Originally Posted by
noglider
[MENTION=365305]kickstart[/MENTION], those are some good reasons to try drum brakes.
I rode Citibike today and paid attention to the brakes. Citibike is the NYC bike share, a very big program. Most of the bikes have Shimano roller brakes. They can stop very well but you have to squeeze very hard. I have large and strong hands, so it's not a problem for me, but it could be for people with small or weak hands.
That is the down side to roller brakes, they require more effort and hand strength to stop hard. The SA drum brakes offer more power with less effort, but require a little more maintenance, and in theory the brake shoes don't last as long. That said, the 80 year old drum brakes on my Raleigh still have lots of life left in them.