Are cable disc brakes really this bad?
Discussion
My wife got me a hybrid bike to cycle to work on for Christmas. (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-division-2-2016/) It's got Shimano Altus with 160mm rotors cable disc brakes. Today is the first proper ride I've had on it, 8 miles to work and the brakes are shocking, far worse than my road bike with standard caliper brakes and a mile behind my MTB with hydraulic discs.
The pads just don't seem to grab the discs. Is this because the bike is new and the pads and discs need to bed in, or am I stuck with it like this?
Cheers
The pads just don't seem to grab the discs. Is this because the bike is new and the pads and discs need to bed in, or am I stuck with it like this?
Cheers
Cheers for the info.
I've got to say it's pretty disappointing that a bike built and set-up by the manufacturer requires further tinkering to make something as important as the brakes work effectively. I've had my MTB 10 years and in that time I've never touched the brakes other than getting the pads changed at the LBS a couple of years ago.
I'm now in 2 minds as to whether to have a go at tinkering with it to get them working or just send it back. The whole purpose of getting the bike was to have something totally focussed on getting me to work with little fuss - full mudguards, rack, and solid brakes were the selling points. I was switching tyres on my MTB and putting mudguards on and off when switching between the commute and weekend duties and I just wanted to cut all that out. The thought that to get the brakes on the new bike working effectively I'll have to constantly tinker with them makes the whole exercise pointless.
I've got to say it's pretty disappointing that a bike built and set-up by the manufacturer requires further tinkering to make something as important as the brakes work effectively. I've had my MTB 10 years and in that time I've never touched the brakes other than getting the pads changed at the LBS a couple of years ago.
I'm now in 2 minds as to whether to have a go at tinkering with it to get them working or just send it back. The whole purpose of getting the bike was to have something totally focussed on getting me to work with little fuss - full mudguards, rack, and solid brakes were the selling points. I was switching tyres on my MTB and putting mudguards on and off when switching between the commute and weekend duties and I just wanted to cut all that out. The thought that to get the brakes on the new bike working effectively I'll have to constantly tinker with them makes the whole exercise pointless.
Fluffsri said:
My Cx bike came with Avid BB5s. I have to say they were alright. They were crap to start but after a ride around Swinley they bedded in a treat. I got fed up with them though, every 30 ish miles I had to adjust the static pad to stop them squeaking and decent pad wear. After 2 sets of pads wore really badly, basically on the slant, I fitted TRP Hyds. They are spot on!
Give yours a bit of time and maybe a bit of sandpaper and hope for the best.
Every 30 miles - I do that every 2 days! There's no way I'm adjusting the brakes every 2 days.Give yours a bit of time and maybe a bit of sandpaper and hope for the best.
I'll see how they perform on the way home, maybe fire off a warning email to Wiggle tonight and see if they improve over the week.
Did lots of hard stops on the way home last night and they seemed to improve a little bit. Washed the discs and pads when I got home. Then rode in again this morning and they just seemed s
t again, although it was sub-zero so I was quite focused on the fact my ears and nose felt like they wanted to fall off my head. I'll see how I get on this evening on my way home.
t again, although it was sub-zero so I was quite focused on the fact my ears and nose felt like they wanted to fall off my head. I'll see how I get on this evening on my way home.upsidedownmark said:
As many have said is that cable discs require a bit more TLC and adjustment than hydraulic. Not overly so, nor really more than a caliper brake in my experience.
Otherwise they are not intrinsically 'st', therefore the logical conclusion would be that yours are not working as designed.
Does the lever come back to the bar?
Does it feel firm, but no bite?
Have you washed or otherwise put anything other than water near them or the disc while cleaning the bike?
Any signs of uneven pad wear?
Anything inhibiting the movement of the lever at the caliper end?
Cable outers fine, properly installed and seated at the ends?
Levers drop back about half way and are quite squishy. When they do grab it's pretty weak and akin to riding my road bike in the wet. I can now at least lock the wheels but that requires a significant degree of pressure, far more than would be required on either my road bike or MTB. Can't see any issues with the pads or cables. I've driven to work today and will be contacting Wiggle today about sending it back.Otherwise they are not intrinsically 's
t', therefore the logical conclusion would be that yours are not working as designed.Does the lever come back to the bar?
Does it feel firm, but no bite?
Have you washed or otherwise put anything other than water near them or the disc while cleaning the bike?
Any signs of uneven pad wear?
Anything inhibiting the movement of the lever at the caliper end?
Cable outers fine, properly installed and seated at the ends?
Cheers for all the assistance offered. I have arranged for the bike to go back to Wiggle and am just waiting for them to send out a new bike box so I can return it.
I do get what you're all saying about trying to tinker with them to get them working properly and possibly I could make them better, but it just defeats the object of the purchase which was to reduce the amount of time faffing. I've been cycling to work for the last 5 years on a mix of MTB's and road bike and I've never had to adjust the brakes on any of my bikes other than an annual service at the LBS. The plan now is to make my current MTB a permanent commuter bike and I'll pick up a new MTB for weekend duties.
I do get what you're all saying about trying to tinker with them to get them working properly and possibly I could make them better, but it just defeats the object of the purchase which was to reduce the amount of time faffing. I've been cycling to work for the last 5 years on a mix of MTB's and road bike and I've never had to adjust the brakes on any of my bikes other than an annual service at the LBS. The plan now is to make my current MTB a permanent commuter bike and I'll pick up a new MTB for weekend duties.
The bike has been returned and Wiggle have refunded my money. I've got to say, customer service from them has been superb - they sent a new bike box and then arranged for a courier to collect it from my house.
I've purchased a new hardtail MTB, so I now need to convert my existing MTB into a permanent commuter bike. Happy days.
I've purchased a new hardtail MTB, so I now need to convert my existing MTB into a permanent commuter bike. Happy days.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff