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Main
Date: 25 Sep 2007 14:14:48
From: Doug Taylor
Subject: Off-road braking techique/equipment
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Here's a new rbt topic to heat things up and beat to death, now that
jambo v. beam is history.
The cycling club I am in has regular road rides every Wed. eve, and
Sat. and Sun. mornings, from spring through fall each season. I do at
least two a week, sometimes 3 depending.
We have an off-road group which ventures out twice a month +/- in the
spring and summer, and more frequently in the fall (including evenings
with lights).
When riding on the road, the gospel of braking technique is found
here:
http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/9.17.html
and here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html
On the above, all agree. Right?
Off road, we add this to the mix:
"In loose terrain, use more back brake than the front. The front has
less traction because it is being "plowed"."
"Never brake when flying. If you are flying in the air (off a jump,
drop off, ruts), do not touch the front brake. If you land with your
front tire stopped, you can expect a huge endo."
Subject: 2C. Braking,
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/mountain-bikes/
and
"Slippery surfaces. On good, dry pavement, it is generally impossible
to skid the front wheel by braking. On slippery surfaces, however it
is possible to do so. It is nearly impossible to recover from a front
wheel skid, so if there is a high risk of skidding, you're better off
controlling your speed with the rear brake.
Bumpy surfaces. On rough surfaces, your wheels may actually bounce up
into the air. If there is a chance of this, don't use the front brake.
If you apply the front brake while the wheel is airborne, it will top,
and coming down on a stopped front wheel is a Very Bad Thing."
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html
I have two off-road bikes: 1) full suspension with front and rear
disc brakes; 2) fully rigid single speed geared at 32:17, formerly
with front and rear V-brakes.
My single speed was out of commission all last season, due to decrease
in off road riding because of unusually high wet trail conditions.
This season it has been dry as a bone, and off road riding frequency
has been way up, both alone and with the group.
After a few rides on the dualie, I took the single speed out in July,
and having not ridden with the V-brakes for over a year, I immediately
noticed how they noticeably and substantially under perform as opposed
to discs, particularly and especially in terms of modulation. STOP.
This in not the topic under debate in this thread; the superiority of
discs is accepted as fact in the off-road world.
My single speed frame and forks are trusty old school steel with no
disc tabs. So I decided to replace the front forks, wheel and brake
calipers from V-s to disc, and leave the back with V-s, avoiding
having to add some sort of disc mounts to the seat or chain stays, and
finicking with adjustments with the horizontal drop outs.
I figured that front modulation was more important than rear, and
that the stopping power of v-s on the back would suffice when the
terrain demanded a rear brake.
I love the new set up and think I made the right choice.
Took the bike out with the boys over the weekend, and received the
comment that I should have done it the other way around: v-s on
front, disc on rear.
Topic under debate: Who's right and why?
P.S. "It makes no difference inasmuch as discs and V-s are equivalent"
is not an acceptable comment.
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Date: 25 Sep 2007 15:16:54
From: (PeteCresswell)
Subject: Re: Off-road braking techique/equipment
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Per Doug Taylor:
>I figured that front modulation was more important than rear, and
>that the stopping power of v-s on the back would suffice when the
>terrain demanded a rear brake.
>
>I love the new set up and think I made the right choice.
>
>Took the bike out with the boys over the weekend, and received the
>comment that I should have done it the other way around: v-s on
>front, disc on rear.
>
>Topic under debate: Who's right and why?
I'm with you. Modulation is the most important on front - not
only because it's the "heavy lifting" brake, but also because
it's the one with the greatest penalty for washing out.
Dunno about the locking up the rear wheel thing. Maybe it's
different where those guys are riding, but around here it tears
up the trails.
--
PeteCresswell
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Date: 25 Sep 2007 20:37:57
From: M-gineering
Subject: Re: Off-road braking techique/equipment
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Doug Taylor wrote:
> Took the bike out with the boys over the weekend, and received the
> comment that I should have done it the other way around: v-s on
> front, disc on rear.
>
> Topic under debate: Who's right and why?
>
> P.S. "It makes no difference inasmuch as discs and V-s are equivalent"
> is not an acceptable comment.
>
>
>
No point in a rear disk only, unless you want to slide your rearwheel
all the time which tears up the countryside
Frontwheel lockup is often recoverable on the loose
Modulation is pretty important when braking hard or going down a steep
incline
--
/Marten
info(apestaartje)m-gineering(punt)nl
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