somberlaine Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 Well I have been out of trials for two years and then come back to find ground rims and new pads and all that sort of thing. And reading the pad review section on this forum I find that the thing to have is really squeeky brakes...! Well I'll pobably get shot for saying this but I think that squeeky brakes suck. Why do so many of you want your brakes to squeek? It's an annoying noise and does nothing for your riding. If anything I would say that a silent bike makes you seem much smoother and if your brake its loud and noisy it can make you seem less smooth. It's a minor reason for not having squeeky brakes but all I can see are negatives and no positives. Maybe I'm just old school and have missed this new revolution..... :) Someone please educate me.... Michael p.s. In this 'rant' I'm assuming that sqeekiness does nothing for the performance of the brake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairy elephants Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 You are infact correct in everything that you have just said. Some people like their brakes to sqeak so they no that it is locking properly, giving them confidence. Personally I do have a squeaky rear brake, but I don't think about it, or even hear it when i'm riding, because i'm concentrating on other things :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebJT Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 I much prefer silent brakes, mine is and everyone thinks i'm uber smooth, although it is probably to do with my brake being silent. I think you'll find that your brakes will squeak because its a better brake, resulting in the pads griping the rim and vibrating, causing the squeak. If you set up your brakes perfectly square and you use a fairly hard compound pad, this will reduce vibrations, hence reducing squeak yet still being a good brake. As i am running a v brake on the rear, there is no (very little) movement so this is why it wont squeak. With a magura it has clip in pads which dont sit 100% because itll be impossible to make it like that, you will notice a bit of play in the pad, this causes the vibrations and squeak. I found that running a stiff booster with my old magura seems to reduce the squeak by reduceing vibrations. Seb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIX Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 My rear magura with brown koxx bloxx doesnt really squeak just makes a "swooshing" sound, but my front Hope trial brake makes a rather loud high pitched noise which is actually very irritating. As said above its just vibrations and the pad compound. Tar used to be the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTM Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 I hate it when my brake doesnt squeek. And it isnt just any squeek I want either its a certain type of definative noise. I ride better when my brake sounds how I want it as I know whats going on down there and that everyhting is working as it should Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towler Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 I Went to back wheel a rock on my T-mag and break rolled out, landed on my back on rock that hurt for 2 days where sitting down was a challenge :) I like a good grind or even a little tar, so the break locks and i know it has because of the sound, YES its annoying but it makes me feel confident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthewholdsworth Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 does it really matter if your brake howls or is silent?? so long as it stops u from ending up on ur arse/face its all good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalopS Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 In the end isnt noise just wasted energy? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthews Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 My rear brake is very "squeaky" and thats the way i like it!! :) Having the noise of my brake when im in the air makes me more confident and lets me know that my brakes have locked and going to hold :) I did have silent brakes for a while but they were crap no lock no bite nothing they were a complete and uter shambles and i hated them plus they made me feel less convinced that my brakes would actully hold Secret to "squeaky" brakes - plazmatics + grinded rim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..johal.. Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 Secret to "squeaky" brakes - plazmatics + grinded rim no no no! coustellier pads on a harsh as f**k grind! johal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philking Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 does it really matter if your brake howls or is silent?? so long as it stops u from ending up on ur arse/face its all good ← Yes it does matter to some people, even if it doesnt to you. I personally prefer being able to hear exactly when my brake is locking up. It really inspires confidience in my riding, meaning tthat i ride better. So in answer to your question yes it does matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardman Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 I thought a properly set up magura no matter what pads you have is suposed to make a noise similar to rubbing sand paper over something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Nichols Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 In the end isnt noise just wasted energy? :) ← In theory yes, a squeek is caused by vibration and this vibration is caused before the brake locks... so technically brakes that don't squeek are stronger and better. This in practice is NOT true though. I find that squeeky brakes are nearly always good whereas on average, a swooshy or silent brake is usually a bit naff. Secret to "squeaky" brakes - plazmatics + grinded rim ← That's also the secret to losing pad material quicker than you can say 'wow, they cost me £16'. Plaz work brilliant on a smooth rim :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SQuiT-man Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 In the end isnt noise just wasted energy? :) ← Theres another way to look at this... Thats what brakes do, they waste/absorb your kinetic energy by stopping you/your wheel. It has to be turned in to some other kinda of energy, be it heat, sound, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 In theory yes, a squeek is caused by vibration and this vibration is caused before the brake locks... so technically brakes that don't squeek are stronger and better. This in practice is NOT true though. I find that squeeky brakes are nearly always good whereas on average, a swooshy or silent brake is usually a bit naff. That's also the secret to losing pad material quicker than you can say 'wow, they cost me £16'. Plaz work brilliant on a smooth rim :) ← Hmm, I use Plaz CRM's up front, and as such they're my "Slowing me down" brake, meaning it gets used loads. The pads have stayed at the same level of wear since God was a boy, even with grinds :) Maybe Quick_Spider was the 1,000th customer or something when he got them... Anyway, I prefer squeak, 'cos I've found that usually it means a grabbier brake, which is what I prefer. What does get my goat though is when you have a loud break that still doesn't work a damn. I can deal with the noise if I know the brake's good, so it just takes the piss when it's poop. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardman Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 In theory yes, a squeek is caused by vibration and this vibration is caused before the brake locks... so technically brakes that don't squeek are stronger and better. This in practice is NOT true though. I find that squeeky brakes are nearly always good whereas on average, a swooshy or silent brake is usually a bit naff. ← You cant rule out the phycological related to break noise and level of convidence. What you need is a smooth rim,a plaz pad and a machine to measure braking strength, set one up so it squeals and the other so it dont then get some readings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bondy Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 (edited) My rear brake squeaks quite alot so that i know its locking up properly, i can also tell when its rubbing easily or if something isnt right because it wont sound right, also gives you confidence when doing things.... Also as some people say ' a squeaking brake is a working brake' :) Edited April 27, 2005 by Bondy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hardman Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 Theres so much phycological invovled in this, Im sure any engineer, physist, science type person would say do the tests gets some sort of numeriocal data and go from there. Its all well and good saying a works better than b but put your money where your mouth is and get some hard empirical evidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pauly Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 my brake is possibly the squeekyisty brake out but it locks going forward but going backwards its just a pile of W**K but hopefully when i get some plazmatics in a few days it should work. Pauly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Nichols Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 Hmm, I use Plaz CRM's up front, and as such they're my "Slowing me down" brake, meaning it gets used loads. The pads have stayed at the same level of wear since God was a boy, even with grinds :P Maybe Quick_Spider was the 1,000th customer or something when he got them... ← hmm, suprises me really... I had a pair of plaz pads on the rear of my norco when I had a grind and half the material wore down in a week or so!! :) Since I've had a smooth rim it's worked better and hasn't really worn down at all. You cant rule out the phycological related to break noise and level of convidence. What you need is a smooth rim,a plaz pad and a machine to measure braking strength, set one up so it squeals and the other so it dont then get some readings. ← Agreed :- Although it depends on whether you are mentally affected by certain things. Personally I don't find it makes a difference - I've used tar with blacks and koxx on smooth, koxx on grind, heatsink on grind etc etc But basically my plaz is silent and works like a bitch :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 I would much prefer silent brakes, but performace comes first, if the squeak they squeak. I could put cream on my rims to stop the squeaking, but it would make the performance crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Garland Posted April 27, 2005 Report Share Posted April 27, 2005 I dont like a loud squeek, I like a "woooosh" noise. I know my brake works this way and it doesnt annoy people as theres no considerabley loud squeek :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Posted April 28, 2005 Report Share Posted April 28, 2005 personally i hate squaeky brakes, just for the noise. a nice silent brake is perfect for me, it holds, and doesnt alert everyone within 3miles thatyour riding. exeptionally usefull as i seem to get kicked off everywhere i ride Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littleharrys Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 If you run tar they will prob make alot of noise. I used to run it. But now I am running the Rim Jam Blue pads on clean non ground rims. They work perfectly in the dry, lame in the wet i find. But even on the website they say have the coolest little squaek. It true every time you hope they sound cool. I really like it, it like on the evolve video when each hop gives a squaek. But if your a super smooth rider and want silence when you land. The reason it squaeks is because the pad is slipping causing vibrations. The higher pitch and shorter the squaek the better cos the is less slippage, its locking on, some people find it too grabby and prefer a little slip or to feather the brake. It all down to personal preference and rider style. Harry (Littleharrys@hotmail.com) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Drewery Posted April 29, 2005 Report Share Posted April 29, 2005 I run zoo pads on a ground rim, and i find the squeaking can be quite annoying, however i like it because i know my brake is powerful and so i can trust it. It bites and locks very well :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.