Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - single speed mtb business in the front party in the back?

I just read sheldon brown's spiel about single speed mountain bikes and disc brakes. I'm in the process of building up a bike that I was going to do with mechanical discs on the front and back. I'm still considering doing it, but a friend of mine also mentioned doing disc brakes up front and v brakes in the back. Does anyone else run this and have an opinion one way or the other?

I've thought about doing it. I don't really see the need for a disc in back, the back brake doesn't do much work anyway.

I think this would let you have a flipflop hub for easy gearing changes

I did this....worked fine. Had great breaking power still and I was able to easily mess with my rear wheel

I been running disc in the back, but will be going mullet. I have a Novatec disc SS hub, so I also plan on getting a cog replace the rotor. Is Boone's the only guy that makes cogs that bolt onto disc mounts?

I've thought about doing it. I don't really see the need for a disc in back, the back brake doesn't do much work anyway.
Not all the time, but if you do snow biking, the rear brake is your friend. Being able to lock up the rear wheel is a boon when you are on ice with studded tires.

I'd never compromise braking in order to make flip-flopping the wheel easier. Plus, it just looks better.

Is Boone's the only guy that makes cogs that bolt onto disc mounts?

No several options:


Buy a DX cog and drill it out
Gene at Spicer I believe will drill cogs
Endless makes a cog called the Leg Breaker....you'll have to call him though http://www.endlessbikes.com/products/components/index.html
Boone...mmmmm.


There's probably a few others but those are the ones I know. And drilling a cog wasn't hard to do either. Cost me all of $5 for the cog and a few more bucks for a good cobalt bit.

the back brake doesn't do much work anyway.

I guess it might depend on the types and conditions of the trails your ride, and also how agressive of a rider your are, but a rear brake, regardless of type, I find important when running a coasting bike. Even in riding a fully rigid bike by applying the rear brake with the front the forces being transmitted to your body will be more squat like then fork heavy if that makes sence.

I guess it might depend on the types and conditions of the trails your ride, and also how agressive of a rider your are, but a rear brake, regardless of type, I find important when running a coasting bike. Even in riding a fully rigid bike by applying the rear brake with the front the forces being transmitted to your body will be more squat like then fork heavy if that makes sence.

Yeah, but have you ever said to yourself "Man, my rear brake just isn't powerful enough!". I know I never have.

Yeah, but have you ever said to yourself "Man, my rear brake just isn't powerful enough!". I know I never have.
Um, Sunday. Rolling down a gentle decline, on snow-covered trails. I see that the trail leads to a creek. I attempt to brake. Snow and ice-covered V-brakes do nothing. Panic ensues.

Also, when rainy or muddy.

Um, Sunday. Rolling down a gentle decline, on snow-covered trails. I see that the trail leads to a creek. I attempt to brake. Snow and ice-covered V-brakes do nothing. Panic ensues.

Also, when rainy or muddy.


solution: studded brake pads. :eek:

Um, Sunday. Rolling down a gentle decline, on snow-covered trails. I see that the trail leads to a creek. I attempt to brake. Snow and ice-covered V-brakes do nothing. Panic ensues.

Also, when rainy or muddy.

Ah, I could see the ice and snow being difficult. They don't really exist in my world, and I've found well adjusted v-brakes and cantis to work just fine in rain or mud after the brief moment of scratchy not-stopping.

I just read sheldon brown's spiel about single speed mountain bikes and disc brakes. I'm in the process of building up a bike that I was going to do with mechanical discs on the front and back. I'm still considering doing it, but a friend of mine also mentioned doing disc brakes up front and v brakes in the back. Does anyone else run this and have an opinion one way or the other?

if you wanted to be super cool, you could always run a hydraulic disc up front, and a magura hydraulic rim brake in the rear.

i think disc brakes are good if you live near some SEROIUS hills, but east of the rockies i woulsd say they are not really necessary.

the good thing about NOT using a disc in the back of a singlespeed is that you don't have to re-adjust your disc caliper everytime you take the wheel off (another way around this is an eccentric bottom bracket).

but then, if your gonna use a v in the rear anyway, why not just go v front and back... has anyone ever said i don't have enough front brake??? front v's will toss me or anyone over the bars if you really honk on them.

one finger braking is for weak handed sissies ;)

discs seem to be a solution to a problem i never really had.

Yeah, but have you ever said to yourself "Man, my rear brake just isn't powerful enough!". I know I never have.

Yes. When my Surly was built up I was shipped two front brakes but I wanted to race that night. So I took the bike minus rear brake and did my first race with a SS. Some how I ended up 3rd place in my class but know that I was having to scrub speed a whole hell of a lot sooner then if I had a rear brake. It makes things a bit sketchy sans rear. Kind of similar to when I ride that bike as a fixed gear now. Trying to keep weight on the rear tire is sometime a complete and utter challenge depending on the terrain.

Yes. When my Surly was built up I was shipped two front brakes but I wanted to race that night. So I took the bike minus rear brake and did my first race with a SS. Some how I ended up 3rd place in my class but know that I was having to scrub speed a whole hell of a lot sooner then if I had a rear brake. It makes things a bit sketchy sans rear. Kind of similar to when I ride that bike as a fixed gear now. Trying to keep weight on the rear tire is sometime a complete and utter challenge depending on the terrain.

There's a difference between your rear brake not being powerful enough and not having a rear brake at all.

I been running disc in the back, but will be going mullet. I have a Novatec disc SS hub, so I also plan on getting a cog replace the rotor. Is Boone's the only guy that makes cogs that bolt onto disc mounts?

Send a PM to INKDWHEELS he bought me one for christmas last year but I don't know where he got it

...
discs seem to be a solution to a problem i never really had.

How about the problem of riding in the rain, snow, and melted-snow-mush?
Go disc in the front. Much better all weather braking.
Whether or not you should go disc in the back, I have no opinion.

running a skullet - mech disc in front, no brakes in rear.
It's fixed so I only need one.

Ah, I could see the ice and snow being difficult. They don't really exist in my world, and I've found well adjusted v-brakes and cantis to work just fine in rain or mud after the brief moment of scratchy not-stopping.
Build according to your geography. :) Of course, I've also had the brief moment of not-stopping come at inopportune times, and I ran into a tree. That's another story.

It depends on where you ride. For me a rear disc or a really well set up V are handy for cross country Mountain biking. At speed on the loose stuff a rear brake is essential to get the bike slowed down.

CHEERS.

Mark

if you wanted to be super cool, you could always run a hydraulic disc up front, and a magura hydraulic rim brake in the rear.

holy christ! my roomate has magura hydraulic rim brakes on his trials bike and the first time i rode it i almost went over the handlebars! those brakes freakin stop you!

You may as well go full discs. If you want to save weight, get a 140mm rotor for the rear.

V-brakes are such a PITA, I'm not sure why anyone would want to still run them, short of 'My bike doesn't have disc mounts'.

holy christ! my roomate has magura hydraulic rim brakes on his trials bike and the first time i rode it i almost went over the handlebars! those brakes freakin stop you!

i have 'em on my MTB...they work perfectly for trials, but for actual mountain biking, they're about the same, or a little worse than regular V's. i'd swap 'em out, but they're just so friggen cool!

thylacine, thylacine, thylacine....i think hydraulic discs are more of a PITA than V brakes, unless you have a really excellent set that you can adjust the modulation on, like hayes el caminos...of course, then you run into maintenance issues, and having to have special bleed kits and they're a major hassle to rebuild the calipers. HFX-9s are decent, but not so much modulation. the only brakes i really like the feel of are the shimano deore levers with XTR calipers. avid juicy 7s are nice, but are even more a PITA than el caminos...IMO, a cable actuated disc brake, like the avid BB7 is the best way to go for a disc brake. you got the power, modulation, and easy peasy maintenance of a cable brake.

one thing that i'd like to check out is the formula self-adjusting disc brakes. the master cylinder is cable actuated, so you can use any lever you want with them...they're designed for tandems, and santana has been using them, so they've gotta be somewhat reliable...

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i've done it. the only downside is when wet/snowy. and.......once you get used to the modulation of the disc in front, you'll want one in back.

both my mtbs sport front and rear discs now. i can't imagine going back to v-brakes, other than for a superlight race bike.

How about the problem of riding in the rain, snow, and melted-snow-mush?


you hit your brake about 1 second sooner then normal, your tires first rotation scrapes the crap off then it brakes pretty much as normal...

i don't understand this not being able to brake in wet nonsense. what did people ride before discs off road? roadies run rim brakes in the wet.

i have only ever had problems stopping on an extremely cold day after running through a creek when real ice formed on the brake track. now had i been concious of it i am sure a light tap of the brakes woulda cleared the crap off the rims before it froze.

and i am also gonna politely disagree with thalycine, i think disc brakes are a pain in the @ss. my v's occasionally need brake pads but other than that i NEVER mess with them after the intial setup.