Questions tagged [brakes]
Disc/rim/drum/coaster brakes; braking technique, maintaining brakes, anything else about stopping a bike.
1,234
questions
31
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6
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Direct Pull (V-Brake) vs. Center Pull Cantilevers (pros and cons)
I am looking around for an old mountain bike to ride this winter (and this summer when it is wet).
I was just browsing around and was curious what the difference was between
Direct pull brakes:
...
- 8,576
27
votes
10
answers
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Is having your hands "on the hoods" of drop handlebars safe for braking?
I've never had a bike with drop handlebars, but may get one for commuting in busy London (likely a single-speed with mechanical disc brakes).
This would mean riding with my hands mostly on the hoods, ...
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27
votes
2
answers
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Are Penny-Farthings Legal to Ride on Public Roads (UK)
Are Penny-Farthings legal to ride on public roads in the UK?
Note: For laws regarding riding Penny-Farthings on public roads in other countries-ie "US" or "EU"- please start a new ...
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26
votes
12
answers
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What type of brakes is least subject to failure in the winter?
There is a lot of snow in the winter where I live. Different kinds of snow; soft, sticky, wet, etc. And ice too. It can get pretty cold: -25 °C (-15 °F). We drop salt, sand and gravel on our roads.
I'...
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26
votes
1
answer
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What is the difference between different types of disc brake pads
I've seen several different descriptors for disc brake pads: Metallic, Semi-Metallic, and Organic. What is the difference between these types of disc brake pads?
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25
votes
2
answers
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What does "modulate" mean when referring to brakes?
Often in a review of brakes, or an article talking about braking the author will use the term "modulate." E.g. "The brake modulates well" or "Modulate your front brake."
What exactly does this term ...
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25
votes
3
answers
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How do I stop my rim brakes making a squeaking/squealing sound?
I bought a Schwinn Frontier Sport few months ago and started riding happily. After a few weeks my front rim brakes started creaking. It's so annoying in public places. My rear brake doesn't produce ...
- 353
25
votes
3
answers
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How do I prevent disk brakes from squeaking in the rain?
When I got my new bike with disk brakes, I thought that they would perform much better in the rain. While this is true, they still squeak quite loud in wet conditions, which is quite annoying. Is ...
- 2,075
24
votes
8
answers
71k
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6-bolt vs centre-lock: pros and cons?
I am having a new set of wheels built, and am trying to decide on whether to go with 6-bolt or centre-lock rotor interface.
What are the pros and cons of the two systems?
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24
votes
6
answers
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What kinds of brake designs exist, and what are their general pros and cons?
Here are the ones I'm aware of:
Center Pull Cantilever
Slightly better braking than side pull brakes.
No recentering problem.
Relatively rare
V-Brakes
Cheap to produce.
Similar in braking power to ...
24
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Lessons from downhill crash
I was taking my usual morning ride before dawn on an 'adventure' road bike. It is a very steep hill with bends (Ditchling Beacon, East Sussex, England). I was descending and noticed (too late) some ...
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22
votes
4
answers
39k
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How to tighten a brake?
This is probably a really basic question but I'm confused by the whole brake mechanism so...
My left (front wheel) brake has to be pulled in really far before it actually starts to brake (I guess ...
- 323
22
votes
5
answers
103k
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How often should hydraulic disk brakes need bleeding?
The brake handles for my disk brakes became very loose four months after I bought the bike. The bike shop bled the brakes and put new oil in them, which sorted it.
They're feeling a bit loose again (...
- 579
21
votes
8
answers
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Why aren't hub/drum/roller brakes suitable for touring?
I've got a Dutch town bike with Shimano IM80 roller brakes. They're brilliant. Maintenance free, clean, and effective.
I've been looking at getting a long range touring bike for an initial 3 month ...
- 441
21
votes
8
answers
63k
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Why do my disc brakes squeal when wet?
Picture the scene... It's just been raining and you are getting ready to commute home after work, you cycle out on to the tarmac, the scent of fresh rain on hot tarmac fills your nostrils, you notice ...
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