I keep hearing this “Stopping power” when talking about brake set’s.
Please tell me more. Ihave found out different brakes are a royal PIA when it comes to keeping straight so they don’t rub or close unevenly. Maybe closing unevenly can effect stopping power??
I never really jammed a front brake closed and very rarely have
I done it with a rear brake. When I did… every brake I ever had stopped the wheel as to make it skid.
I feather my brakes and every brake has been the same. You might have to feather a brake a bit less or more but the same none the less. I have had the same brake re-cabled and had to adjust my feathering technique of the brake handle, so really no difference there. What do you mean by “Stopping power” when you say stopping power?
I don’t know much about brakes but when I stoop over to adjust them it can make my back hurt.
Damn I thought she had miss spelled Pooping. I had some good pooping power advice : )
I believe it’s the relation of force on brake levers(the amount you apply) versus the amount being applied to the braking surface by the brakeset. A high braking power would mean lesser effort to brake harder. On some brakesets, you have to trigger down pretty hard for the brakeset to remain clamped down on the braking surface. Some would argue that this is a cable tightness, brake pads and rim braking surface issue more so than the the brakeset but its design does play a part. Obviously this is a bigger concern at high speeds/close contact situations.
Technically I suppose its the maximum amount of deceleration the brake can provide. As noted the rear brake can only take so much before it locks up and you skid, after which further braking power does nothing. The front brake doesn’t have that limitation, it’ll continue to slow until you either stop or go over the bars (or hit an oil patch or ice).
If you want a comparison, I invite you to try a ride on my road bike vs my commuting fixie (which has a front brake). Road bike can brake fast enough to potentially throw over the bars (not that I have, but it can stop at speed fast enough). The commuting bike has a longer stopping distance even at lower speeds, doubt I could endo on that bike if I tried.
Get a Delta Aero brake (I have a Weinmann Delta… supposedly the worst of them all) throw it on the front, and go for a ride. Just make sure your rear brake is able to stop you. (I’m only 1/2 kidding)
You will never wonder what stopping power (or be so thankful for it) means after that.
Maybe I will… i have tried stock q roo brakes , mafac racers, zero G’s , dura ace and Ultegra’s. probably a few others but cant recall. other then the zero g’s being a pain going out of alighnment they have all been about the same.
Danyelle Who are you calling a girl
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I have a single/fixed gear bianchi and it will lock up. I think i put a ultegra front brake on it. it is mostly technique and feathering but it stops just like the TT bike or road bike. Bet i can get your single speed to flip. You close to Jersey? Just got to make sure i land on my right side this time and seperate that clavicle. this way it evens them out :0)
Not anymore, moved across the country last year.
The front brake is the original brake that came with the bike (which is probably as old as I am) with the pads replaced when I got the bike. It has enough stopping power but nothing I’d expect from an ultegra or similar brake. I’d be surprised if it flipped, although I can’t say I’ve ever deliberately tried, actually its the only bike I have (of 4) that I haven’t sailed over the bars of at one point or another.
I think stopping power really comes into play for heavier riders (which I admit I am not).
But to experience stopping power, put a SRAM red caliper on the front of your bike and hook it up with Yokozuna reaction cables. Then shoot down a hill and hit the brakes. Stopping power is why you have to hang your butt way back over the rear wheel to stop yourself going over the bars.
Most modern calipers are capable of producing enough force to easily stop you. There are other variables involved. What is the rim surface made of and getting the right brake pad for that material. Brake pads can be very different too on how well you stop. SwissStop green pads work very well on alloy rims. Some carbon rims don’t stop as well as others and some no matter what the pad stop poorly in the rain. I find Koolstop for carbon rims about the best for stopping but they wear quickly. I can live with the fast wear to be able to stop and I rather have my brake pad wear then my expensive carbon rim.
Also cable housing can be a huge factor here. I use Alligator I-Links since they are compressionless. Some housing will compress enough to make braking weak and you have to use quite a bit of force to compress it before you start to get any braking.