Originally Posted by
cyccommute
There are two things you aren’t taking into account. First, as the lever moves toward the bar, the angle of the leverage lessens. If you start braking when the lever is at a low angle, the leverage that can be developed is less.
Secondly, a long lever pull means that more cable has to move and the cable stretches more. It’s a smaller effect but it’s still significant enough to make the brakes feel mushy.
And, again, these effects can easily be demonstrated with a hub mounted mechanical disc. Move the pads away from the rotor and the braking ability suffers significantly. And it does so with far less distance from the rotor.
Thank you for actually addressing my point/explanation. This is what I was expecting when I wrote that "I'm willing to be corrected if I'm wrong."
Your points make sense, but please tell me what you think of the following - I am genuinely curious:
1) I would think that the 'leverage' effect is pretty slight...In fact, maybe it's just my hands, but I feel like I can generate more force when the lever is drawn a bit closer to the bar.
2) I would also suspect that having even an additional cm or two of cable, which is a small % of the total cable run for even a front brake, would also be a relatively minor effect.
The reason I wonder about these issues: I generally feel like I have better control of my rim brakes, and just as much total braking power, when there is a room for more 'lever pull' before they fully lock down on the rims...In other words, I set them up to draw a bit closer to the bar at full force.
Thanks again.