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Hydraulic disc brake experience



 
 
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  #11  
Old April 9th 19, 03:05 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
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Default Hydraulic disc brake experience

On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 12:09:56 AM UTC-7, Chalo wrote:
A cable has never leaked out of one of my cable-actuated brakes, disc or no. A cable has never fouled any of my breaking surfaces by touching them, nor damaged the pads beyond repair.

These are a couple of things to bear in mind when you use oil instead of cable to apply the brake.


Hydraulics are not all sunshine and roses, but long, enclosed cable runs and weak return springs on some mechanical discs like the BB7s, made for a draggy, poor performing rear brake. I changed cable and housing and even the mechanical caliper and could never get my rear to work that well. Running it half the year in rain probably didn't help either.

I much prefer the hydraulic rear brake on my commuter, and it has been problem free. The front brake is great, but so was the cable brake. The hydraulic pads self-adjust, which is a nice feature -- and there were times when I forgot to dial-in the pad on my cable front brake and had some scary moments on the sled-runs on my commute route. That was my own fault.

The only problem hydraulic brake I ever owned was a front brake that was bad out of the box. It spoiled some pads, but I resurrected those with brake cleaner and sanding.

-- Jay Beattie.
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  #12  
Old April 9th 19, 03:25 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Ralph Barone[_4_]
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Default Hydraulic disc brake experience

Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 3:09:56 AM UTC-4, Chalo wrote:
A cable has never leaked out of one of my cable-actuated brakes, disc or
no. A cable has never fouled any of my breaking surfaces by touching
them, nor damaged the pads beyond repair.

These are a couple of things to bear in mind when you use oil instead of
cable to apply the brake.


+1

- Frank Krygowski


I think that I once had a brake cable "leak" out of the housing, resulting
in a loss of braking capability.

  #13  
Old April 9th 19, 03:35 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
AMuzi
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Default Hydraulic disc brake experience

On 4/9/2019 9:25 AM, Ralph Barone wrote:
Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 3:09:56 AM UTC-4, Chalo wrote:
A cable has never leaked out of one of my cable-actuated brakes, disc or
no. A cable has never fouled any of my breaking surfaces by touching
them, nor damaged the pads beyond repair.

These are a couple of things to bear in mind when you use oil instead of
cable to apply the brake.


+1



I think that I once had a brake cable "leak" out of the housing, resulting
in a loss of braking capability.



If it's British built his might help:
http://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm


--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971


  #14  
Old April 9th 19, 07:01 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Frank Krygowski[_2_]
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Default Hydraulic disc brake experience

On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 10:05:07 AM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:

The hydraulic pads self-adjust, which is a nice feature -- and there were times when I forgot to dial-in the pad on my cable front brake and had some scary moments on the sled-runs on my commute route. That was my own fault.


Since I've done only short rides, not any great distances on a disc brake bike
(cable or hydraulic): How often do you have to "dial-in" your cable disc
brakes?

- Frank Krygowski
  #15  
Old April 9th 19, 07:55 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
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Posts: 5,870
Default Hydraulic disc brake experience

On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 11:01:18 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 10:05:07 AM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:

The hydraulic pads self-adjust, which is a nice feature -- and there were times when I forgot to dial-in the pad on my cable front brake and had some scary moments on the sled-runs on my commute route. That was my own fault.


Since I've done only short rides, not any great distances on a disc brake bike
(cable or hydraulic): How often do you have to "dial-in" your cable disc
brakes?


For me, after I ran out of lever travel and didn't stop. I let it get sloppy, and it went from bad to worse during a rainy ride down some very steep hills.

I usually adjusted every month or less to keep the brakes firm. I don't know what is recommended, and that undoubtedly varies based on individual use, weather and pad type. You hear stories about DH riders blowing through pads in a day or two, although those are hydraulic pads that self adjust. I knew my BB7 pads were shot when I got that pinging sound of the return spring hitting the rotor. Ooops.

That, BTW, is another issue with hydraulics. You have to police hydraulic pads because they will keep adjusting until you're braking with the aluminum carriers. When you adjust the pads manually on cable discs, at least you have a reminder to look at the pads -- whether you decide to look is up to you. Hydraulic pads are supposed to be replaced at .5mm, and I just measure them in place with a feeler gauge but you can take them out and do it with a micrometer. That is now an additional maintenance requirement and part of the care and feeding of discs.

-- Jay Beattie.

  #16  
Old April 9th 19, 07:56 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
David Scheidt
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Default Hydraulic disc brake experience

Frank Krygowski wrote:
:On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 10:05:07 AM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:

: The hydraulic pads self-adjust, which is a nice feature -- and there were times when I forgot to dial-in the pad on my cable front brake and had some scary moments on the sled-runs on my commute route. That was my own fault.

:Since I've done only short rides, not any great distances on a disc brake bike
cable or hydraulic): How often do you have to "dial-in" your cable disc
:brakes?

Depends on pad wear. When I had a mechanical caliper on the front
wheel of my commuter, I'd have to adjust five or six times per set of
pads. (and probably should have done so a bit more.) In winter,
riding in Chicago's lovely slush and grit, that was every couple
weeks. In the summer, a lot less. I put a lot more miles on in the
summer over winter, too. Mountain bikers in nasty gritty mud can ruin
a set of pads on a single ride, and have to adjust their brakes on the
trail; other places, where the mud is slipperier and not as gritty,
they'll last months.

--
sig 9
  #17  
Old April 10th 19, 08:35 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Chalo
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Default Hydraulic disc brake experience

My first set of modern IS conforming disc brakes (Hayes MX1) burned the pads all the way to their backings in less than 20 miles of central Seattle city riding. The fully metallic EBC replacement pads lasted for more than 10 years (though the bike was not my primary ride for the entirety of that time).

I guess this is to say there may be some variation in wear rate.
  #18  
Old April 10th 19, 06:07 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected]
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Default Hydraulic disc brake experience

On Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 12:35:39 AM UTC-7, Chalo wrote:
My first set of modern IS conforming disc brakes (Hayes MX1) burned the pads all the way to their backings in less than 20 miles of central Seattle city riding. The fully metallic EBC replacement pads lasted for more than 10 years (though the bike was not my primary ride for the entirety of that time).

I guess this is to say there may be some variation in wear rate.


I was riding my CX bike off-road and burned a set of disk pads in perhaps 100 miles or less. I also burned a front disk into a grooved blackened thing.. I replaced the steel plate with AL and was more careful and everything seems to work well. But then I am not riding anywhere near as hard as I was.

Yesterday I did the first Moraga Ride since October! Door to door for my part is 37 miles and 3,300 feet of climbing. I was pretty damn slow and the Tierra Bella metric I'm riding is Saturday. I hope to be able to complete it if I ride carefully. The last time I rode it I made the mistake of riding the final 5 miles at 28 mph. That put me into almost a haze. I couldn't even find my car in the lot.

  #19  
Old April 10th 19, 07:12 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
JBeattie
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Posts: 5,870
Default Hydraulic disc brake experience

On Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 10:07:55 AM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 12:35:39 AM UTC-7, Chalo wrote:
My first set of modern IS conforming disc brakes (Hayes MX1) burned the pads all the way to their backings in less than 20 miles of central Seattle city riding. The fully metallic EBC replacement pads lasted for more than 10 years (though the bike was not my primary ride for the entirety of that time).

I guess this is to say there may be some variation in wear rate.


I was riding my CX bike off-road and burned a set of disk pads in perhaps 100 miles or less. I also burned a front disk into a grooved blackened thing. I replaced the steel plate with AL and was more careful and everything seems to work well. But then I am not riding anywhere near as hard as I was..

Yesterday I did the first Moraga Ride since October! Door to door for my part is 37 miles and 3,300 feet of climbing. I was pretty damn slow and the Tierra Bella metric I'm riding is Saturday. I hope to be able to complete it if I ride carefully. The last time I rode it I made the mistake of riding the final 5 miles at 28 mph. That put me into almost a haze. I couldn't even find my car in the lot.


FWIW, I have a Tierra Bella patch (remember patches?) from 1979 or '80 designed by Leigh High art teacher and cyclist Ken Schwab. I think Ken did that one. I use it as a coaster. That was a fun ride. I remember one year when they closed the course mid-ride because of a giant storm -- or if it wasn't officially closed, everyone bailed. Back in the day, you went of Hecker Pass, IIRC, but no longer. It looks like a series of loops now, which makes it easier for the organizer.

-- Jay Beattie.




  #20  
Old April 11th 19, 03:45 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Radey Shouman
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Posts: 1,747
Default Hydraulic disc brake experience

jbeattie writes:

On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 11:01:18 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at 10:05:07 AM UTC-4, jbeattie wrote:

The hydraulic pads self-adjust, which is a nice feature -- and
there were times when I forgot to dial-in the pad on my cable
front brake and had some scary moments on the sled-runs on my
commute route. That was my own fault.


Since I've done only short rides, not any great distances on a disc brake bike
(cable or hydraulic): How often do you have to "dial-in" your cable disc
brakes?


For me, after I ran out of lever travel and didn't stop. I let it get
sloppy, and it went from bad to worse during a rainy ride down some
very steep hills.

I usually adjusted every month or less to keep the brakes firm. I
don't know what is recommended, and that undoubtedly varies based on
individual use, weather and pad type. You hear stories about DH
riders blowing through pads in a day or two, although those are
hydraulic pads that self adjust. I knew my BB7 pads were shot when I
got that pinging sound of the return spring hitting the rotor. Ooops.

That, BTW, is another issue with hydraulics. You have to police
hydraulic pads because they will keep adjusting until you're braking
with the aluminum carriers. When you adjust the pads manually on cable
discs, at least you have a reminder to look at the pads -- whether you
decide to look is up to you. Hydraulic pads are supposed to be
replaced at .5mm, and I just measure them in place with a feeler gauge
but you can take them out and do it with a micrometer. That is now an
additional maintenance requirement and part of the care and feeding of
discs.


Car disk brake pads generally have a little metal tab that extends
towards the disk to the wear limit of the pad. Its purpose is just to
squeal painfully *before* the pad is actually worn through. I'm not
sure of any reason this couldn't work for bicycles.
 




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