Poor braking

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

If it is seriously wet try one of these: http://tinyurl.com/n3z23

...d

"Brendan Halpin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Well I guess it depends how well your brakes currently perform but the
roller brakes front and rear on my bike, while not being hugely powerful in
the first place (although I am over 100 kg), show little change due to rain.
Another advantage is that they need very little maintenance.

Paul

In article <[email hidden]>

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

If you want to stick with rim brakes then ceramic rims would probably
help, but hub brakes probably offer a better solution.

In article <[email hidden]>

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

If you want to stick with rim brakes then ceramic rims would probably
help, but hub brakes probably offer a better solution.

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Brendan

They're called disks. Have a look around, you'll see loads.

druidh

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Brendan

They're called disks. Have a look around, you'll see loads.

druidh

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Brendan
--
Brendan Halpin, Department of Sociology, University of Limerick, Ireland
Tel: w +353-61-213147 f +353-61-202569 h +353-61-338562; Room F2-025 x 3147
[email hidden] http://www.ul.ie/sociology/brendan.halpin.html

The best wet braking I have met is on my "spare" station run hack - a
1950's Raleigh three speed with a hub front brake (rods of course, no
cables to snap !). Nice and enclosed, unlike modern disks.

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Brendan
--
Brendan Halpin, Department of Sociology, University of Limerick, Ireland
Tel: w +353-61-213147 f +353-61-202569 h +353-61-338562; Room F2-025 x 3147
[email hidden] http://www.ul.ie/sociology/brendan.halpin.html

The best wet braking I have met is on my "spare" station run hack - a
1950's Raleigh three speed with a hub front brake (rods of course, no
cables to snap !). Nice and enclosed, unlike modern disks.

druidh said:

Brendan Halpin said:

but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Quoted message said:

They're called disks. Have a look around, you'll see loads.

As far as I can tell, no one sells disc brakes with levers for drop
bars.

Brendan
--
Brendan Halpin, Department of Sociology, University of Limerick, Ireland
Tel: w +353-61-213147 f +353-61-202569 h +353-61-338562; Room F2-025 x 3147
[email hidden] http://www.ul.ie/sociology/brendan.halpin.html

druidh said:

Brendan Halpin said:

but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Quoted message said:

They're called disks. Have a look around, you'll see loads.

As far as I can tell, no one sells disc brakes with levers for drop
bars.

Brendan
--
Brendan Halpin, Department of Sociology, University of Limerick, Ireland
Tel: w +353-61-213147 f +353-61-202569 h +353-61-338562; Room F2-025 x 3147
[email hidden] http://www.ul.ie/sociology/brendan.halpin.html

Brendan Halpin said:

druidh said:

Brendan Halpin said:

but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Quoted message said:

They're called disks. Have a look around, you'll see loads.

As far as I can tell, no one sells disc brakes with levers for drop
bars.

Avid mechanical discs with <can't remember> levers. My friend, Keith
The Fireman, has them on his Roberts tandem.

Tim

Brendan Halpin said:

druidh said:

Brendan Halpin said:

but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Quoted message said:

They're called disks. Have a look around, you'll see loads.

As far as I can tell, no one sells disc brakes with levers for drop
bars.

Avid mechanical discs with <can't remember> levers. My friend, Keith
The Fireman, has them on his Roberts tandem.

Tim

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Brendan

Could it just be that the rims are not as clean as they might be? Can
make a big difference and it is interesting that you did not note rim
condition in the summary of your braking system.

Gordon

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Brendan

Could it just be that the rims are not as clean as they might be? Can
make a big difference and it is interesting that you did not note rim
condition in the summary of your braking system.

Gordon

Brendan Halpin said the following on 22/06/2006 08:53:

Quoted message said:

As far as I can tell, no one sells disc brakes with levers for drop
bars.

You can get cable operated discs that work with V-brake levers, and you
can get V-brake levers that work on dropped bars. I know, because I
have them (V-brake levers on dropped bars, that is)

As to whether or not that will actually improve the braking performance
in the wet is another issue, as is whether you can get appropriate forks
for mounting the disc brakes on a road bike. I guess you can.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Brendan Halpin said the following on 22/06/2006 08:53:

Quoted message said:

As far as I can tell, no one sells disc brakes with levers for drop
bars.

You can get cable operated discs that work with V-brake levers, and you
can get V-brake levers that work on dropped bars. I know, because I
have them (V-brake levers on dropped bars, that is)

As to whether or not that will actually improve the braking performance
in the wet is another issue, as is whether you can get appropriate forks
for mounting the disc brakes on a road bike. I guess you can.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

IME V-brakes grip better than cantilever brakes

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

IME V-brakes grip better than cantilever brakes

Brendan Halpin said:

Yesterday it rained on my commute -- strange to say it but it
hadn't rained here for weeks -- and it struck me forcibly how [censored]
my brakes are in the wet. Koolstop salmon pads, cantilever brakes,
all in good order, but the wet-weather stopping power is far less
than I would like.

What options have I to improve the performance?

Brendan
--
Brendan Halpin, Department of Sociology, University of Limerick, Ireland
Tel: w +353-61-213147 f +353-61-202569 h +353-61-338562; Room F2-025 x 3147
[email hidden] http://www.ul.ie/sociology/brendan.halpin.html

Simple stuff first, I suppose:
Unhook the straddle cable, check that the main cable is moving smoothly
from the lever to the yoke for the straddle cable with no binding.
Check that each cantilever arm is free to move smoothly (against the
preassure of the return spring) until the block reaches the rim, with
no binding or stiff spots in the movement. Check that the block meets
the rim squarely.

Check brake pad surfaces are clean, with nothing embeded in them and
not glazed or contaminated.
Check that the entire surface of the block is wearing evenly - if not
your brake blocks may not be square on to your rims - obviously, this
will reduce brakeing power significantly
A gentle rub with a file to expose fresh rubber wouldn't hurt, but no
more than a that.

Check that brakeing surfaces of the rims the rims are clean and
uncontaminated - rub around the surface with a clean cloth and a little
solvent to remove any dirt or oily/greasy stuff that may have built up
there - clean until no more dirt comes away on the cloth.

You need to clean both the pads and the rim surface at the same time -
if there is a problem with contamination, and you only clean one, it'll
recontaminate the other one the next time the brakeis applied.

Finally, AUSHTA:
http://sheldonbrown.com/canti-trad.html
....how to adjust cantilever brakes for best performance.
He also has a good article on the various kinds of
brakes-what-mount-on-frame-bosses here:
http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-adjustment.html

hth,

bookieb.