Bicycles!
- Thread starter Redliner
- Start date
mautzel
Well-Known Member
Probably the wrong expression - let's just say they kept braking hard even though I didn't apply the brakes when temperatures fell below 10 degrees celsius. As I don't have the nerves to adjust the brakes every half year for the summer and winter season they were the main reason my old bike had to go.
i'd love to have me some disc brakes (mainly because i don't want to buy new wheels every few years), but there are quite a few reports of sticky brakes in winter, exactly like you described. this has somehow made me cautious about this... i have to do some more reading (might be model-specific behaviour, after all).
mautzel
Well-Known Member
I got a set of Magura Julie on my Raleigh and they proved to be extremely sticky in winter time, you always have to use a very noticeable amount of force to move the wheels in winter time and even in summer there's always a slight resistence. Braking capability of the Magura HS11 fitted to the Bergamont is basically the same, and replacing the brake pads on the HS11 will cost you a fraction of the costs you'd have to pay for the disc pads and discs - any you can change them by yourself within literally a minute.
I tried to get a bike that produced lower resistance with all moving parts (dynamo, wheels and so on) and am surprised about the differences between the Bergamont and the Raleigh. I am convinced that the major part was gained by changing the brake system though.
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Eizbaer, just in case I didn't convince you by now, the Raleigh's up for sale!
I tried to get a bike that produced lower resistance with all moving parts (dynamo, wheels and so on) and am surprised about the differences between the Bergamont and the Raleigh. I am convinced that the major part was gained by changing the brake system though.
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Eizbaer, just in case I didn't convince you by now, the Raleigh's up for sale!
Why do you have to buy new wheels every few years? I've never had the urge or need for disc brakes.
The only instance where I would have a need for them over normal pad V brakes is in wet conditions. WHich I don't ride in much, and even if I do, the speeds are not that high.
Because the pads rub against the rims, wearing them out. OK, it takes some time, but it happens eventually.
And now, for some opinion:
Mechanical disk brakes are a bit better than V-brakes. They have more stopping power and less fading but the added complexity and maintenance are not worth it in my opinion.
Hydraulic brakes, on the other hand, are a revelation. The modulation and stopping power is amazing compared to V-brakes, but I must admit normal riding does not benefit a lot from it.
exactly... granted, my old wheels still lasted me 7 years or so, but according to the guy from the shop where i got my new wheels they were at that stage "properly dangerous" (and that was after i'd bought new wheels already, so no sales pitch). plus, i am expecting to do a lot more commuting by bike come springtime, which will be 16km one way... so this in turn will mean new wheels more frequently because of more distance.
thanks for the input. additionally, the cost of an entire disc brake retrofit would basically be the same or more (depends on brakes and whatever else i decide to do at the same time) than another set of wheels... plus the added complexity (which i haven't even looked at tbh). yeah, i'll be fine for now with my stupid ass v-brakes. i do expect to ride mostly in the dry and on paved tracks, to stopping power and fading should not really be the issue. the only real reason to switch would be wheel-wear.
might take at look at them, that can end in a massive disaster...
basically this is what happens, which makes the sides of the rim thinner and weaker. at some point, they will start to bend inwards from brake-pressure and outwards at the top. this can make your tire jump off, or, in extreme cases, cause the entire rim to fail massively under heavy braking, causing something like this (and the massive crash associated with it...):
had an acquaintance (who actually ran the shop that sold me my bike) do a rather nasty flip because of something like that (although smaller fail, not as excessive). admittedly, he rode insane distances in total (bike shop people usually do), but still, his wheels where 3 years old at that time iirc.
additional factors ofc: running mostly wet or dry, mud, dust, general cleanliness of brakes and rims, changing of brake pads on time... all that can have a rather profound effect on the life of the rim.
basically this is what happens, which makes the sides of the rim thinner and weaker. at some point, they will start to bend inwards from brake-pressure and outwards at the top. this can make your tire jump off, or, in extreme cases, cause the entire rim to fail massively under heavy braking, causing something like this (and the massive crash associated with it...):
had an acquaintance (who actually ran the shop that sold me my bike) do a rather nasty flip because of something like that (although smaller fail, not as excessive). admittedly, he rode insane distances in total (bike shop people usually do), but still, his wheels where 3 years old at that time iirc.
additional factors ofc: running mostly wet or dry, mud, dust, general cleanliness of brakes and rims, changing of brake pads on time... all that can have a rather profound effect on the life of the rim.
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Yeah, reading eizbaers post, I'm thinking, how har do you people brake anyway?
I don't actually use my bike for anything then training riding in the summer. That means 30+km every few days, all on road.
Over winter it's on a trainer. I dunno, never even considered that something that might happen, so never checked or bothered.
Nor did anyone ever tell me it's possible! Hell, I even bought some old wheels for my off road tires!
I don't actually use my bike for anything then training riding in the summer. That means 30+km every few days, all on road.
Over winter it's on a trainer. I dunno, never even considered that something that might happen, so never checked or bothered.
Nor did anyone ever tell me it's possible! Hell, I even bought some old wheels for my off road tires!
jibduh
Well-Known Member
Easy enough to check with a micrometer! As for what the minimum thickness is, that's probably a bit variable in line with the scenario of the rotors on your car.
That said, on one of my rims, there's a nice minimum depth paint stripe. It seems that some manufacturers take a cue from treadless tires and use a hole instead.
That said, on one of my rims, there's a nice minimum depth paint stripe. It seems that some manufacturers take a cue from treadless tires and use a hole instead.
yeah, there USED to be one of those on my old rims as well
i've owned one for a while and it worked fairly well (not bulletproof, random losses of connection were definitely a thing). i wasn't impressed with battery life, though. half a year and that thing was done -.-
Cellos88GT
Well-Known Member
speaking of bikes, I'm about to upgrade my tires to conti gatorskins as I've been replacing the rear tube on my bike every 20-30 miles or so and its really pissing me off...
mautzel
Well-Known Member
Got one with the Bergamont - only two months of experience so far, does everything it should but I cannot speak for battery life as for now. (Sigma 12.12)
Captain_Whine
Well-Known Member
You are not riding/braking enough.
Maybe not that, but his wheels are made of fine alloy, rather than chineese tinfoil, and he doesn't use the ceramic brakepads (which are equal to pare-o-grinding stones).
Also, there are some styles of "pulse" braking, which prevent pads to meltdown after single average hill.
2), i'm not saying disc brakes are bad, but sometimes V's are more apropriate to use.
3) Best brakes for the bike yet are dyno-axles. You can lowride few km downhill and charge your lights for like... few nights.
P.S. On the subject of try-outs, has anybody rode variator rear shift?
I do like the concept, but in my case i wonder how much torque can it actually take? (i'm one of them "lead stompers", and abit nervous thoose balls could actually start slipping...)
no idea, sorry. got rid of it a long time ago and now simply always take my phone on rides.