Which Part of the Brake System Makes the Biggest Difference?
 

Basically like the title says.

I currently am running some no-name aero road levers I bought from eBay with some very cheap single pivot tektro brakes hooked together with some $5 cable I got from Walmart and some brand new Kool-Stop Thinline brake pads.

After replacing the pads I noticed a fairly significant increase in braking performance but I'm just not getting that nice snappy/responsive feel that nicer bikes have.


I'm just wondering, what part (or parts) contributes to responsiveness/braking performance the most?

I just can't get over that smooth snappy feel of the brakes of better bikes. (is that weird?:p)

Thanks for any help.

Pads - and Kool Stop Salmon will give very good grip....... Then make sure your brake hardware all goes together. You can have mismatched stuff.

This also assumes you already have aluminum rims, with machined braking surfaces.

Yeah I got the Kool Stops but mine are black. From what I understand, all of the Kool Stop pads use that special formula now, not just the salmon ones.
Regardless, these pads give very good grip but that is not really what I am worried about (sounds silly but I'm riding fixed so by brakes aren't quite as critical)

I dont know what you mean by brake hardware going together unless you mean like shimano/sram sorta which I don't have.

I always though that brakes could go with any levers and any cables.

And yeah my rims are aluminum and are "machined" by use. (as in didn't come like that from the factory)

"I always though that brakes could go with any levers and any cables."

Nope. But if you tell us what you actually have, you might get some more specific advice.

By "any brake with any lever" thing I meant any caliper brake with any caliper-acceptable lever. (in case there was any confusion)

These are my levers.
This brake caliper is very similar to what I have. Mine is very slightly different but virtually the same. (ofcourse mine are for roadbikes, not bmx bikes)

Those levers should be fine with those calipers (note they specify "short pull").

Did you buy long-reach calipers? Did you need them? A problem with long-reach calipers - and a reason the wide-tire crowd has gone to cantis - is that long arms flex. Single pivot design makes the effective arm longer to begin with. With a flexing arm you just don't get the performance and responsiveness that you get from a stiff, short-armed design.

Another thing to look at is glaze on the pads and rims.

If you problem is braking power, look to brake adjustment first, then if that fails completely, swap pads. Only if both of those fail should you think about replacing the brakes. It's mainly about cost.

If the brakes stop you, but feel lousy, than look to your cables. A good smooth cable run using high quality coated cables will make a world of difference.

To tell you the truth, I have no idea if my calipers are long or short reach.

The frame/fork is built for 700c wheels and I am using 700c wheels so I would assume that these brakes are short reach (rather than 27" frame with 700c wheels)
By the way, my calipers came with the bike.

But what is happening for my is not "flex" but rather than the PULL of the brakes feel almost sticky and not smooth. (as apposed to snappy and clean)

actually, no.

The black pads are for all-weather, but the salmons are for wet weather.
This is the difference between all-season radials to stud-less winter radial tires.

the salmons will wear out faster, but provide more grip on dry and wet days.
the black pads will wear out slower and provide good grip on dry days, but for wet days it will be much less effective.


otherwise there's no point in having dual compound pads.

Then I second the comment about cables (and housings).

And glaze.

This is what I am talking about. They stop me, but just feel junky.
My cables are Bell I believe (or something similar) that I bought at Walmart for very cheap. This is probably where the problem is then.

Would oiling the cables help or just gunk them up and make it worse?

I also have some extra Jagwire cable that I could use. Is Jagwire considered quality?

Replace the housing. Housing makes a lot more difference than the inner cable. Yes, Jagwire is good. Follow directions about oiling - some want oil and some don't.

Cool thanks

Replacing the cables can make the lever FEEL better but it won't make the lever effort needed to stop at a given rate any lighter. For that you will want to exchange your single pivot calipers for dual pivot calipers. Tektro makes dual pivot calipers in a wide variety of reach ranges. If you need something more than the modern road racer short reach caliper they have a 556 and 538 long reach in two ranges to choose.

Going with a dual pivot caliper and combined with the salmon color pads will give you the best brakes you can get. Top it off with a switch to a good housing with smooth shape cables and it'll feel as good as it stops.

btw, a good alternative to koolstop salmons are BBB triple compounds.

For me:

1. Housing termination and ferrule capping. If that isn't done right - ALL brakes will feel like and perform like crap!
2. Solid reliable stainless steel cables that don't fray easily nor break easily at the lever ends.
3. Pads that are a tad on the soft side that don't fade too much under heavy use or muck exposure.
4. Even the cheapest calipers and bolts can do a decent job - i.e., if my Campy's failed and I was told to live with some Tektros for a week - I wouldn't exactly have a mental breakdown. I'll live...

=8-)

disconnect your cables from your calipers, operate the levers while pulling on the cable with your other hand. this will show you how much friction is in
the cable/housing system. check for non-square housing ends, burrs, use ferrules, lined housing, slick cables. no sharp bends. dual pivots are less
flexy than single pivots. don't skip on brakes.

What contributes the most? The rider. Or, more specifically, the rider technique. Before you've exhausted your wallet changing the pads, the brakes and the wheels, try changing your braking technique. If you brake from a relatively normal ride position, the highest deceleration you can achieve is around 0.5g before the bike flips you over the bars. If you move your center of gravity down just a little and back you improve the deceleration to around 0.9g. The further back and down you go, the higher the deceleration you can achieve before the bike pivots around the front hub.

How much do you move down and back? Even a few cm in both directions makes a big difference. Generally speaking, if your arms are extended (but not locked) and the rear of the saddle is hitting you about mid-thigh, you'll get close to that 0.9g deceleration.

This technique makes even crappy brakes work better and good brakes fantastic. Dump the cheap HelMart cables, too. Get a nice teflon coated Aztec inner cable and good housing.

And, the grabbiness should improve as they get worn in......