Ferrouscious 

I recently acquired a beater bike for a very low price (nearly free). I set it up for myself and it turned out to be pretty decent aside from the steel rims. I have no intention to get alloy rims for it as I don't want to. You cannot convince me to get alloys. I am not selling the bike as I have been looking for a cheap beater for a while and decent beaters that will last the winter (with me) are kinda hard to find. Aside from getting Kool Stop Mountain pads, replacing the cables, and properly adjusting the brakes, how can I improve the braking of the rims in the wet? I have ridden on steel rims before (for years as a chillun), so I am somewhat used to the braking performance. I am thinking of getting some scrap windshield wiper blades and using the rubber as a wiper. How bad will riding through snow be?

pdlamb

Subscribed.

jasnooks

You could try scuffing up the braking surface with some sandpaper.

cyccommute 

Strong like ox.
Smart like streetcar.

Kind of sums it up. Unless you can find some brake pads that are made from the same material as disc brake pads...i.e. sintered metal..., you are unlikely to improve the braking on steel rims. Harder rubber will just make the problem worse and softer rubber won't make the problem better. The steel is simply too hard and smooth for the pad to create enough friction.

You can just live with the limitations or you can be smart like ox and strong like streetcar and just get alloy wheels. They are cheap and work a whole lot better in the wet (than steel rims).

GrainBrain

On the bright side you're not going to lock the wheels up!

79pmooney

Serious question - why run steel rims when there are so many cheap aluminum rimmed wheels out there?

If this is an old 10 speed (early '70s maybe?), seriously consider using Mafac Racer brakes on it, the brakes every single Peugeot UO-8 came with, (Peugeot knew those were the only brake of the day that could remotely slow bikes with chromed steel rims in the rain.) Big, strong hands are a real plus with those big levers and the squeeze you will need in the wet to get anything to happen. And whatever you do, think "plan ahead" every time water gets close to those rims; as in stopping being a gradual process.

I rode a steel rimmed UO-8 around Boston for 6 years. Putting aluminum rims on was a revelation and I haven;t ridden steel rims since. (That was 1973.)

Ben

grahamtillotson

Ha! You are giving me flashbacks to the ole "light-pressure-on-brakes-to-dry-off-rims-ahead-of-big-intersection" days ;-). Some totally random thoughts on this one:

• Are they center pull brakes? If so the cool Jagwire straddle cable carriers might add a bit of pull.
• Gearing? I suppose you could turn it into a fixie and have more stopping power that way.
• Wipers/brushes? You have me intrigued by this idea. Wonder if it would work.
• Use a Cham-Wow.
• Setup a mildly scary add-on disc brake (watched RJ the Bike Guy's video on this but wasn't sold on the stability).
• Rebuild the rear wheel with a bomb-proof Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub and coaster brake.

Would be interested to see if you find a good solution!

Graham

Aubergine 

prathmann

My problems with steel rims in the snow disappeared after a couple winters of almost daily use when rust at the spoke holes caused the nipples to pull through and necessitated replacement by better (i.e. al) ones.

fietsbob

Build, Or have them built for you, wheels around Drum brake hubs.

then you will not be relying on the rim for stopping power.

One of my friends , did this because he liked the look of the chrome plated rims.

I built my wheels because I have liked the drum brake's near zero maintenance needs,

30 years later, Hubs/Shoes, still need nothing.. they now sport my studded tires..






....

Road Fan

I actually think "light-pressure-on-brakes-to-dry-off-rims-ahead-of-big-intersection" is still good advice, but of course it applies for all brake applications in the wet, including emergencies. I've had the same brakes and rims on a particular bike with Salmons and without, and have not found the Salmons to be a lot better than the black brake shoes.

What does work is allowing for the reduced braking. The delay when the handles are squeezed is the brake shoe pressure wiping away the water and enabling clean rubber to press on clean rim, as much as possible. If we can squeegie the rims and shoes this way as we ride, that results in the brakes working as well as they can. We still need to prepare for when we need to brake by anticipating trouble, riding slower, and braking early. Back in my steel rim days I tried wiping periodically with a cloth, and the problem is that the rain wets everything again essentially immediately.

In my aluminum days I've also not found Al to be a lot better than steel, so the same techniques are necessary.

I could imagine some kind of water-channels on the brake track and the brake shoe helping to direct the water away from the brake pressure areas, but I've never seen such a design marketed.

Drum brakes might be an improvement, but I had a drum front brake on a motorcycle again years ago, and it was not a great solution.

Road Fan

I wonder if an electric motor (maximum torque from standstill) is a good idea for riding a bike on a snowy road? Sounds like a hazard of wheelspin.

MikeyMK

I expect the best part of a century was spent working out how to get a steel rim stopped in wet conditions. The closest they came to managing it was by knurling a diamond pattern into the braking surface.

I'm very much the inventor, just last night I made a suspension unit that compresses from 135mm to 85mm, to give my new bike (a tandem I've shortened and fitted LTS rear suspension to) over 5ins of rear travel. So i'm right on board with modifying something of a solution for a problem. But there.. No.

Maybe fit the rear brake of a push scooter to the back of your fork crown, activated by cable to your brake lever - so you have a cam brake direct to the tyre tread...