BlazingPedals

Which are faster -- red disc brakes or red caliper brakes?

coastalrider

You all have it wrong. Pedal brakes are the way to go!! Just back pedal and whoa you can leave a wicked cool skid mark in the road!

I actually went from 10 yo Dur Ace brakes to Avid BB7 on my new brake. Yes the new brakes are better. How much better, don't know. Do I feel safer in wet weather yes. Will it keep me from crashing or make me more Happy? TBD Never crashed (knocking on head) before

big john

There was actually a 5 race series here called the "Coaster Brake Challenge". It was off-road and you could run any bike, as long as the only brake was a coaster brake.
A friend of mine did it 2 years, said it was fun and challenging. One of the mtb magazines sent a guy to one of the races.

BlazingPedals

Interesting. There's a hill on Mackinaw Island which is marked, "No Coaster Brakes." It's some ungodly grade. As I was climbing it on my upright, a horse and cart were going down. The horse basically had its feet out in front and was skidding slowly down the hill. I didn't make it to the top, at least not on the bike. I stripped the freewheel off the hub trying, though. One more reason to like cassettes.

70sSanO

I totally agree with this statement. But I can't speak with much personal experience since my road bikes are from the 80's and my mountain bikes are from the 90's, and like some of the others I don't use clipless (never have) and still run clips and straps (semi-rigid shoes w/o cleats) and just replaced my Simplex retro-friction with 7 speed DA index downtube shifters. I run platforms on my mountain bikes, which have v and cantilever brakes.

I am very content with everything except I don't like to have to replace a rim because of brake wear. This is obviously more prevalent with mountain bikes, but road bike rims wear. Even my old MA-40's are showing signs, although the anodizing is so stinking hard that you sacrifice braking for longevity.

For me that is the primary reason I see everything going to disc brakes. Being able to build a single great (expensive?) wheelset that just needs to be maintained and will not wear out is worth it.

John

70sSanO

One more thing I would like to add...

I really do like friction shifting and in my younger years I could hit it everytime. In more recent times I have found myself missing the shift when going down and up where there is an underpass. Since I pre-shift before coming up the other side, I don't know the engagement because there is no load on the pedals (I don't want to have to back pedal each time) and I just don't want to be off and have the chain jump if I get out of the saddle. It also seems to be a little tougher to hit everything perfect after I installed a Sachs freewheel. I do have to admit that I am enjoying index shifting on my road bike for the first time since it was introduced 30 years ago.

As far as friction, Simplex shifters are great, but I actually prefer the old cheap Shimano L-422 spring loaded shifters. I modded some to work on my down tube bosses and removed the ratcheting ring and they were lights out for me.

John

OldsCOOL

I'm an hour from the ferry docks and never been there for the tourists view (Sr Prom, only) but when I do, you can bet I'll look for that hill just to watch the horses.

Biker395 

Well ... here is something you can't do with calipers:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/174233...ca52b6a9b71f6a

sqgator

I have disc brakes on all of my four bikes because they work wonder. Honestly, I can't imagine not having them.

BlazingPedals

I'd say discs are the new recumbents. Of those who have tried them, some love 'em, some see no point. Of those who haven't tried them, same thing. Not much middle ground.

rydabent

For the posters here that hate disc brakes---------------brace yourselves. It pretty much looks like you are peeing into the wind. Just look at ads for new wheels and bikes, most of them feature disc brakes.

Look at it this way-----------people did get over wooden rims.

cale

Haha. Recumbents... Haha

Retro Grouch 

Good point! You'll get no argument from me.

DBrown9383

I am new here and already considering a second bike (upgrade over my cheap entry level hybrid). I have read this entire thread and don't want disc brakes OR rim brakes for fear of upsetting people. Can I retro fit a coaster brake onto my new carbon quick so everyone is happy? Oh wait, I live in northern MI. No coaster brakes allowed on Mackinaw Island.. Dang

OldsCOOL

Get a fixie. Your legs are the brakes. That's what my son did.

cale

Allowed on Mackinaw Island?

CliffordK

???? Proper technique to fall? I thought the idea was to disconnect one's feet and NOT FALL.

One of the issues is traction of the tires which also decrease when wet, perhaps more than the decrease in the (theoretical) gripping power of the brakes. So, unless one has super-grippy tires, it may not make much of an overall difference.

OldsCOOL

Good question. It's worth a phone call.

Sixty Fiver

My recumbent has V brakes and stops fast enough to give you whiplash as does my XC mountain bike... XT dual pivot brakes with Kool Stops is more braking power than my 145 pound butt requires.

My Kona downhill bike has discs, it also stops on a dime and gives back a nickel change.

I tour with cantis and V brakes and ride cantis and V brakes all winter long.

My road bike has Ti centre pulls... it stops in a hurry and I can lock it up at any speed.

Upside to hub brakes of all kinds is reduced rim wear and consistent all weather performance, swapping the disc pads on my Kona cost less than replacing my V brakes on my XC bike.

Disc brakes are also very easy to service, after the initial set up and bleeding hydros are the easiest brake system to dial in.

md11mx

And steel rims with teeth ruled with gum amber covers on the dymo wheel? I lusted for that set up!
Cheers,
David in Alaska
P.S. We didn't use lights on our bikes as kids. It didn't get dark till 2 A.M.

DBrown9383

What ever happened to elliptical front sprockets?.. Just curious.. Also I went down a pretty long steep hill today and my V brakes worked awesome. I think disc brakes look "cool" but I don't think I need them for the riding I do. Don't they weigh quite a bit more than rim brakes as well?

qcpmsame 

Do some google work, there are several elliptical sprocket companies out. Rotor, and some others, are used by the pros in competition. Shimano's old Bio Pace rings are even sought after by the C&V guys sometimes. Not for everyone, they give a different feeling to the pedal stroke and the front derailleur has to be set up carefully, too.

Bill

Randy Bosma

Yes. Bicycles are handled on all the ferries -- for an extra charge. I took my road bike to the island last summer, and made it all the way 'round in 1/3 the time of every one else. Riding through town requires total focus (peds, horses, and road apples). There are quite an array of interior roads with hills to challenge any flatlander.

big john

As the technology developes the weight of a disc equipped bike will come down more. I don't know what the difference can be now, but disc wheels can use a lighter rim with no brake track. People say the fork needs to be stronger but I don't really know about all that. I do know that the UCI has made an anouncement that discs will be legal in the pro peloton for at least one race, I think next season. This will be interesting.
I think the pro-tour bikes will still easily make minimum weight, even with the discs, which is around 15 pounds.

BlazingPedals

Just on that one hill. Everywhere else, you're golden. Nobody has discussed drum brakes?