hub-brake effectiveness - cautionary tale, greasy?

In "]news:[email hidden], Andrew Steer <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

A relative newbie, I went over the handlebars on the road having made a sharp-ish stop a few weeks
back. I wasn't going that fast, but it did seem somewhat "out of character". Anyhow the dodgey
left wrist and right shoulder left me out of cycling-action for 2-3 weeks. :-( I've confirmed
since that the rear (hub/rim) brake has not been very effective - near-impossible to do a
rear-wheel skid compared to easy- peasy the day before my accident... yet mechanically everything
is working nicely.

To be honest the rear brake is unimportant on the road. Its only really the front you need to worry
about. For the reasons behind this its best to read sheldonbrown.combrakturn.htmlOpen ↗

Tony

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"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer

Michael MacClancy said:

Quoted message said:

sheldonbrown.combrakturn.htmlOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Instinct and bad experience tells a lot of people that you're wrong,

Sheldon is *never* wrong, and this is no exception :-)

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗ (BT ADSL and
dynamic DNS permitting)
NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
work. Apologies.

Andrew Steer said:

A relative newbie, I went over the handlebars on the road having made a sharp-ish stop a few weeks
back. I wasn't going that fast, but it did seem somewhat "out of character".

Get used to relying on the front brake for all normal hard braking. I personally don't go quite as
far as SB in hardly ever using the rear brake on any bike - but the principle is good.

Quoted message said:

Anyhow the dodgey left wrist and right shoulder left me out of cycling-action for 2-3 weeks. :-(
I've confirmed since that the rear (hub/rim) brake has not been very effective - near-impossible
to do a rear-wheel skid compared to easy- peasy the day before my accident... yet mechanically
everything is working nicely.

I deliberately fitted a weaker rear brake partly to make it harder to skid the rear wheel ....but I
know what you mean.

Quoted message said:

Last night I tried cleaning my wheel rim and brake-pads with washing-up liquid water (degrease)...
and the previous performance has been restored :-) Rear-skids possible at 2mph!

...I had a puncture the day before my accident, and a bike shop sold me a new inner-tube and
replaced it for me. Is it a coincidence, or is likely some kind of grease got on the hub in the
process...? I have no intention of pursuing them, but it might serve as a useful warning to
someone.

I thought maybe residual detergent might not be good for the rubber

Most tyres are not rubber nowdays - but I suppose it's reasonable to rinse them.......

Quoted message said:

so rinsed off the wheel in clean water... but now when dry again, the effectiveness is not
as good.

What's going on? It's a practically new bike BTW and the brakes were very effective until around
the time of the tyre-change.

I'm confused over whether you've got hub or rim brakes (or if both, which is on the front). For rim
brakes, cleaning with meths is more effective than detergent. The brakes can then actually be /too/
"grabby" for a while afterwards but they'll soon normalise after some use. Also check brake block
condition. Clean and remove any embedded specks of metal and lightly sand if they have a glazed
appearance.

~PB

In "]news:[email hidden], Just zis Guy, you know?
<[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Sheldon is *never* wrong, and this is no exception :-)

Arrange the following words into a well known phrase or saying:

Words my took mouth of out the

Tony

--
raven-family.comraven-family.comOpen ↗

"All truth goes through three steps: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed.
Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Arthur Schopenhauer

Pete Biggs said:

Andrew Steer said:

A relative newbie, I went over the handlebars on the road having made a sharp-ish stop a few weeks
back. I wasn't going that fast, but it did seem somewhat "out of character".

Get used to relying on the front brake for all normal hard braking. I personally don't go quite as
far as SB in hardly ever using the rear brake on any bike - but the principle is good.

For one thing, you've got to use the rear brake often enough to be reasonably confident it
still works.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> flcl?