I have my eye on a used MTB bike that has the rear brake components setup down at the bottom bracket. Are there any advantages/disadvantages to this setup. My concerns would keeping the components clean of debris etc.

Comments??

Thanks.

Is it an old Specialized? The main problem is they are real heavy and a pain to adjust.

those are U-brakes down there. they work pretty well, but it depends on what you will be using the bike for. if its street only, not a problem. if you plan on riding off-road you may have problems with brush getting caught up on the brakes, and if its wet out, the brake will get swallowed in mud.

personally i think chainstay mounted U-brakes look pretty cool, but don't perform well off road bc of the reason listed above. one of my bikes is an '88 trek 850 with brakes mounted in that style, cool lookin'.

Must be a very old bike, some of them are a steal, (and steel!) what type?

[QUOTE=legalize_it]those are U-brakes down there. they work pretty well, but it depends on what you will be using the bike for. if its street only, not a problem. if you plan on riding off-road you may have problems with brush getting caught up on the brakes, and if its wet out, the brake will get swallowed in mud.

The bike is going be used for a daily commuter on paved roads so hopefully this won't be an issue. How about rainy weather, any problems with these brakes?

From the position, I would say: full fenders with mudflaps. The rest of your drivetrain will like it too. And you too.

My specialized Rock Hopper is setup this way, and I like it plenty. No real issues to talk about. I am street only, for the most part. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a bike because of it.

The bike looks to be a few years old, it has been painted so there is no brand name that I can see. Perhaps a closer inspection will yield some clues. It is equipped with Shimmano Deore LX components, Alex DM-24 26 rims. I must say that the bike is very light..not sure what the frame is made of.

Overall it is in decent shape, it could use a paint job, the tires hold air, rear tire needs a bit of trueing, and other minor adjustments.

I think for the asking price of only $39.00 CDN it is a steal...

Yeah, totally get it. Specialized has their name on the bottom bracket and the BB shell. See my site for pix of mine for comparison.

My first bike had the rear brake under the BB. It was not too powerful. The brake was actuated by rods and bell-cranks. The bike was a Hercules. You can see a picture of one like it on p 18 of Nov Bicycling.

My Schwinn has the under-stay U-brake, which was quite fashionable in its day (mid-to-late 1980s). This is essentially an evolutionary deadend, except among some of the BMXers. I have had no significant problems with the setup, and the brakes (SunTour RollerCam in front) are quite satisfactory for my mix of on-road and highly nontechnical dirt trail riding.

One downside is that the under-the-downtube brake cable routing precludes double-cross gear cable routing, in which the gear cables make an X under the downtube.

Thansk to all that replied, I just bought the bike 1/2 an hour ago and will be giving it a tuneup this am, and hopefully give it a good ride this afternoon.

I cannot find any brand name markings in the bike anywhere, for $39.00 not that it matters much. The only thing I wonder what the frame is made of. The bike is very light, did manufacturers make frames from aluminum back in the day? I have a feeling this bike was made back in late 80's to early 90's.

Is there any way to tell what the frame is made from. If I flick the frame tube with my finger it has almost the same sound as my other bike which is made from aluminum.