My radial 36er already has the hole in the frame for mounting caliper-type brakes, but I wonder of they will fit over the tire? The caliper brake seems to be a very inexpensive and easy way to install a brake on a coker. Just wondering if any of you 36er riders use this type of brake. Also, does the one in the pic below look like it would fit?
I will be switching to 110mm cranks in the near future, and so I’ll want a brake for steep DH and also for slowing down quickly.
All my cokering currently is ridden on a 22 mile stretch of beach bike path, and it gets pretty crowded in the summer, and people often dart out into the bike path and I want to be able to stop faster than with just back pressure. My second choice would be either a center-pull brake or a v brake, but the adapter alone is $50! The system below has everything needed for a quick easy install, and is under $50. But I just don’t know if it will fit.
Got to Google and hit in “Dans comp” it is a bike shop search around for the v-brakes they have a good selection there I can provide a link if needed my computer is just a bit slow.
Cool thanks! I found this adaptor on the site; do you think it will fit over the TA 36" tire for use with a V brake? If so, this one look likes the UDC bracket, but is about $20 less!
A brake on a 36-er for steep or long downhills with short cranks makes sense. You can put it on in a controlled fashion, then maintain consistent pressure and pedal through in even strokes. I know you’re a good rider, but you may want to re-think the concept of having a brake to slow down quickly or stop fast to avoid people who dart out in front of you. Often as not, it will become the Eject Lever and you’ll go flying.
A cheap BMX calliper brake is what most people use on a coker - you’ll get a pair for a few dollars on ebay (I paid £3 for a pair). Use the front one (with the longer bolt) and keep the rear for spares, or throw it away.
I’ve used brakes sometimes for slowing down quickly. They are okay, but like people said, the brakes are almost all for slowing down on downhills.
The most important thing in the bike path situation is to be looking ahead to see who might potentially step out in the way, and if there’s anyone who might, either know what you’ll do to avoid them, or slow down a bit in case. I actually had the brake disabled when we went riding there, and I could still ride pretty fast without hitting anyone.
I don’t reckon v-brakes with an adaptor will be that much better on a coker, caliper brakes are so easy to set up. Also, caliper brakes while they have slightly less stopping power, also run wider on the wheel when you’re not using them than v-brakes or maguras. This means that you have more scope for a slightly off-true wheel or slightly wobbly frame, which is more likely to be the case on a big wheel. They’re also super cheap too.
V-brakes on my schlumpf are great, but it’s really hard to get them right as the wheel wobbles a bit in high gear thanks to the gearing design.
I ran a caliper on my first Coker for almost two years, and it was really great. I switched to a Magura when I got the new Nimbus frame (because of the brake mounts) and to be honest the Caliper felt a lot better, mostly because it is less powerful than the magura so you can really pull on the lever without the risk of instant faceplant.
The magura is nice, but it really requires a VERY delicate touch on the lever to avoid faceplanting. If you’re descending a steep hill and really holding onto the handle it’s difficult to be very subtle with the brake.
I’m considering switching back to the caliper or doing something to the Magura to make it less powerful, perhaps trimming the pads down so they grip less well.
Any BMX caliper should easily clear the Coker tyre. Road bike calipers (obviously) won’t!
Yeah avoiding the ones designed for trials riding is key, they’re alright for muni (i’ve got the red ones on my KH24) but not for road riding. Unfortunately super slippery brakes are not a huge seller, you could maybe try soaking the pad in WD40 or something to reduce their friciton coefficient but tbh I’ve never had any problems with grabbing on my N36 when the brakes are set up correctly, infact you can really have the brake on very hard on a steep hill and still be able to ride smoothely.
I agree that relying on brakes to slow quickly is a bad idea, the only thing is if you end up jumping off the back while remaining holding on to your handle so you’re running with the uni infront of you, you can use the brakes to slow down faster. It’s a pretty infrequent occurence though.
Thanks for the tip! I just bought a BMX caliper brake complete with cable and lever off ebay new for $12.99! It comes with a rear & front bolt for using in front or rear, so it’s all I need! And the price is next to nothing so if I don’t like it I’m not out much.
