I didn’t see what I wanted with the search. Sorry if I’m being redundant.
My husband wants to put brakes on my 24" MUni for mother’s day. He was about ready just to go ahead and order the hydraulic brakes from UDC. Before he does this I wanted to know if a cheaper cable brake is sufficient? Is it worth the $200 for the brakes from UCD?
If I squeeze the brake too hard, will I land on my face?
Can a brake be set up to give you a little drag down a long steep section or do you need to hold it the whole time?
What do I need to purchased if we do the hydraulic set-up? My uni is brake ready (little mounted thingies on the frame). Do I still need mounting hardware?
Go to the trading post and check out Brycer1968’s offerings. You’ll get a good deal on good brakes. His Magura hydraulics will be cheaper than a brand new cable brake.
Yes if you hit the brake too hard and too fast you will land on your nose. A little practice will result in some nice smooth descents with little back pressure required of your legs.
With the mounting thingies on your frame all you will need will be some other mounting thingies that will attach the brake cylinders to the mounting thingies on the frame. Bryce will set you up will all you need.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!! Your husband must really love you.
If you pull your brake too hard, which isn’t really that hard considering the general instability of a unicycle, you will fly forward. That being said it is a real leg saver on the extended downhill sections, and after very little practice you can have more control on the downhills with the brake than without. If you are running a 24x3.0 tire you may not be able to get a cable brake around your tire without rubbing. As I understand it that’s the main reason Magura’s became the defacto standard on MUni’s.
If your MUni is brake ready then it probably has Magura bosses, but you will still need the mounting hardware to install the brakes. Mag’s can be adjusted to apply constant drag to the wheel with the little red wheel on the lever, but I haven’t ever used it. I just hold the lever for the time I need the brake.
From the price quoted I would assume that you are getting the calipers, mounting hardware, and the lever mount. If you really want to save some money the calipers can be found on Ebay, or even on the trading post in this forum for much less than new, although the new housing is supposed to be pretty durable. And, the spooner get’s great reviews, although it’s pricey if you buy it separately.
It should be noted that if you buy the HS-33 that you can dial the pressure low enough so it will not lock the wheel and won’t throw you on your face. Brakes easily double the ridability of most terrain, I love landing drops to slants now, before brakes I couldn’t do it without my uni flying down the hill in front of me.
So my brakes are on as of today. How far should the brake pads be from the rim? The brake pads are only about 1mm from the rim. Is this okay? I barely have to touch the brake lever for it to stop. I have to wait until tonight before I try them out. It’s about 100 degrees outside. Curses.
I’d suggest setting the brake pads further out from the rim so they won’t rub on the rim during climbing, idling etc. Only 1mm off could also make the brakes feel extra touchy with a really short lever action, and not really much room there to get your finger/s sorted on the lever just as you start braking. Could also lead to accidental braking.
There’s enough travel in the brake pads to have them set quite a way off the rim and still have ample braking power and good lever action. That’s how I set mine anyway.
I am SO HAPPY! I went to a 14% grade paved road. Climbed and then descended using the brake. It wasn’t hard at all. I did part of the hill with the drag set and another part with my hand. They were both good. I need to adjust the pads out. My husband is worried that the piston things may leak if we move the pads out. I read him your comments but he’s
Skeptical.
The brakes will leak, if they’re going to leak, no matter how close or far your pads are positioned relative to the rim. But that said, if you climbed a steep hill that had you torquing pretty hard on the cranks, and you didn’t experience any brake rub, the pads are probably fine. It’s generally during hard climbs that brake rub will occur.
