I'm seriously thinking about going back to V-brakes

Anonymous

tri-sexual wrote:

good v brakes can be very good
years ago i did some experiments with different brake types, different bikes freewheeling down a steep hill (on the road)
the bikes were all travelling at the same speed and were all lined up side by side. we all braked at the same point and to the dismay of many whose bike sported very expensive disc brakes, the v brakes out performed most of the other disc brakes and had a much shorter braking distance.

Whilst I won't dispute that well set up Vs can be great, your impromptu experiment has a few flaws. There are too many variables such as rider weight, tyre pressure, material and age, brake setup and condition, and most of all, rider braking skill.

cooldad

chrisga wrote:

At the end of a long rocky descent its nice to still be able to feel my arms!

This.

lesz42

tire grip/surface dictates braking force, i guess V's and discs on ice would appear similar

sm1thson

lesz42 wrote:

tire grip/surface dictates braking force, i guess V's and discs on ice would appear similar

Yep but the rest of the braking system dictates the modulation, been able to control the brake around the maximum braking force is a really important factor in been able to stop it in the shortest distance possible. some brakes are better at this than others (not just down to the type of braking system).

dan shard

I saw a set of hydraulic v brakes for the first time yesterday. fluorescent yellow avid ones.

Andy B

dan shard wrote:

I saw a set of hydraulic v brakes for the first time yesterday. fluorescent yellow avid ones.

You sure they weren't Magura?

dan shard

Andy B wrote:

dan shard wrote:

I saw a set of hydraulic v brakes for the first time yesterday. fluorescent yellow avid ones.

You sure they weren't Magura?

Now that you said it I think they may have been magura...

Anonymous

so, not V-brakes then.

AndyOgy

yeehaamcgee wrote:

so, not V-brakes then.

Absolutely nothing like v-brakes. I did have a set of those Maguras, back in the day. It was the early model, without the brace thing. They were fantastic for stopping power and modulation. I just didn't like the way that they flexed my alu frame.

Anonymous

Maguras were very popular with trials riders for years. But, V-brakes flexed frames too mind, the power if applied in exactly the same way, it's just that maguras had so much more accesible power on tap.

AndyOgy

I recently saw that Chain Reaction are still selling them. I'm half tempted to build up a steel rig and get a set. With the strut brace.

joshtp

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Maguras were very popular with trials riders for years. But, V-brakes flexed frames too mind, the power if applied in exactly the same way, it's just that maguras had so much more accesible power on tap.

were?


Disks are gaining in popularity.... but Magura's are by far the most common and popular trials brake... for Mod certainly.

Anonymous

I have no idea about mod bikes, I'm a dyed in the wool mountain biker.

NatoED

onza frames have hs33 mounts as standard as do diamond back trials frames, so did the pace 250(?) , and pashly 26mhz . the t-bird is the most common trials frame out there which comes with hs33 as standard kit on a built up factory bike

beelzebomb

I think you're perfectly entitled to make whatever choice you want for your bike, you're right, fashion etc does dictate a lot of what we put on our bikes & I remember when V brakes were deemed a revolution as they were replacing the old traditional style of brake.
So you're right, they're not suddenly a bad thing - & I think in the most part they're lighter too.
Generally, bike tech progresses forward satisfactorily, but it doesn't mean what it replaces was crap.
Does mean you can't have slightly buckled wheels anymore though!

chrisga

beelzebomb wrote:

Generally, bike tech progresses forward satisfactorily, but it doesn't mean what it replaces was crap.

I agree with this. Usually mountain bike development year on year is a tweak here and a tweak there, maybe some angles change. Disc brakes however, are in my opinion, one of the if not the best design revolution that happened to mtb'ing. (I have a couple of others too but they are definitely up there!)

TuckerUK

I can absolutely see the justification in not changing well set up Vs to discs, especially on bikes that see fairly mild conditions and/or aren't used on long fast descents, especially when weight and financial penalties are factored in: I've stayed with Vs on my bikes for exactly these reasons.

But discs do offer some major advantages even if braking power and modulation are ignored: The ability to ride through thick gloop and not worry about grinding the wheel rims away on every brake application, the ability to ride safely and effectively on buckled rims, and the ability to run different rim widths on the same bike without needing to adjust the brakes. For those reasons alone I think changing discs to Vs would definitely be a backwards step.

dan shard

Would be interesting to hear what you think of them going back from discs after not using them for a while.
Just out of interest has anyone actually experienced grinding out a set of wheels because of riding through mud etc? I've heard of it happening but it's always been someone that a mate knows, never actually happened to me. I'm assuming it's not an urban myth...

Anonymous

dan shard wrote:

Would be interesting to hear what you think of them going back from discs after not using them for a while.
Just out of interest has anyone actually experienced grinding out a set of wheels because of riding through mud etc? I've heard of it happening but it's always been someone that a mate knows, never actually happened to me. I'm assuming it's not an urban myth...

I have had to replace rims because they got worn through, yes, but they were very old by that point.
Mind you, the rims on my old wolf ridge are now much, much much, older than those ever were, and are fine, because they're disc wheels.

edhornby

dan shard wrote:

Just out of interest has anyone actually experienced grinding out a set of wheels because of riding through mud etc? I've heard of it happening but it's always been someone that a mate knows, never actually happened to me. I'm assuming it's not an urban myth...

my brother, february 2011, Hit the north 2.5, a 2hr race, by the end of it he had no pads on the rear of his bike, I saw it myself (he beat me, I am not ashamed to say it) and the fronts were close to gone as well, quite a few of the cyclo cross riders had no brakes left by the end, rims weren't in a good state either

my disks and pads still have lots of wear left on them

I am now contemplating a way of switching to cable discs on my commuter bike to avoid burning out the rims and pads, no rim wear means better pothole resistance and longer wheel life as a result

butcher of bakersfield

When I moved to discs I was uncertain for quite a while. Tokk me a bit of time to get used to the feel, which I think is very different to Vs. But now I've ridden for a while, I much prefer them for the trails.

For an all-day bike (i.e. trekking, commuting, etc) Vs all the way.

Anonymous

butcher of bakersfield wrote:

For an all-day bike (i.e. trekking, commuting, etc) Vs all the way.

Why is that?

butcher of bakersfield

yeehaamcgee wrote:

butcher of bakersfield wrote:

For an all-day bike (i.e. trekking, commuting, etc) Vs all the way.

Why is that?

Personally. For me. The main reason is maintenance and peace of mind.

Not saying they're better. Just my preference. I sleep easier knowing my brakes can be fixed with a piece if string or shard of scrap metal found by the road side. And the advantages of discs generally aren't needed in those conditions.

Anonymous

I can see the fact they're not needed for commuting, but an all day bike suggest going up and down mountains, and through boggy marshes, no?

I don't buy the less maintenance thing for a second. i used to have to regularly tinker with my Vs, whereas I set my discs up, and that's it, until the pads need changing.

butcher of bakersfield

If I'm riding 'all day' I'm riding easy through boggy marshes, and easy up and down mountains...no need for super power.

As I say, just personal preference. I'm sure most people ride discs and have no problems. But I'd rather regular tinkering than be left stranded.

supersonic

Given that the highest coefficient of friction we see on bikes is (between) slick tyres and tarmac, you have to wonder why discs are not on all road bikes

Anonymous

I've had a blast on my boss' (apparently) very nice, very expensive road bike. Thing went like a rocket, but the brakes were dangerously crap. The amount of effort needed at the lever to bring it to a rapid standstill was frankly disgusting. It definitely could have done with hydros or discs.
However, the contact patch between the tyre and ground was tiny, since the tyres are about the width of a yak's hair. I'm not convinced they have the highest friction coefficient among bicycles.

njee20

Cheap road brakes are very poor, Dura Ace and other top models are excellent, discs would offer very little advantage and would bring disadvantages. Locking up on a road bike isn't a particularly fun experience, the extra power of discs would be wasted!

On rim wear I've killed numerous road and mtb rims, I don't miss that! Pads don't necessarily last longer on discs, but the brakes do keep working when they're worn, rim brakes really don't IME!

tenfoot

My bike has a set of Mavic rims that have been on since new (13 years). I haven't noticed any undue wear on the rims, due to v-brakes, but the bike has only had sustained use in the last year (out three times a week, all conditions, all terrains). Previous to this it only went out once every couple of weeks.

Perhaps I'd better take a look.

beelzebomb

I once tried naively to come to a halt slightly downhill heading towards a busy junction on a road bike in the wet - it was like I hadn't even applied the brakes, I hit a car, went over the bonnet landing on the other side of the road, where a giant lorry screeched to a halt seconds from hitting me.

It was the last time I rode a frankly dangerous machine in the wet & bought a mountain bike. V brakes stop you in the wet, but yes, for me discs are a fantastic advancement stopping the wheel as close to the centre of the spinning force as possible rather than as far away as possible (the rim).

Also allows coloured rims that don't then get stripped of paint after one ride!