The Ultimate Brakeless/Front/Rear/How many brakes? thread

I can lock the front wheel before the back wheel lifts off the ground

Are you riding a recumbent?

Just wondering if anyone else read this BikeRumour article about disc brakes being unsuitable for road riding and trying to kill you if you use them downhill for any period of time?

http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/02/14/road-bike-disc-brakes-are-coming-but-will-they-work/

Seems to fit here quite well.

the article is from februray 2012

Also the choice of component were unsuitable.

Braking was handled by a **First Gen TRP Paradox **clamping on Ashima’s new and ridiculously light Ai2 rotors...
The Ashima rotors are about as minimalist as you can get. In other words, they’re perfect for ‘cross where speeds are low and braking is rarely a life or death matter.

http://www.bikerumor.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/disc-brakes-on-road-bikes-crash3-600x398.jpg

Yesterday while riding the south circular I saw a geared brakeless bike, foot jamming!

He was riding past the trffic faster than I was with my disc brake equipped bike!

Geared... as in freewheel/cassette kinda thing and no brakes?

#likeabossanidiot #brakesaredeath

Yup, looked like down tube shifters on an 80's steal frame. No levers on the bars anyway.

That's fucking scary.

Any suggestions for decent cross lever brake and caliper set up? Will run just front but pairs not a massive problem. Cheap if poss. Thanks and sorry if wrong thread.

Any suggestions for decent cross lever brake and caliper set up? Will run just front but pairs not a massive problem. Cheap if poss. Thanks and sorry if wrong thread.

I believe you are looking at the Tektro RL721 - £15-20 for a pair, you'll obviously sacrifice the 'hoods' position if you are riding with drop bars. On one of my fixies I've taken the ghost lever apart to stop rattle and just have the front brake connected.

Make sure you get the right clamp size.

If you have flat bars, then you can look at the Shimano R550 which is about £15 and I have them on a pair of flat bars, they work great.

Thanks a lot

**Numberwang 1x01 - YouTube

This many.
**

Is the shimano caliper stuff you find on every online shop about 'Must be used in conjunction with #insert shimano levers# for correct leverage ratio' bollox or not? Will they work fine with any old cross lever?

It's true, but the difference is only about 7%. If you use old-style levers with new-style calipers, you get slightly longer lever travel.

Ok thanks

Can anybody recommend a front brake with very short reach? I've built up my new bike and just transferred the brake over from my old bike to find that the brake pads are half on the braking surface and half on the rim. I think I'd need something with a minimum of roughly 30mm reach.

I was looking at something like the Sram Rival, thoughts?

Nothing is as short as 30mm, DiaCompe AGC-300 are the go-to stupidly short reach brakes at 37mm minimum, but they won't slow you down.

Today I witnessed someone riding towards Elephant and Castle roundabout looking rather worried. Single speed, no fucking brakes!

Single speed and no brakes... It's been done. Mind you it's only been done by idiots, but it's definitely been done.

how does it work?

How about like this
http://sheldonbrown.com/coaster-brakes.html

"Today I witnessed someone riding towards Elephant and Castle roundabout looking rather worried. Single speed, no fucking brakes!"

"Single speed and no brakes... It's been done. Mind you it's only been done by idiots, but it's definitely been done."

"How does it work?"

...in short, it it doesn't. And yes, you'll find a few "cool" videos" on youtube supposedly demonstrating how it's done. Do a combined search including the word cunt, and you won't miss a thing.

If you really want to know how it's done, watch this. If you aren't this good, get some brakes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxynRUqI_6g

If you really want to know how it's done, watch this. If you aren't this good, get some brakes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxynRUqI_6g

why does he needs brakes? he isn't going anywhere, he needs brakes as much as he needs a saddle :)

Object rides a brakeless BMX and he seems fine to me.