Disk Brakes
#26
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The leverage ratio (between the brake lever and caliper pads) is much higher in a disc brake system than a rim brake system. This means that the disc pads move less distance over the throw of the lever, but exert greater force on the rotor. This is a simple fact. Do you think I am wrong about that?
WHY do you think that is? Two reasons.
First, it NEEDS to be, because the disc itself has much less leverage over the wheel. The disc caliper MUST exert more force than the rim claliper in order to achieve the same stopping force. Do you disagree with that?
Second, it CAN be designed to have greater leverage over the pads. Take a look at how far your disc brake pads move when you pull your lever all the way. Maybe 0.5 mm? Maybe less? Now look how far your rim brake pads are from your rims. They are much farther away. If your rims brakes had the same leverage over the pads as your disc brakes, you would pull the lever all the way to the bar and never get the pads to hit the rim. Do you disagree with this?
What part exactly do you think I am wrong about?
Think about this: why don't they design rim brake calipers and levers so that the levers have MORE leverage over the pads than they do now? More leverage would make stopping easier, so what don't they do it? The answer to that is the very point I was making.
Last edited by Kapusta; 05-11-20 at 08:09 PM.
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For road bikes I feel that discs are a solution in search of a problem. I'm a big guy and rode in the the Santa Cruz mountains for 30 years and never felt my brakes lacked modulation or stopping power. Occasionally rims overheating could be a concern and I would pull off the road to let them cool. But that was pretty rare. The biggest advantage to discs from my experience is that they don't care what size tire you're running and they're self adjusting. Rim brakes are best up to 28m tires and require much more frequent adjustment for me. I don't like adding complexity to a bike and if I was in the market for a new road bike I would be willing continue going with rim brakes. A cross or mountain bike--yes definitely want discs. The worst brakes I had were cantilevers on a touring and mountain bike--maybe I'm not a good mechanic, but I could never get them tuned so they didn't howl and they provided lousy stopping power.
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@Kapusta , here is what I wrote. Your last post, above this one - which seems to be a reply - has absolutely nothing to do with the following.
Here is what I meant: as long as it is impossible to pull the lever all the way to the handle bar, I think you can develop the same amount of force on the brakes whether the pads are very close to the rims (so don’t need to pull the lever very far), or the pads are just a bit further away (and hence you have to pull the lever is a bit further).
I’m willing to be corrected if I’m wrong...But even if that’s the case, I don’t think there is any advantage in having so little brake lever travel.
I’m willing to be corrected if I’m wrong...But even if that’s the case, I don’t think there is any advantage in having so little brake lever travel.
#29
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Those saying you can't modulate with hydraulic disc, I have never had a problem with mine. I have a Kona Roast with a Shimano XT brake lever, Hope caliper (believe 4 piston), no idea what the rotor is. Never had an issue with not having enough feel for modulation of the brakes. If they are two twitchy, they only using one finger. That's all I have ever used aside from a couple panic stops when riding in Jacksonville FL.
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@Kapusta , here is what I wrote. Your last post, above this one - which seems to be a reply - has absolutely nothing to do with the following.
You even said in your first response to Alo
I’m not sure what this means, but I’m pretty sure it’s wrong.
And by the way, my last post was in response to you saying:
I understand what the two of you are talking about… I just think you’re both wrong
Last edited by Kapusta; 05-11-20 at 08:57 PM.
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You are correct. As I keep repeating, we are not talking about the same thing. We are talking past each other. The difference is that I know we are, so I am not telling you that you are wrong.
You even said in your first response to Alo
I think that says it all.
And by the way, my last post was in response to you saying:
I was simply trying to understand WHAT exactly you think I am wrong about.
You even said in your first response to Alo
I think that says it all.
And by the way, my last post was in response to you saying:
I was simply trying to understand WHAT exactly you think I am wrong about.
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#34
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I saw this thread and wanted to weigh in, not with opinion, but more with my experience and curiosity. I am 200-205lbs been MTB'ing for 30+ years and riding discs for about 18 years. I have been roadbiking for only 4 years however and have never tried a bike with rim brakes (or mechancial shifting for that matter). My road bike has Shimano 9170 brakes and 160mm rotors front and rear.
My rides are typically straight up for 3 miles, then down for 3 miles, two to three times per ride. The decesnts hit grades of 14-17% frequently, lots of speeds in the low 40's. Some of the decents are smooth, no tight turns, etc so you can just open it up the entire way and brake hard at the bottom. Some decents find you in situations where you haul major ass, need to brake hard on a 15% grade (aweful concrete or tight turns in a narrow bike lane), then open it up, then need to dump speed quickly again, over and over. Before I can get to the bottom of those decents my front and rear rotors are nuclear reactor meltdown hot. I don't drag my brakes, I alternate front to back to give the opposing brake a break. There are many times I wish I had my XTR 4-pots and 200mm rotors on my road bike. Which leads me to the curiousity part:
How would a high end rim brake set-up work in this situation? For me I think I found the limits of a 200+ pound rider on tiny brake pads and tiny rotors. Going slower down the hills in question doesn't work to well either because when you are on grades that steep, to go slow you will be dragging you brakes. To reiterate i dont like using brakes going downhill but in some situations i have to, a lot, on really steep hill, for miles.
What do you guys think? My last rim brake setup on my MTB were ceramic coated Bontrager rims and they did really well for what they were.
My rides are typically straight up for 3 miles, then down for 3 miles, two to three times per ride. The decesnts hit grades of 14-17% frequently, lots of speeds in the low 40's. Some of the decents are smooth, no tight turns, etc so you can just open it up the entire way and brake hard at the bottom. Some decents find you in situations where you haul major ass, need to brake hard on a 15% grade (aweful concrete or tight turns in a narrow bike lane), then open it up, then need to dump speed quickly again, over and over. Before I can get to the bottom of those decents my front and rear rotors are nuclear reactor meltdown hot. I don't drag my brakes, I alternate front to back to give the opposing brake a break. There are many times I wish I had my XTR 4-pots and 200mm rotors on my road bike. Which leads me to the curiousity part:
How would a high end rim brake set-up work in this situation? For me I think I found the limits of a 200+ pound rider on tiny brake pads and tiny rotors. Going slower down the hills in question doesn't work to well either because when you are on grades that steep, to go slow you will be dragging you brakes. To reiterate i dont like using brakes going downhill but in some situations i have to, a lot, on really steep hill, for miles.
What do you guys think? My last rim brake setup on my MTB were ceramic coated Bontrager rims and they did really well for what they were.
Last edited by matt92037; 05-11-20 at 09:31 PM.
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#36
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Here is what I meant: as long as it is impossible to pull the lever all the way to the handle bar, I think you can develop the same amount of force on the brakes whether the pads are very close to the rims (so don’t need to pull the lever very far), or the pads are just a bit further away (and hence you have to pull the lever is a bit further).
I’m willing to be corrected if I’m wrong...But even if that’s the case, I don’t think there is any advantage in having so little brake lever travel.
I’m willing to be corrected if I’m wrong...But even if that’s the case, I don’t think there is any advantage in having so little brake lever travel.
What Kapusta was saying is that the same amount of force applied to the brake lever translates to more force on the disc brake pads vs. rim brake pads, by way of greater mechanical advantage (any given amount of lever throw moves the pads of a disc brake a smaller distance compared to rim brakes).
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I think I see where you got it wrong: in your own words, as long as it is impossible to pull the lever all the way to the handle bar, you can develop the same amount of force on the brake lever.
What Kapusta was saying is that the same amount of force applied to the brake lever translates to more force on the disc brake pads vs. rim brake pads, by way of greater mechanical advantage (any given amount of lever throw moves the pads of a disc brake a smaller distance compared to rim brakes).
What Kapusta was saying is that the same amount of force applied to the brake lever translates to more force on the disc brake pads vs. rim brake pads, by way of greater mechanical advantage (any given amount of lever throw moves the pads of a disc brake a smaller distance compared to rim brakes).
See above.
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Yes, as I said, we were not talking about the same thing.
Alo and I WERE talking about disc brakes, explaining the leverage differences between disc and rim calipers. And what I pointed out is completely accurate. It is a fact that the leverage ratios are different, and the reasons for this are the ones I stated.
Your response - which essentially points out that the leverage of a rim caliper does not change when you set the pads further away - is 100% accurate. But has no bearing on the point that Alo or I were making.
Alo and I WERE talking about disc brakes, explaining the leverage differences between disc and rim calipers. And what I pointed out is completely accurate. It is a fact that the leverage ratios are different, and the reasons for this are the ones I stated.
Your response - which essentially points out that the leverage of a rim caliper does not change when you set the pads further away - is 100% accurate. But has no bearing on the point that Alo or I were making.
#43
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Your definition of modulation is correct but it’s not something that I have ever experienced with hydraulics. Hydraulics have always been powerful in my experience but it’s just raw power. Trying to control it in those places where intermediate braking is needed is not easy. Every hydraulic I’ve used has been grabby with control always on the edge of disaster. Mechanical (and rim brakes, for that matter) provide exactly the intermediate control as you describe it.
And then on the other side of the coin are vee brakes which are truly on/off with very little modulation in between. Very powerful yes, but also very dangerous as it's just way too easy to lock up the front wheel.
Hint, look at a rim and rim brake caliper. Look at a hub mounted disc and the caliper. Notice something? They are exactly the same. Same principle and very similar mechanism. They only differ in pad material. That is why hub mounted discs are somewhat better (but only somewhat). A rim brake could be made that is just as effective as a hub mounted disc if we were willing to use steel rim and sintered metal pads.
If the wheels wobble, fix the wobble. Hub mounted rotors can just as easily develop a wobble and rub. Removing the wobble is much harder than taking it out of a rim. Spokes are easier to minor adjustments because it’s just a simple tension adjustment. Rotors require bending that is far less precise.
You also have the distance argument wrong. Rim brakes don’t need to have a huge gap between the rim and the pad. They are often set up with a huge gap between the rim and the pad. Most bikes are adjusted so that the pad doesn’t hit the rim until about the lever has moved about half way to the bar. I don’t care what Sheldon Brown says, that makes for very mushy brakes and what many people experience when they use poorly set up rim brakes.
And here is the reason that many people dislike rim brakes. If the rim brake is set up so that the brake actuates much earlier in the pull, the brakes feel more powerful and the braking feels better. You can detune disc brakes to the same half lever pull and the best hub mounted disc will be the worst brake you have ever used.
I think most levers these days even compensate for travel so that's not a reason either.
A well set up rim brake will exert enough braking force to send a rider over the bars. That’s the limit of braking for bicycle under any brake.
Come to think of it, I've never had a situation where I've been even in danger of going over the bars, but I think that's more to do with my weight. And having bikes with long wheelbases. Very rarely do I even lift the rear tire. But the only brakes I've lifted the rear tire with have been disc brakes. No rim brake has ever had the power available to achieve that. Then again, I've never owned an actual road bike with short travel calipers.
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There are a few reasons that disc brakes are superior. First of all they dont scab up your expensive rims. Disc brake bikes can take advantage of lighter stronger and more aero rims since they dont need a braking surface. Disc brakes are pretty much unaffected by water. Then too there is the fact that disc brakes dont heat up the rim and tire on long fast down hill runs. In a few cases it heats the rim and tire so much, the tire blows off the rim.
And lastly it pretty much makes no difference if you like them or not, it is what the mfg are putting on their bikes, due to economies of scale.
And lastly it pretty much makes no difference if you like them or not, it is what the mfg are putting on their bikes, due to economies of scale.
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Here is what I meant: as long as it is impossible to pull the lever all the way to the handle bar, I think you can develop the same amount of force on the brakes whether the pads are very close to the rims (so don’t need to pull the lever very far), or the pads are just a bit further away (and hence you have to pull the lever is a bit further).
I’m willing to be corrected if I’m wrong...But even if that’s the case, I don’t think there is any advantage in having so little brake lever travel.
I’m willing to be corrected if I’m wrong...But even if that’s the case, I don’t think there is any advantage in having so little brake lever travel.
No, you are not "wrong" in this post. As said in my last post, what you are saying is true, because when you set the pads farther away on a rim setup, you are in fact not changing the mechanical advantage.
However, what what I am failing to see is the relevance of this to the point Alo made is post 12, which (I believe) I clarified in post 15, and then which I once again broke down in post 26..... all of which you are insisting are "wrong".
I've given you ample opportunity to explain where exactly I was in error, but all you've done in response is blame my reading comprehension. Which is a little ironic considering this all started when you said.....
Well, I actually DID understand what it meant, and I tried to explain it to you.
Oh, well.
#46
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AAARRGGHH! Time to stop looking at disc brake threads. The argument is tedious, unnecessary, and seemingly endless.
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so what's the verdict, disc brakes good? Will I flip over the handle bars (endo)?
how about maintenance and adjustments. Fairly easy?
how about maintenance and adjustments. Fairly easy?
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The sad thing is that the OP was not looking for a good/bad discussion, just an explanation, and some folks were trying to do just that. But no matter what, it always turns into a better/worse argument. Heck, I am so used to seeing these arguments that at first I did not realize the OP was sincere.
#49
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You completely missed my point. Like... completely**. And I think you missed Alo's as well.
Are you claiming that you set your rim brake pads as close to your rim as your disc pads to your rotor? Please think hard before you answer this.
**EDIT: A better way to say that would have been "I don't think we are not talking about the same thing". From your response you seem to think my post is weighing in the relative merits of disc brakes vs rim. It is not.
Are you claiming that you set your rim brake pads as close to your rim as your disc pads to your rotor? Please think hard before you answer this.
**EDIT: A better way to say that would have been "I don't think we are not talking about the same thing". From your response you seem to think my post is weighing in the relative merits of disc brakes vs rim. It is not.
Yes, a 26” rotor would require much less clamping force than a 6” rotor.
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#50
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No, I didn’t miss your point. Your and Alo’s point are wrong. I don’t need to set my rim brake pads as close to the wheel as a disc rotor pad needs to be set but the pads generally need to be set closer than most bike shops will set them up initially. The reason is that a rim brake takes less clamping force as you pointed out In
The reason is that higher leverage would reduce the pad travel too much. THis is why canti levers do not work well with v-brakes: too much leverage results in not enough pad travel.
This is exactly the reason that companies messed around with "servo" levers like the old XT v-brake levers. Low leverage in the beginning of the lever pull to close the distance to the rim, then significantly higher leverage at the end where you want it. Some of the Shimano hydro disc setups do the same. EDIT: I see below you point out that even regular levers increase leverage throughout the stroke. This is true, and I would ask: why did they design them that way? But the levers I am talking about do it much more so.
How close you personally set your pads is not the point. The point is that disc and rim brakes are design with vastly different amount of pad travel needed.
A rim is just a rotor. Bicycle can generate enough braking force with rubber pads and calipers that are set further away from the rotor than hub mounted discs can because of the size of that rotor. The maximum braking power is at the point where the bike is just about to rotate the rider around the center of gravity, i.e. doing an endo. Any front brake that is properly adjusted is capable of doing that. Detune a hub mounted disc to the point where it takes half lever travel to get to the point where the pads contact the rotor and see just how bad a hub mounted disc can be.
Last edited by Kapusta; 05-12-20 at 10:17 AM.