Brake question

[BentMikey]

OK, imagine this situation:

A guy has very grippy cable disc brakes, panic-braked, and crashed out. He has Avid speed dial levers, and another cyclist suggests dialing the levers out to reduce the braking ability and prevent lockup. Good idea, or bad?

(No it's not me, my bike does have Avid levers, but rim brakes).

I think this idea is really stupid - the higher the lever forces, the less modulation and control you have. It's much better to learn to brake properly and feel for it.

 

[mickle]

Stupid idea, for the same reason that in-line V brake 'power modulators' are a stupid idea.

 

[BentMikey]

Oh yes, I think his disc brakes are Avid BB5s. Glad you agree with me, Mickle!

 

[mickle]

I always agree with you Mikey. We Michaels need to stick together in the face of all these Jims and Daves.

 

[HLaB]

Stupid idea, for the same reason that in-line V brake 'power modulators' are a stupid idea.

You've got me worried now, the front brake on one of my bikes has an in line barrel adjuster.

 

[mickle]

Barrel adjusters are ok but many Linear pull (V) brakes have springs within the front cable lead-pipe (noodle) which limit the brake force. This is installed because people are thought to be too stupid or irresponsible to modulate their own front brakes. We wouldn't want anyone suing a bike company because their front brake worked would we?

 

[HLaB]

Cheers

 

[Twiggy]

I'd suggest not adjusting the brakes, after you take a spill because of braking badly, as long as you get back on the bike, you'll learn to avoid doing it again.

Eventually.

Hopefully.

The only thing I'd suggest is to get him to practice braking in a safe place, doing things upto and including skidding the front wheel, and recovering it.

 

[BentMikey]

Of course that begs the debate of whether it's even possible to skid the front wheel in the dry rather than do an endo. It's a bit like helmet or chain lube debate, LOL. IIRC his off was in the wet.

 

[Nigeyy]

I'd also go with decreasing the cable pull, rather than increasing it as a more likely solution. The problem with increasing the cable pull is that it might decrease the braking, but at the cost of a rock hard lever feel, which is pretty useless. If you decrease the cable pull you're more likely to get a better feel of the brake -and then you should be less likely to lock it up too easily.

Having said that, it might depend more on the whole brake setup -e.g. at the extremes too much cable pull will result in poor braking as no effective leverage is created, and too little pull will result in increased effective leverage, but not enough pad movement to stop the bike.

So I don't think you want too much pull, or too little. You need to have just the right amount for your brake setup.

OK, imagine this situation:

A guy has very grippy cable disc brakes, panic-braked, and crashed out. He has Avid speed dial levers, and another cyclist suggests dialing the levers out to reduce the braking ability and prevent lockup. Good idea, or bad?

(No it's not me, my bike does have Avid levers, but rim brakes).

I think this idea is really stupid - the higher the lever forces, the less modulation and control you have. It's much better to learn to brake properly and feel for it.

 

[Nigeyy]

Mickle, this intrigues me as I have no knowledge of these (at least over in the States, and hey, the one thing about the States is that they are a tad litigious). And how the heck do they limit the brake force? All my v-brake noodles have no such device.

Incidentally, the best I've setup a v-brake has been with low cable pull and Kool Stop salmons to give a much less digital and more progressive brake feel.

Barrel adjusters are ok but many Linear pull (V) brakes have springs within the front cable lead-pipe (noodle) which limit the brake force. This is installed because people are thought to be too stupid or irresponsible to modulate their own front brakes. We wouldn't want anyone suing a bike company because their front brake worked would we?