dignandag

going to build up a single speed and it's been a while since i've had single pivot brakes.

i think single pivot look better, but is it silly to consider over dual pivot?

i know dual has better stopping power, but thinking that's only really a factor if racing down a hill, etc. other than that, what are the advantages/disadvantages?

more specific, i'm looking at either dura ace 7400 (single pivot version) or 7700.

thirdgenbird

last time i suggested a good single pivot i got flamed (funny in a subforums where many ride brakeless)

cheap single pivots are close to worthless but a good one like 105-dura ace or almost anything campagnolo has plenty of stopping power. keep in mind single pivots were used in racing for decades. in modern times, campagnolo uses single pivot on the rear, new sram red brakes are single pivot (with a cam), and plenty of boutique brakes used on road bikes are of the single pivot variety.

my personal stable has 3 types of single pivot brakes:
early 90s dia compe- these suck
early 90s campagnolo monoplanar- very functional with modern pads
2000s era campagnolo record rear- will easily lock the rear wheel like any modern dual pivot

in short, dont be afraid of single pivots but if you do decide to go this route pick a quality set and make sure the pads are not dried out or sub par.

TMonk

brakes: none

DUH!

TMonk

srsly tho i agree with thirdgen that most modern, non-cheapo single pivot brakes have plenty of stopping power for road applications.
if u can drop the coin dura ace 7800 (used ebay?) r the best imo.

dignandag

thanks for the info...i was thinking a good set like the 7400s would have plenty of stopping power, but just wanted to confirm since the last single set i rode were 105s back in the early 90's.

Spoonrobot 

I'd choose dual-pivot just for the ease of centering. Single-pivot centering is something I would like to never ever do again. Even with the right tools.

Lots of people still ride single-pivot bikes, just because something is better doesn't mean the original thing isn't any good anymore.

hairnet

it depends on the brake. Some are pretty easy to center (good high end ones) while others take three tools and some curse words (cheapo)

JohnDThompson 

Single-pivot brakes were standard issue equipment on pro-quality bikes for decades.

thirdgenbird

all my single pivots have no centering issues. just use a good serrated washer, hold the brake with a cone wrench, and tighten it down properly. it doesnt take any longer than a dual pivot.

AEO

and then they were all replaced by dual pivots, so there must have been some measurable improvement.

then again, campy still offers single pivot for the rear for weight savings, claiming the amount of power of a dual pivot is not necessary for the rear.

IMO, that's true. There's really no need to have a strong brake on the rear, unless you're on a tandem or xtra.

hairnet

Single pivots also aren't as affected by how true a wheel is because they move with the rim while dual pivots do not. I'd say that's good on the rear if the front is dual pivot

Kayce

Threaded headsets where the pro standard for decades. So were caliper brakes for downhill mountain biking, 5 speed freewheels, etc.

People using something over 20 years ago is not a good standard to judge if it is good or not.

thirdgenbird

40+ years of service in professional racing down mountain roads by some of the sports bests athletes leads me to believe they are "good enough" for a single speed. they are not the newest or best technology, but neither is anything else i own.

prathmann

My bikes have a mix of dual and single pivot brakes and I don't see that it makes a big difference either way. I notice much more difference in stopping power depending on what brake shoes I'm using than whether the brake has one or two pivots (mine are all 105/600/Ultegra level). The dual pivot brakes seem to stay in adjustment a little longer and have a bit more stopping power, the single pivots aren't as fussy about the rim being in true.

4rcticFlowers

I recently switched from a single-pivot to a dual-pivot brake. I can't say I had much trouble keeping the single-pivot centered, but I'm really pleased with the improved performance of the dual-pivot. Definitely worth the switch. My two cents.

chenghiz

This. And no, it wasn't the brake pads - I had kool stop salmons on both.

I'm not sure why you'd go single-pivot unless you were going for C&V cred.

JohnDThompson 

There were several decades of overlap. Dual-pivot brakes first appeared in the early 60s, on low-end bikes. It wasn't until the 90s that they started showing up on better bikes. Yes, they may have more stopping power than a single pivot, but if you can lock up the wheel with a single pivot, more stopping power isn't going to get you any better performance.

EpicSchwinn

Hahaha, I remember that thread where you got flamed 3gbird, I think buck for buck you're going to get more stopping power from a dual pivot. I prefer dual because they're easier for me to center and if you can't spend a lot of money, a cheap dual will get you more power. That's not saying that the super high end singles aren't darn good brakes - it's just that you can get that stopping power cheaper elsewhere.

All in all, the decision is clear. Delta brakes.

Six jours

Single pivots work. Dual pivots work better. I still use both and have no complaints. With the single pivots I just squeeze a little harder.

thirdgenbird

Yeah, who would have thought adding a brake to a fixed gear bike was so unsafe. I think some of the people supporting dual pivots were also riding brakeless... if modern tech was the only way to go this would be electronic/11spd not fg/ss.

Xgecko

Some things to think about.....Single pivots like non machined sidewalls have been around for decades. Dual pivots have more leverage and much like the difference between Canti's and V brakes on a MTB its really a question of what you are used to and what you you can get used to

LesterOfPuppets

I have single pivots on one roadie, dual on the other. Haven't died on either one yet. Tons more miles on the single pivot rig. Sometimes I think about swapping some bolts around and rigging up two dual front/single rear sets.

Not a whole lot of caliper use in DH MTBing. Back in the day coaster rear only or drum front/coaster rear was somewhat common - mostly single speed rigs. By the time 5-speed freewheels got in there, dual drum brake setups were fairly typical.

They started welding on cantilever bosses not to long after that. And there were little bit of rollercam/U-brake boss frames as well, those were pretty much done by 1990, though.

Calipers were mostly only on really cheap-o dept. store MTBs in the 80s and 90s.

BTW, first use of a disc brake on a MTB was in 1975.

dookie

ha! talk about stopping power.

if 2 > 1 (pivots) power-wise, my last gen 5-pivot deltas should be rim crushers, no? well, not so much...

(that's the magura hydro-stops!)

onegear

centering a single pivot shimano 105 is very easy even one handed! using just a 14mm cone wrench,
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=118638134932905&notif_t=video_processed

Retro Grouch 

Yeah, but dual pivots will stay centered.