Originally Posted by
Oldairhead
I have Shimano XT U-brakes on my 1985 Rockhopper. They occupy a unique place in my heart as the worst brakes ever! From the bad mounting location under the BB to requiring a giant almost motorcycle sized brake lever to get enough leverage to actually stop, they set the low bar for brakes. On the plus side, the crappy performance of U-brakes spurred the development of far superior V-brakes!
Counterpoint:
I love the brakes on my Schwinn; RollerCam up front, U-brake under the chainstay, and those 4-finger motorcycle-style brake levers, which I can operate from two different hand positions. Control and modulation are easy, and braking power is more than adequate with KoolStops, the only brake pads worth owning. I tried Shimano brake pads on my Bianchi road bike because they looked nice, but they rendered the Campag. sidepulls even less effective. (Those get my vote for the worst brakes ever.) I restored my love of the Bianchi with Shimano dual-pivot sidepulls.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069