electrik

I was going to try this but moved onto discs... often bicycle trials riders for a wet course will apply tar or grind their rims for added braking power. Maybe it's something you'd experiment on with in the winter?


Maybe you've already tried it?

biknbrian

I had a cheap BMX that I used for low speed goofing around, a pseudo trials mix of street and flat-land. The braking surfaces were coated with whatever was on the rest of the rims. I did some patterned work with a dremel sanding tool on the brake surfaces. Didn't take all the paint off, basically just messed it up. It helped with the stop and lock type stuff, but I wouldn't do it on a bike that saw any kind of speed or distance riding.

I also think that on a bike that travels this sort of thing would have to be regularly repeated. I've worn out rims due to the grit and grime of winter riding. I would not help that process along by doing anything like what you describe or what I have done to a bike that has to go somewhere.

Snowman219

Grinding rims creates uneven breaking which leads to endobikitis.

electrik

You experience that yourself or something?

Twonutz

^
And that folks, is the official "Word of the day"!

Closed Office

I just use rim brakes all winter long. I'm not interested in disk brakes, or doing anything to the braking surface of the rims.

Sure wet rims will decrease your braking ability, but I just try to keep that in mind.

I did have a single situation that caused problems. Just once or twice a winter, my wheel rims will get coated with frost overnight. That led to a rather interesting accident. Details in the winter bicycling sig site page.

electrik

It sounds like something they should goto the doctor about.

How long you been at it? Wet rims really suck in traffic plus they're usually pooched after a season or two. Maybe you ride somewhere that people don't open doors or pull out in front of you. In conditions here even 1 meter less stopping distance often means the difference between getting tagged or just giving a dirty look.

Of course the other possibility is you ride like a little girl at 10km/h so slowing down isn't a problem...

Leebo

Its called an endo. From the mt biking types.

pyze-guy

No rim brakes for me. Both my winter bikes are fixed gear, both with a front brake but it doesn't get much use. I destroyed a set of wheels with rim brakes. The salty, gritty road gunk ruined them.

LesterOfPuppets

Tar would be terrible for everyday riding. Grabby brakes are no fun for any riding besides trials.

I have rim brake rims from 1996 that still have a couple of years in 'em. I have some from 2000ish that are still doing fine. I do a LOT of rain rides and have had a few 5000 mile years and can't imagine wasting rims in two years.

I just recently wasted a rim from the '80s. I'm going to get a Sun CR-18 to replace it. $27.00, about the price of a new rotor.

If I find a cheap bike I like that has discs I wouldn't kick it out of bed, though.

electrik

Yes, plus reapplication might make it unfeasible... my rear rims don't last more than two season here before they're seriously concave - and those were old DH rims. Are you throwing in free labour to your calculation? Cheater.

LesterOfPuppets

There's an easy solution to that...

Scheherezade 

Who needs to add grit in the winter? They have trucks that literally dump thousands of pounds of it all over the street.

Fargo Wolf

Problem is, is said grit manages to get all over your chain too.

Closed Office

That's true for the most part. The last time I was looking for a cheap place to rent, the bicycle route to work was important. I am never on high traffic streets in rush hour. My 5 or 6 am start time on the job usually means that I'll only see about 6 vehicles moving on the way in to work on those mornings.

I do have some shifts that start at 9. I am able to go about 10 blocks along residential streets to get to a bike path. It's the scenic route. It adds some time and distance, but it's worth it.

I hadn't even thought of driving in rush hour conditions and I agree brakes would be a lot more important then.

chandltp

I'm just waiting until I use up all my steel rims so I can go to my MTB with aluminium rims in the winter. The steel rims are bad in the dry, and even worse in the wet.

Tundra_Man 

I have steel rims on my old Panasonic that I use for dry-weather commuting. People say that in wet weather steel rims have poor braking, but this just simply isn't true.

In wet weather steel rims have no braking.

My steel rims get beyond scary if I so much as ride through a short patch of dewey grass. Fred Flintstone has better braking in his car. Upgrading my rims on this bike is on my winter project list if I can put the scratch together to do it.

Thankfully my winter bike has alloy rims.

chandltp

After 50 - 100 feet, they tend to try out and the the poor braking performance returns. It only feels like you're not going to stop