EZgears

Anyone remember reading an article about a new kind of break? This was back in the 90's I think. Might have been in popular science or popular mechanics. Someone came up with basically a groove like a pulley that went around the circumference of a rim. In this groove there was a Kevlar cord that went clear around and when you pulled the break lever it tightened the cord in the groove causing friction to stop the bike. It never did catch on but it was supposed to stop a bike very quickly.

Chuck M 

Give me a break. I can't see how a brake like that would be a breakthrough in brake design over the brakes of that era. But it would be interesting to see the article to break it down. But that brake discussion would be a welcome break from the rim brake vs. disc brake debates.

wolfchild

Sounds like a failure and more trouble than it's worth, just like an AWD bicycle.

BlazingPedals

I remember seeing an article about it. It was a kevlar band brake. The big problem was, it required a special rim, one with an extra track for the band. It's not hard to figure why it never caught on.

Ghazmh

Hmm, I’m surprised it didn’t catch. I wonder why the innovations slowed down.

livedarklions

Someone should start an "innovations that flopped" thread. Then we can link it whenever someone posts the "they laughed at the Wright Brothers" cliche.

livedarklions

IKR
A Kevlar brake sounds like such a bulletproof idea.

indyfabz

I see what you did there.

qwaalodge

I've waited all my life for a big break and I give up

cb400bill

Thread title fixed.

Moe Zhoost

Band brakes (and clutches) are hardly innovative. They've been used for various applications since the start of the industrial revolution.

skidder

If it would have been made of Nomex it probably would have spread like a wildfire.

BobbyG

Here's the article:
https://books.google.com/books?id=l3...icycle&f=false

70sSanO

Maybe the publication should have been called Unpopular Science.

John

prj71

Is this a rest break or bike brake?

surveyor6

Probably wouldn't work very well in wet conditions.

wolfchild

Tesla needs to start making self-braking and self-shifting bicycles. All you need to do is just hold the handlebars and pedal ....and the software will decide when to apply the brakes and when to shift your gears.

50PlusCycling

It’s just a larger version of the strap brake found on most shopping bikes in the Asian market. It works like a drum brake, but compresses the drum from the outside instead of expanding brake shoes on the inside. It’s simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

drlogik 

I agree with other posts that the special rim was probably a deterrent. That and I imagine that the Kevlar cord caused a lot of friction, which causes heat, which causes tire pressure fluctuations. The same can be said for rim brakes but they only touch a 2 inch section of the rim. They don't go around the whole rim.

Velogoth

Yup. Came here to say this. I can't post links yet but Saint Sheldon has a page about this design: sheldonbrown.com/band-brakes.html

Ogsarg

"Innovative brake in old magazine."

Maybe if compared with dragging your feet on the ground or having a wood block rub on the tire.

unterhausen

That's interesting, it should be more impervious to weather than a band brake on the outside of the rim. Band brakes are commonly used on exercise bikes and have been for many decades, so it was hardly a ground-breaking innovation in any case.

chaadster

Article posted upthread says it works better in the wet.

livedarklions

Must say, I don't have enough experience with wet straps of kevlar to know if that's credible.

livedarklions

All brakes cause a lot of friction if they're any good, that's the point. Wouldn't spreading all this friction over the entire circumference actually allow for more heat loss due to radiation?