If FEMA had the bicycles, would it fund Hustler's manlet bib?
#301
Tour de Franzia
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Republic of Dallas
Posts: 29,085
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Got our new bikes Friday and took them out today. Specialized Rockhopper Comp, and Jett for her. Love the 29'er wheels. Bikes rode great. Need to dial the forks in more and the brakes left something to be desired. Probably need a bit more break in. My fronts where good enough, but the rears are pathetic. Already curious if going from 180mm/160mm to 203mm/180mm discs is worth the price of 2 cheap brackets and one rotor. Both of us are new to this stuff though. Her especially.
Actually really liked the color more than I though I would when I ordered them.
She's had no complaints. She is coming from a 80lbs cheap, crappy Mongoose. This thing is a Ferrari to her compared to the old bike.
Actually really liked the color more than I though I would when I ordered them.
She's had no complaints. She is coming from a 80lbs cheap, crappy Mongoose. This thing is a Ferrari to her compared to the old bike.
#302
I guess I'll have to learn to do that. I to a unexpected drop down in trail yesterday and could not get the back brake to lock. Wasn't trying to, but it was a mild panic, downhill, rock covered, tree rooted drop off. Little bit of pucker. The lever uses damn near the full travel for nothing. The fronts are the same brakes just 180mm and not that bad. I'll order a bleed kit and make a mess for a day.
Still sorting the bike out. Still a bit sore from yesterday, but want to go out again.
Still sorting the bike out. Still a bit sore from yesterday, but want to go out again.
#305
Boost Pope
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
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I'm curious...
Even my current hotness with disc brakes uses conventional brake cables. I find them easy to adjust, and the lever has sufficient travel that I can lock them both (if I choose to), while having a nice, progressive feel.
Yes, there's some give in them. Not at all what I'd equate to a spongy pedal in a car, more like you can just tell that things are stretching a bit when you get on it.
Is that the primary "problem" that hydraulic brakes are meant to "fix"?
Even my current hotness with disc brakes uses conventional brake cables. I find them easy to adjust, and the lever has sufficient travel that I can lock them both (if I choose to), while having a nice, progressive feel.
Yes, there's some give in them. Not at all what I'd equate to a spongy pedal in a car, more like you can just tell that things are stretching a bit when you get on it.
Is that the primary "problem" that hydraulic brakes are meant to "fix"?
#306
I'm curious...
Even my current hotness with disc brakes uses conventional brake cables. I find them easy to adjust, and the lever has sufficient travel that I can lock them both (if I choose to), while having a nice, progressive feel.
Yes, there's some give in them. Not at all what I'd equate to a spongy pedal in a car, more like you can just tell that things are stretching a bit when you get on it.
Is that the primary "problem" that hydraulic brakes are meant to "fix"?
Even my current hotness with disc brakes uses conventional brake cables. I find them easy to adjust, and the lever has sufficient travel that I can lock them both (if I choose to), while having a nice, progressive feel.
Yes, there's some give in them. Not at all what I'd equate to a spongy pedal in a car, more like you can just tell that things are stretching a bit when you get on it.
Is that the primary "problem" that hydraulic brakes are meant to "fix"?
Rim brakes get the job done if you go slow enough. Just like drum brakes could be made to work acceptably well on a Miata for some drivers.
The tiny, lightweight discs on my XC race bike need radiators bonded onto the pads or they'll fade pretty bad on steep downhils like the one I posted Saturday. They look like little electrical heat sinks but work wonders. A good racing level disc brake system on a well suspended mountain bike with big knobbies will amaze on steep downhills.
Cables are still a touch lighter than hydraulic lines and cheaper to mfr so you'll see them on entry level disc systems. They do work just fine until you start pushing the limits of the braking system.
__________________
#308
I raced on cable discs for a few years. They were a significant improvement on my tricked out V-brakes (rim brake) that were in turn way better than my olld cantilever rim brakes. Then I rode a downhill bike with, at the time new tech hydraulic discs. Been spoiled ever since. The latest cyclocross bikes have discs but they're mostly still cable operated.
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#310
Tour de Franzia
Thread Starter
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Republic of Dallas
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Because they were clearly engineered by people who don't understand car brakes. No bleeder valves, just a shitty fill-hole in the caliper and fill-hole/master reservoir in the lever housing. The solution is tedious syringe bleeding in and out and in and out and in and out for like an hour. There are other tricks, let me know if you are interested.
#312
Because they were clearly engineered by people who don't understand car brakes. No bleeder valves, just a shitty fill-hole in the caliper and fill-hole/master reservoir in the lever housing. The solution is tedious syringe bleeding in and out and in and out and in and out for like an hour. There are other tricks, let me know if you are interested.
#320
Elite Member
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Kingston, Ontario
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Rode my old heap a bit this weekend.
Determined that I really needed to repack and tighten the old bottom bracket because the front derailleur was rubbing a bit and the gear is straight with no runout.
I then rebuilt the bottom bracket replacing the bearings from the type with housings to 11 ball bearings per side (vs 8 i think) and used some extreme pressure wheel bearing grease. SO MUCH SMOOTHER.
all in all i have taken the bike for about 15k of riding now since building it.... not much but i want to make sure I dont break it too far from home in the first while.
I still need to get some bar wrap. the raw aluminum drop bars are hard on my hands absorbing the cracks in the pavement. Thoughts on an inexpensive wrap?
M
Determined that I really needed to repack and tighten the old bottom bracket because the front derailleur was rubbing a bit and the gear is straight with no runout.
I then rebuilt the bottom bracket replacing the bearings from the type with housings to 11 ball bearings per side (vs 8 i think) and used some extreme pressure wheel bearing grease. SO MUCH SMOOTHER.
all in all i have taken the bike for about 15k of riding now since building it.... not much but i want to make sure I dont break it too far from home in the first while.
I still need to get some bar wrap. the raw aluminum drop bars are hard on my hands absorbing the cracks in the pavement. Thoughts on an inexpensive wrap?
M