I'll see how they perform this winter. If they end up sucking, I might get some Avid BB mechanical discs, we'll see

Koolstop black is the standard dry compound. For heavy rain you need dual or salmon. Swissstop are good but really are designed for racing imo, hence the stupid prices. 105s should have the leverage and grip to squeeze the rain off the rim plus anything else that gets on there. You can even adjust toe in/out if you need it, though not quite as much as a V

Use a folded bit of card and some elastic to clamp onto the pad and get a mate to squeeze the brake gently for you to align the pad and then tighten. Then just remove the card and your toe should be in right.