Originally Posted by
Darth Lefty
I've read your post through and I don't actually find where you say why you think he's wrong (that he'd like a rim brake on the front and disk on the rear). But you did insult him twice for it. So why? I really didn't want this thread to turn into another go-round on braking technique or how many gees anyone can pull - because that got dumb last time. It suffices for this discussion that the front brake is probably the most powerful thing on the bike but the rear doesn't need to be. It probably needs to be 1/4 as powerful. And if we agree they don't need to be the same, then which style would you like on which end, and why?
First, I didn't
insult him. I made a statement that he didn't know what he what he was talking about. Big difference. I said he was ignorant, not that he was an ignorant...well look up Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin.
The reason that he is wrong about putting the more powerful brake on the rear is because the rear doesn't provide that much braking power. Granted, the difference between the hub mounted disc and the rim (disc) is small but the hub mounted disc is a little easier to lock up the wheel, especially in slick conditions. If you have a brake that is very touchy, you don't what it to be on the wheel that is easier to skid. A brake that is easier to modulate...hub mounted discs really aren't...is the one that you should put on the wheel that might cause you problem.
Look at JanMM's bike. I'll bet you that he can skid the rear tire in just about any condition. While that may seem like a good thing, a skidding tire does nothing to stop you. A skid can be viewed as a failure of the brakes. You aren't stopping, you are just sliding. Swap the brakes on his bike and I'd suspect that he could squeeze the brakes as much as possible and never skid the rear. He'd stop more quickly without the drama.