RT

Hey all, I'm usually not a cross-poster, but this forum gets so much more traffic than the Mechanics forum.

I have been a hardcore MTB rider and commute on my 'roadie-fried' Giant Rainier 99% of the time. I recently dragged my 2005 Fuji Sagres flat-bar road bike from the corner of the garage, tuned her up and rode her to work tonight. What a difference in speed from my favorite ride. The reason she's been buried in anonymity in the corner is because I prefer disc brakes.

The bike is three years old and been ridden maybe five times. The brake pads seem to be in good shape, and the rear pads grip the rim like no one's business, but the front is not as tight (but tight enough). I have adjusted, but I am seeing what I believe to be bad contact at the rim surface. Is there a special cleaner to use in order to achieve maximum gripitude? Might new pads help? Colorado does lie in a very humid climate, so I suspect that the pads have dried a bit.

FWIW, the rims and pads are stock.

Any help would be great.

Bob Dopolina 

There is a significant difference between pads. Try some koolstop pads. Also, make sure your Toe-in isn't too extreme. This will make the brakes feel mushy.

FWIW, the front brake should have way more stopping power than the rear.

How are the cables and housings? The bike's been sitting. Is there any rust on them?

RT

No, no rust. I just cannot figure out why the back stops like a disc brake and the front seems not to grab as well. I'll check the cables tomorrow when I get home. I sure wish I had the money to upgrade the wheels, or for that matter, to upgrade the bike. I love discs, but I think my love of the speed and efficiency of the much lighter road bike (which it barely is) may overtake the disc preference. Thanks for the input, Bob.

EDIT: What is it about Koolstop that makes them better?

cuda2k

KoolStops come in several different compounds, any of them are an improvement over generic pads. I'm a fan of the dual-compound versions that have both black and salmon compound in them. Generic pads are typically much harder than koolstops. Even on less than ideal braking surfaces, they get me down to a stop in a hurry.

Adgooroo

OP - unless there is some unusual situation with your rims, the key to stopping power (as others have said) is in the pads, and Kool-Stops are often considered the best. Beyond that, you can get a better brake feel - stiffer, more power - with better-quality calipers. Ultegra (and Dura-Ace) are generally highly regarded for stiffness and control.

Creakyknees

Make sure the rims are clean and free of that light layer of oxidation they sometimes get.

Pull the brake shoes and inspect under a good light. If there's any sort of sheen, sand it off.

.

Psimet2001 

Everyone has already mentioned everything, but I like to do a bit of summarizing.

1. Check your current pads for glazing. You will see a sheen/almost glossy on the pad's braking surface. usually in streaks across the face. If there is glazing then removing the glazing with sandpaper or a nail file.

2. Check your toe-in adjustment for the brake pads.

3. Check your cables and housings for wear, compression, etc.

4. Make sure that the brake lever is not damaged and is still able to function correctly.

5. Clean/de-glaze your rim. I prefer to use rubbing alcohol and a scoth-brite pad (you know the green pads used to wash dishes). It makes the job take only seconds usually.

6. Check cable adjustment to make sure that the pads are set at the correct gap to the rim.

7. If none of these steps has improved the performance of your brakes then it is time to look at some new pads. The general concensus is that Kool Stops utilize much better compounds.

sjumper

If you must have the best stopping power, get SwissStop pads. But they are expensive.