wet-weather brakes
 

so here's the problem:
i'm a student and don't wanna spend much money.

but i want my bike to have at least one brake that'll work well when i get snow or rain on my rims. (i've got old-style rim brakes right now, and recently found myself using my shoe on the pavement to help slow myself down on a rainy day)

i'm sure i'm not the only one with this problem. any suggestions regarding cheaply getting my bike set up with a good wet-weather brake? know of any sources for cheap used bikes/wheels/whatever with drum brakes? or discs?

Get the red Kool Stop pads and put those on they work descent enough in wet weather. It is the least expensive way to go.

Can we have a bit more detail please? If you've got cheap chromed rims no brake pad will help you - you'll have to replace the rims. If you've got alloy rims it could just be a matter of setup and technique.

The most important thing to do with braking in wet weather/snow is to clear your rims occasionally by giving them a short squeeze until they just start to grab. Do this before you actually need them. Also, ride a bit slower than you would normally, and start braking much earlier to again ensure that your rims are clear and you're actually slowing down well before you get to the intersection or wherever.

Set your brakes up so they're nice and solid. The end of the lever shouldn't be moving more than 20mm or so before the brakes grab. The last thing you want is squishy brakes - you'll never be able to apply their full potential when you need them. If you don't know how to do it a good bike shop mechanic should be able to do it in about ten minutes ie. cheaply. Be carful when you start using them though - you want your front wheel to skid even less.

On a student/beater bike budget, use decent brake pads. Clean the crap off your rims. Feather the brakes to remove water. Slow down and look ahead. Fit some quality winter tyres if you are running crappy ones .

Drums are consistent in the wet, and dont ice up as much (Q: do they ever ???).
Disks need a beefy fork with special braze-ons. Cheapo MTB disks are underwhelming compared to decent road caliper brakes.

The advice on Kool Stop pads is a very good one. Especially the Salmon pads.

But do you have steel rims or aluminium rims? Steel rims brake well in good weather, but not in rain or snow. If you have steel rims, get aluminium rims ASAP.

One quick and relatively cheap solution would be to buy a used front wheel. If you are in Montréal, visit Bicycletterie J.R. on Rachel Street, as they often have good deals on such wheels.

Regards,

yeah, i've been to bicycletterie JR- nice place.

i'll have to check out the koolstop brake pads...

as for the rims... i highly doubt i have aluminum rims, because the wet-weather braking on my bike is really VERY poor.

The problem i have is not a matter of bad brake setup or technique- i've spent enough time fiddling with my brakes to know when they're set up wrong, i know how to make gradual stops at stoplights and such, but i'd like to have a margin of safety in emergency situations.

Then getting a front wheel with aluminium rims will do a lot to help. Since, as Sheldon puts it, the front brake is the only one you really need under most circumstances, you will have solved your problem.

Regards,