Are rear brakes always looser?
07-02-08, 01:59 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 38
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Are rear brakes always looser?
Hi recently fell off my bike and scraped my limbs going fast down a hill and trying to slow down significantly to do sharp turns. But the rear brake always feels loose and so it wasn't enough to slow me down but the front brakes is much tighter. Personally the rear brake is the most important part. Is this perfectly normal how my rear brake is much looser than my front? I have shimano soras but thinking maybe higher shimano brakes like the 105 will brake much quicker and tighter.
07-02-08, 02:15 PM
#2
Senior Member
When you say "looser", do you mean applying the rear brake alone does not stop the bike as fast as the front brake alone? If so, that is the way things work. Can you lock up your rear wheel? If so, that's about as good as it gets. If you lock up the front wheel you will most likely be taking a flight over your handlebars.
07-02-08, 02:19 PM
#3
Really Old Senior Member
If you are running out of lever travel, adjust the cable.
When braking, your weight is going forward, off the rear wheel. For this reason, you should be able to skid the tire with even "average" brakes.
When braking, your weight is going forward, off the rear wheel. For this reason, you should be able to skid the tire with even "average" brakes.
07-02-08, 02:25 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,152
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
1st yer not suppose to brake hard through a turn, they are just there to slow down but otherwise u should learn to LEAN the bike.
Then when everything else being equal, same rims, same brake pads etc, the rear is not going to grip and effective as the front, due to PHYSIC.
B4r u change component, make sure wheel is true, then buy one of those super-duper brake pads and see if it makes any diff 4u. Also, wheels with machined sidewalls (shinny) have better braking than non-machined sidewalls.
Then when everything else being equal, same rims, same brake pads etc, the rear is not going to grip and effective as the front, due to PHYSIC.
B4r u change component, make sure wheel is true, then buy one of those super-duper brake pads and see if it makes any diff 4u. Also, wheels with machined sidewalls (shinny) have better braking than non-machined sidewalls.
07-02-08, 02:29 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 8,688
Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1074 Post(s)
Liked 295 Times
in
222 Posts
Then you really should practise your braking technique. Your front brake is far more effective than your rear due to dynamic weight transfer and whatnot. The only time you should be favoring your rear brake is if traction is poor. Sheldon Brown has some nice pointers on braking technique.
Your front has a much shorter cable run than your rear, so it's normal for the rear to be a little mushier than the front.
Nah, differences aren't that big. Try to get your setup and technique right first.
Nah, differences aren't that big. Try to get your setup and technique right first.
07-02-08, 02:49 PM
#6
Spelling Snob
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Plano, Texas
Posts: 2,862
Bikes: Panasonic DX4000, Bianchi Pista
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
1 Post
The front brake will always give you more effective stopping power than the rear.
When you are decelerating, your weight shifts forward giving your front tire more
traction and your rear tire less traction. Braking is really only as good as your
tire traction.
When you are decelerating, your weight shifts forward giving your front tire more
traction and your rear tire less traction. Braking is really only as good as your
tire traction.
__________________
The first rule of flats is You don't talk about flats!
The first rule of flats is You don't talk about flats!
07-02-08, 02:54 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Maidstone, Kent, England
Posts: 2,637
Bikes: 1970 Holdsworth Mistral, Vitus 979, Colnago Primavera, Corratec Hydracarbon, Massi MegaTeam, 1935 Claud Butler Super Velo, Carrera Virtuoso, Viner, 1953 Claud Butler Silver Jubilee, 1954 Holdsworth Typhoon, 1966 Claud Butler Olympic Road, 1982 Claud
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10 Post(s)
Liked 11 Times
in
10 Posts
105's are good, but so are Sora - good enough that I've put them on the last three road bikes I've built as it didn't seem worth spending more when these work so well and are a doddle to adjust. I got the latest 2 pairs REALLY cheap as Sora Dual pivots aren't particularly popular and a lot of dealers are clearing their stock. I can always upgrade them if I get rich!
