disk brakes?

Fleaman said:

I have a Trek 4500, and I like it alot, it isn't the greatest bike
but I dont want to buy a new one. I need some more stopping power and
was hoping to upgrade my brakes to disks. I was wondering what I
would need, I know that disks, calipers,levers and hoses are needed,
but how do I attach them to my bike. Are most brands the same or do
some have better performance. Cost is an issue too, I will probably
buy used components off of ebay or something. Do any of you have
some insight on this subject?

There's no reason why V-brakes shouldn't provide you with plenty of
"stopping power".

Bill "fix what ya got" S.

Quoted message said:

Subject: disk brakes?
From: "Fleaman" [email hidden]
Date: 6/5/2004 7:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id: <hWswc.24674$jl6.4192@edtnps89>

I have a Trek 4500, and I like it alot, it isn't the greatest bike but I
dont want to buy a new one. I need some more stopping power and was hoping
to upgrade my brakes to disks. I was wondering what I would need, I know
that disks, calipers,levers and hoses are needed, but how do I attach them
to my bike. Are most brands the same or do some have better performance.
Cost is an issue too, I will probably buy used components off of ebay or
something. Do any of you have some insight on this subject?

Thanks in advance.

Jason

I'm not familair with Trek models, so I'm not sure if your model comes with
disc tabs or not, but that's the first thing you need. The tabs are where you
attach the brakes to your bikes frame in the rear and fork on the front. Next
you'll need disc compatible wheels and hubs. Then of course all of the
components you mentioned.

I have ridden Avid V and disc brakes, and Magura hydraulic disc brakes, and
both the Avid Disc and V brakes are my choice bar none. I had the Avid
mechanical discs on my Giant Rainier, and they were unstopable. Repeated
stream crossings and East Coast mud never phased them one bit. The power they
delivered was phenomenal. I recently bought myself a brand new Giant NRS model,
equipped with Avid V brakes. I did so because I've always wanted a NRS, but
coudlnt afford the models that came equipped with disc brakes. When set up by
a good mechanic, in my opinion, the Avid Speed Dial 5's that I have on the NRS
are quite strong, and do not fade during water crossings or mud runs. Either
way, with Avid brakes, in my opinion, you can't lose.

"Fleaman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:hWswc.24674$jl6.4192@edtnps89...

Quoted message said:

I have a Trek 4500, and I like it alot, it isn't the greatest bike but I
dont want to buy a new one. I need some more stopping power and was hoping
to upgrade my brakes to disks. I was wondering what I would need, I know
that disks, calipers,levers and hoses are needed, but how do I attach them
to my bike. Are most brands the same or do some have better performance.
Cost is an issue too, I will probably buy used components off of ebay or
something. Do any of you have some insight on this subject?

Thanks in advance.

Jason

If you have disc tabs on frame and fork, and an ISO 6 bolt mount on the
hubs, you
can use mechanical discs (which are cheap and effective) with your existing
V levers (should you have integrated gear shifter/brake levers). If you
don't then
it's more arseache than it's worth really. Get good V brake pads, set them
up well
on arrow straight rims and and have done with it.

I use a Hayes mechanical disc with an XT lever and it works well. I run a V
on the
back as my Zaskar predates frame mounts but the mechanical disc feels
similar at
the lever, whereas a combination of hydraulic and a V brake feels rather
odd.

Andy Chequer

" S o r n i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Fleaman said:

I have a Trek 4500, and I like it alot, it isn't the greatest bike
but I dont want to buy a new one. I need some more stopping power and
was hoping to upgrade my brakes to disks. I was wondering what I
would need, I know that disks, calipers,levers and hoses are needed,
but how do I attach them to my bike. Are most brands the same or do
some have better performance. Cost is an issue too, I will probably
buy used components off of ebay or something. Do any of you have
some insight on this subject?

There's no reason why V-brakes shouldn't provide you with plenty of
"stopping power".

Bill "fix what ya got" S.

Just wondering maybe if aftermarket pads would make much of a difference, I
am 230 lbs, so I need all the slowing I can!

Quoted message said:

Fleaman said:

" S o r n i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Fleaman said:

I have a Trek 4500, and I like it alot, it isn't the greatest bike
but I dont want to buy a new one. I need some more stopping power

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

There's no reason why V-brakes shouldn't provide you with plenty of
"stopping power".

Bill "fix what ya got" S.

Just wondering maybe if aftermarket pads would make much of a
difference, I am 230 lbs, so I need all the slowing I can!

Worth a try. Buy some Kool-stops (salmon color if can find; black OK too).

More important is adjustment, IME. Make sure the pads are fairly close to
the rims, so that the levers engage easily and quickly. You don't want to
be squeezing the bejeezus out of 'em and still getting wheel rotation.

I'd advise re-cabling (with new housings or at least some lube dribbled in
old ones) and lubing of brake pivots -- have a friend or shop do it if
necessary.

Bill "brakes just slow you down anyway" S.

" S o r n i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Worth a try. Buy some Kool-stops (salmon color if can find; black OK too).

I had serious squeel with the salmon Kool-stops, and I've seen many other
complaints too. It was a long time ago, but IIRC, even when I adjusted the
squeel out, it would come back pretty soon. Going back to black was the
only cure I could find.

Oh, and to the OP: V-brakes are OK, and possibly yours could be tuned to
give you the performance you want, but disk brakes are better.

"Andy Chequer" <andy@(youdontwantthisbitinit)thisisasparagus.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

whereas a combination of hydraulic and a V brake feels rather odd.

I never thought so. I've had bikes set up that way for almost 5 years.
The front and rear brake respond much differently anyway, even if they're
exactly the same type.

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

Quoted message said:

" S o r n i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Worth a try. Buy some Kool-stops (salmon color if can find; black OK

too).

Quoted message said:

I had serious squeel with the salmon Kool-stops, and I've seen many other
complaints too. It was a long time ago, but IIRC, even when I adjusted the
squeel out, it would come back pretty soon. Going back to black was the
only cure I could find.

A very fine emory cloth works great, to keep the rim surface nice and clean,
and to remove any glazing of the pads. Put a piece facing the rim, under the
pad. Lightly squeeze the brake, and rotate the wheel. For the pad, put a
piece large enough to move the wheel in a sawing motion.

Quoted message said:

Oh, and to the OP: V-brakes are OK, and possibly yours could be tuned to
give you the performance you want, but disk brakes are better.

T'is true.

"mojo deluxe" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

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

Quoted message said:

" S o r n i" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Worth a try. Buy some Kool-stops (salmon color if can find; black OK

too).

Quoted message said:

I had serious squeel with the salmon Kool-stops, and I've seen many other
complaints too. It was a long time ago, but IIRC, even when I adjusted the
squeel out, it would come back pretty soon. Going back to black was the
only cure I could find.

A very fine emory cloth works great, to keep the rim surface nice and clean,
and to remove any glazing of the pads. Put a piece facing the rim, under the
pad. Lightly squeeze the brake, and rotate the wheel. For the pad, put a
piece large enough to move the wheel in a sawing motion.

I scrubbed the rims, but not the pads. Changed the angles. But the only long term
cure for the squeel I found was just going back to black pads. Likely Kool Stops,
but it was so long ago, I don't remember.

"Fleaman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:hWswc.24674$jl6.4192@edtnps89...

Quoted message said:

I have a Trek 4500, and I like it alot, it isn't the greatest bike but I
dont want to buy a new one. I need some more stopping power and was hoping
to upgrade my brakes to disks. I was wondering what I would need, I know
that disks, calipers,levers and hoses are needed, but how do I attach them
to my bike. Are most brands the same or do some have better performance.
Cost is an issue too, I will probably buy used components off of ebay or
something. Do any of you have some insight on this subject?

Thanks in advance.

Jason

You also need wheels with disk hubs. I don't think that it's worth the $.

--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

I've spent most of my money on mountain biking and windsurfing.
The rest I've just wasted.

On 2004-06-06, D T W .../\... penned:

Quoted message said:

"Fleaman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:hWswc.24674$jl6.4192@edtnps89...

Quoted message said:

I have a Trek 4500, and I like it alot, it isn't the greatest bike
but I dont want to buy a new one. I need some more stopping power and
was hoping to upgrade my brakes to disks. I was wondering what I
would need, I know that disks, calipers,levers and hoses are needed,
but how do I attach them to my bike. Are most brands the same or do
some have better performance. Cost is an issue too, I will probably
buy used components off of ebay or something. Do any of you have
some insight on this subject?

Thanks in advance.

Jason

You also need wheels with disk hubs. I don't think that it's worth
the $.

This is the conclusion I reached when thinking about disc for my old
bike. It looked like I could get a good deal on discs, but when I added
in the cost of the wheels, it just wasn't worth it. My V brakes worked
fine, and I really haven't had to deal with much mud or water, anyway.

Now that I'm looking at new bikes, though, all the ones in my price
range seem to come with disc, anyway, and they do stop pretty hard. I
never even came close to endoing due to braking on my old bike; test
riding the Klein, I never endoed, either, but I definitely had to be
much more cautious.

--
monique

"Fleaman" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:hWswc.24674$jl6.4192@edtnps89...

Quoted message said:

I have a Trek 4500, and I like it alot, it isn't the greatest bike but I
dont want to buy a new one. I need some more stopping power and was hoping
to upgrade my brakes to disks. I was wondering what I would need, I know
that disks, calipers,levers and hoses are needed, but how do I attach them
to my bike. Are most brands the same or do some have better performance.
Cost is an issue too, I will probably buy used components off of ebay or
something. Do any of you have some insight on this subject?

Thanks in advance.

Jason

Thanks for all the info, I was just playing around with the idea because
when riding downhill, it seems that my brakes are just squeeling and fading
pretty good with the heat. If I have some extra cash I may explore it, if
not, I will wait until I buy a new bike.

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

Quoted message said:

"Andy Chequer" <andy@(youdontwantthisbitinit)thisisasparagus.com> wrote in

message

Quoted message said:

news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

whereas a combination of hydraulic and a V brake feels rather odd.

I never thought so. I've had bikes set up that way for almost 5 years.
The front and rear brake respond much differently anyway, even if they're
exactly the same type.

Same here - no problems at all like this!

Shaun aRe

Quoted message said:

Same here - no problems at all like this!

Shaun aRe

Ah. It's another one of those "it's just you, Chequer" things :-)

Andy Chequer, resolutely misaligned.

"Andy Chequer" <andy@(youdontwantthisbitinit)thisisasparagus.com> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Same here - no problems at all like this!

Shaun aRe

Ah. It's another one of those "it's just you, Chequer" things :-)

Andy Chequer, resolutely misaligned.

Heh - maybe! It just really didn't bother me right from the start - lever
feel is a little different if you pay conscious attention, but the brain is
a wonderfully adaptive thing ',;~}~

Shaun aRe - Starting, rather than stopping, is where I find
difficulties...heh...