Brake Novice - advice ? (Need more power/extensions?)

markyboy944
markyboy944 Posts: 2
in MTB buying advice
Hi Guys - background is, I have a Cuibe aim with stock shimano M395 single pot hydraulic brakes. Due to a medical condition, I don't have much power in my hands, and find braking effectively pretty hard. I was wondering if
a) There are such things as "long" brake levers/extensions which would help me get more power on thje brakes? or
b) Whether I should upgrade the brakes. (I honestly wouldn't know where to stat here .. but aby advice would be helpful. FYI the bike is worth £300 (if that), so I would need to be sensible about buying brake upgrade. Do double pot calipers produce WAY more braking power ? - basically I'm looking for maximum braking for minimum hand "effort" (muscles). Any advice greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards - Mark

Comments

  • steve_sordy
    steve_sordy Posts: 2,443
    edited April 2020
    I suspect that the cheapest guaranteed way to get more braking from little effort would be to fit larger diameter discs. Open a separate thread on that because there is stuff to take into account.

    PS: Are you SURE that your current brakes are working properly? Were they bedded in properly from new, no air in the hose etc.?

    PPS: If the brakes are working well, you should be able to stand the bike on its nose using just one finger. I have let other riders have a go on my bikes from time to time and I soon learned to advise them to go easy on the brakes. If you are not used to good brakes, it can be alarming when you first discover them.
  • Charlie_Croker
    Charlie_Croker Posts: 1,698
    edited April 2020
    Assuming that everything associated with your hydraulic brakes are working optimally, that’s the first thing to check/have checked, I can’t stress this point enough. Bearing in mind, I can lock my wheels (on my trial bike) on tarmac using one finger (single pot). Having said that brakes do seem to vary quite a bit from what I’ve read, but then again I don’t know if they’ve been set up correctly. Anyway, Longer brake levers would be my best guess (and it is a guess without seeing you and the bike) as the way to go. After that, grippier pads might be worth investigating. There readily available for motorcycles, at a price. But I don’t know if they are for bicycles, they do wear out faster of course.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    edited April 2020
    The Shimano Trekking levers (start with model ident T) are designed for 3/4 finger use not the normal MTB 2/1, e.g. https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-xt-t8000-trekking-brake-lever/

    They also do cheaper ones which would be cheaper if you can find one, you may have to special order, these can all be swapped in in place of your current levers.
    Deore https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/deore-t6000/BL-T6000.html
    Alivio https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/alivio-t4000.html

    These are, shall we say, good value
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/312872182694
    Combined with these
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-Front-BRM446-Disc-Brake-Right-Front-MTB-Hybrid-Bike-Brake/302606926012
    And your current rear hose to make the left a rear.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.

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