Disc Brakes

[ColinJ]

I'm sure no one ever rode down it on a bicycle until disc brakes were invented.

You are not paying attention...!

I DO ride down hills like that on my rim-braked bikes. I am saying that there is no alternative to heavy braking on such descents. Without it, speeds of 100+ km/hr would be reached and you could not safely take the bends. In the winter when roads have been gritted the wheel rims soon become coated in what is effectively a grinding paste. I have worn rims out in less than 3 months that way.

Apart from switching to disc brakes, the only solutions are:

• Avoid those hills in grinding-paste conditions.
• Stop every few minutes and clean the rims. I have ridden with people who do that, but I certainly don't want to do it. Even cleaning rims before something like that descent would not be enough because more grit would be picked up on the way down.

 

[sevenfourate]

You are not paying attention...!

I DO ride down hills like that on my rim-braked bikes. I am saying that there is no alternative to heavy braking on such descents. Without it, speeds of 100+ km/hr would be reached and you could not safely take the bends. In the winter when roads have been gritted the wheel rims soon become coated in what is effectively a grinding paste. I have worn rims out in less than 3 months that way.

Apart from switching to disc brakes, the only solutions are:

• Avoid those hills in grinding-paste conditions.
• Stop every few minutes and clean the rims. I have ridden with people who do that, but I certainly don't want to do it. Even cleaning rims before something like that descent would not be enough because more grit would be picked up on the way down.

Fit some brushes infront of the callipers to ‘pre-clean’ the rim…..

***Couple of old toothbrushes tie-wrapped to the forks ? 🤣🤣

 

[ColinJ]

Fit some brushes infront of the callipers to ‘pre-clean’ the rim…..

***Couple of old toothbrushes tie-wrapped to the forks ? 🤣🤣

Visions of toothbrushes jammed in spokes of front wheel at 100 km/hr...







The rim brakes on my best bike (the red Cannondale that I am riding in my avatar photo, above, left) are excellent but I killed the rim of its expensive front wheel in just one winter on mucky roads. Since then, I put the bike in hibernation after the first road gritting of the winter and don't start riding it again until winter is over. I haven't actually used it so far this year, but will do soon.

 

[sevenfourate]

Visions of toothbrushes jammed in spokes of front wheel at 100 km/hr...







The rim brakes on my best bike (the red Cannondale that I am riding in my avatar photo, above, left) are excellent but I killed the rim of its expensive front wheel in just one winter on mucky roads. Since then, I put the bike in hibernation after the first road gritting of the winter and don't start riding it again until winter is over. I haven't actually used it so far this year, but will do soon.

‘Infront of Caliper’ would actually be behind to pre clean rim. But you get the idea.

Not sure about jamming in as the cheap toothbrushes we use would deffo snap before a decent spoke…

That’s not to say they wouldnt act as Spokey Dokeys: and make a bit of a row to let everyone know you’re coming. Which with poorly working rim brakes might actually be a good idea……