Originally Posted by
dynaryder
They don't take much tweaking at all;less than rim brakes in fact. If your friends' brakes are making that much noise,they prolly don't have them set up right,or are running metallic pads.
Just check with the custodians at your job and see if you can get a green Scotchbrite pad(or part of one).
.....
I realize you're the patron saint of disc brakes, so I'll tread lightly
Of course I'm exaggerating, as far as the frequency/level of noise, but the noise is noticeable during rainy ides on the street, on dew-y early morning trail rides, and on long rides where the discs get hot. I'm pretty sure Avid BB-_'s are the most popular, and I was running BB7s BITD when I was a disc guy (I actually just bought a BB7 to run up front on an upcoming project, but /I digress.) I see that current BB7s come with sintered pads, but I don't know what came stock in years past, nor am I sure what's on the offending squawkers today, but it's worth looking into.
The issue I had with my disc-equipped bike had mostly to do with long trail rides and/or sustained downhills, which led to warped rotors. Warped rotors equals rubbing on the pad, which made a little whisper of a noise all the time and lost efficiency, plus annoying squeals if I was feathering the brakes or applying any low-level of pressure. I could "fix" it by dialing out the pads or cable tension, but that led to sloppy feel at the lever and, or I could try to straighten the rotor and stuff but, in the end, it was a way bigger hassle than v-brakes, which are quiet and plenty strong enough for xc-type riding and JRA/commuting, which is the kind of riding I do anyway.
Rim brakes need what? A pad adjustment from time to time as the pads wear and ride up, plus the wheels need to be pretty true. Fact is, you should keep your wheels fairly true even with hub-brakes, so NBD. As someone whose rim brakes are in-tune and can stop the bike quickly and surely, I fail to see how the added weight/expense/noise/hassle of disc brakes will help me for commutes and casual trail riding....
As for green scotch brite pads: they sell those at every grocery store. No need to pester the custodian...
