JT! Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 (edited) Just been reading through the pad review thread and i have noticed that people's opinions don't match. Not exactly a big suprise as when it comes down to opinions TF tends to become a bit of a warzone. But what i'm getting at is: Is your opinion of a working brake the same as everybody elses. Some people, acording to the pad review thread are saying they run zoo pads on a grind, and they are doing ok. And some people say they have run zoo's on a grind and they have lasted 3 days. :( It's the same with the green rimjams, i read one post where someone has ran rimjam greens on a smooth rim, with a tiny bit of tar, and found it ok. Where as when i did this i had the crappiest brake i had had since i had my kool stops on. I don't really go on big group rides, so i have never gone on anyone elses bike and had ago with other people brake setup, this is why i'm asking really. I have a mate who rides with kool stops on a smooth rim with tar. And i don't know how he dares do anything remotly big. And i'm sure people are thinking the same about me, not having a grind. So, When you get on someone elses bike, does their brakes feel better worse or the same, or just different. Maby having more bite, and less hold, or visa-versa. It's thoughts like this that completely put me off buying pads that have been recomended, as i believe that some peoples opinion of a working brake is pretty crap brake. :) Edited June 15, 2005 by JT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endohopper Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 True , it's entirely subjective , and largely related to what you're used to . One crucial distinction , however is between effectiveness and "feel. " My current rear set up ( an XT lever operating a V-Brake ) feels spongy and unresponsive at the lever , but offers plenty of controllable stopping power . Feels crappy - works great . A review is only one individual's opinion , and there are further factors like set up and intercompatability of rim / pads etc . I know full well that the pros all run Magura HS33s , but I'm not gonna change what "feels" best for me , just 'cause it's popular. If I trust the brake setup , I'll stick with it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SQuiT-man Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 I used to run kool stops on a smooth rim with tar, and they worked fine. Apply a fair bit of tar and probably any pads have awesome bite and lock, at least thats what I find. But to me a working brake is something which has tonnes of lock but can be modulated (a pretty hard brake to get) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOTTY___ Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 ZOO! pads ://: Smooth Rim ://: Tiny amount of Tar. Awesome lock and bearly slips on anything! Best brake ever! Scotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave33 Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 i ALWAYS find that when i have a go on some one's bike the brakes never as good as mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Arnold Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 i ALWAYS find that when i have a go on some one's bike the brakes never as good as mine ← what brake setup do you have then? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thechink Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 water bleed and squarely set up coust pads on a harsh grind. best brake ever for me. no one elses brake seem trustworthy compared. i suppose its just whats your used to. thechink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 ZOO! pads ://: Smooth Rim ://: Tiny amount of Tar. Awesome lock and bearly slips on anything! Best brake ever! Scotty ← No, it isn't. You used tar, which in my books, makes it the worst brake on the planet. As Adam's signature used to say "You could use chipolata with tar, and it would work". A good brake is one which doesn't require tar. No matter how much you argue, if you have to resort to tar, then your brake is shit. End of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave33 Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 what brake setup do you have then? :) ← koxx blocks on grind with a well blead system and rb lever, normaly maggy boster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave33 Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 No, it isn't. You used tar, which in my books, makes it the worst brake on the planet. As Adam's signature used to say "You could use chipolata with tar, and it would work". A good brake is one which doesn't require tar. No matter how much you argue, if you have to resort to tar, then your brake is shit. End of. ← same could be said for usin a grind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damon W Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 'if you use tar its not a good working brake' the simple fact is, no matter what you have to use to make a brake work, if it works then it works the end, tar or no tar, grind or no grind. If the brake locks up then it works well. but i like : water bled medium grind brown koxx bloxx with a bit of tar. :) works wonders. it locks up awesome and has got unbelieveable (sp) bite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.Wood Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 I spose, but then: 1. Certain brake blocks are specifically designed to be used with a grind, i don't see a 'tar specific' pad out :) 2. Shit blocks on a grind will still be shit. Shit blocks with tar will work the same as 'mega' blocks, as 'you could use a chipolata with tar and it would work' 'cos of the way it's the tar doing the sticking, not the pad. Anyways: My idea of a working set up would be one that didn't slip, whatever conditions it was faced with :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burton Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 a brake with bite but lots mor hold. it has to be able to hold when the wheel movement is forwards and backwards with ease. Also it needs to work good in wet/damp/humid conditions. Im currently using a ronnie with a grind(and with bits broken off it!) with some red koxx bloxx. At first i thought they were ok, not as good as my zoo pads with a grind or no where near as good as my zoo pads with tar. but then all of a sudden they kicked in! best brake ive ever had that works in all weather, with no tar, and under immense amounts of pressure. But theyll only last about 2 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thechink Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 all go ride in the rain and see whos brake still sounds/works/bites the same. then will will see who has the best brake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hulltrialser Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 same as damon he got me into the grind and bloxx but at the moment im using zoo on a light grind and it is outstanding but going back to bloxx cause theve worn to the max. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boon racoon Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 depends what you want it for. working for me means a bit of bite yet good modulation (you can guess why). i use red pads on a smooth rim and i have done forever - whatever you may say about x, y and z pads/rims this setup does work most of the time. BUT the thing about my brake is, you can have it both ways. if i had a harsh grind and super sticky pad...i couldn't manual or do anything remotely smoothly. but IF i need that extra bite for say a big rail gap or something, splodge on a tiny bit of tar for the extra hold and the job's a goodie. give it a little while and it's worn off, thus allowing you to ride more streety again. so mine works, for me, in both cases and disciplines. maybe working for everyone else apart from me is "super f**king grabby" - but you won't see them manualling or owt so they're stuck with it one way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burton Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 depends what you want it for. working for me means a bit of bite yet good modulation (you can guess why). i use red pads on a smooth rim and i have done forever - whatever you may say about x, y and z pads/rims this setup does work most of the time. BUT the thing about my brake is, you can have it both ways. if i had a harsh grind and super sticky pad...i couldn't manual or do anything remotely smoothly. but IF i need that extra bite for say a big rail gap or something, splodge on a tiny bit of tar for the extra hold and the job's a goodie. give it a little while and it's worn off, thus allowing you to ride more streety again. so mine works, for me, in both cases and disciplines. maybe working for everyone else apart from me is "super f**king grabby" - but you won't see them manualling or owt so they're stuck with it one way. ← shouldnt maunel using your brake anyway if your good at manualling. But i see your point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanners Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 If you think about it the weight of the person will make a huge difference. Iam constanly setting me breaks up as soon as they don't work as good as i want them to as iam pritty tall and built. I myself run a grind and tar with heatsink pads and seems to be alright at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Bleech Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 yeah weight of the person is also an important factor, I am 10 stone and my setup works great for me and the way I ride. but i know that my mate kev is nearer 15 stone and he rides in a 'more natural' style than me and i know he doesn't get on with my brake very well. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakley Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 depends what you want it for. working for me means a bit of bite yet good modulation (you can guess why). i use red pads on a smooth rim and i have done forever - whatever you may say about x, y and z pads/rims this setup does work most of the time. BUT the thing about my brake is, you can have it both ways. if i had a harsh grind and super sticky pad...i couldn't manual or do anything remotely smoothly. but IF i need that extra bite for say a big rail gap or something, splodge on a tiny bit of tar for the extra hold and the job's a goodie. give it a little while and it's worn off, thus allowing you to ride more streety again. so mine works, for me, in both cases and disciplines. maybe working for everyone else apart from me is "super f**king grabby" - but you won't see them manualling or owt so they're stuck with it one way. ← actually mate, my back brake is one of the best working i have ever felt, and is grabby as fook!! and i can manual like a slag! btw i run brown bloxx on a grind with a smudge of tar!!! joE! getting me new pads soon though!! :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urpedigreechumdog Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Hmm, i see loads of people recommending koxx browns on a grind, but most of these people have tar on their grind :blink: Suggesting that the reason for the ware rate being so slow is because they are hard as tits, giving a poopy brake... Then again, i'd be willing accept a faster ware rate if i was getting a descent brake like i am at the minute with a medium grind and Rimjam Greens, no tar needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josephine Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Koxx Browns on a grind (cheers Matt :blink: ) no tar needed, due a combination of a nice bleed and pasty in the braking finger, the setup isn't perfect, but that's a compromise stemming from a slightly twisted rear triangle. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Drewery Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 I run zoo pads on a medium grind with no tar and they lock amazingly with a nice loud squeal. However, the modulation is still there for some manuals etc but i dont think that i will grind my rim again as i miss being able to manual and do other streety moves when i feel like it. Also all my mates brakes feel crap with a grind because they run hard pads where as zoo pads are soft so they lock well but dont last long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT! Posted June 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 (edited) I used to run kool stops on a smooth rim with tar, and they worked fine. Apply a fair bit of tar and probably any pads have awesome bite and lock, at least thats what I find. But to me a working brake is something which has tonnes of lock but can be modulated (a pretty hard brake to get) ← You see this is what i'm getting at, i could not use that setup. I wouldn't be able to ride. I would be able to do things my bike couldn't. ZOO! pads ://: Smooth Rim ://: Tiny amount of Tar. Awesome lock and bearly slips on anything! Best brake ever! Scotty ← Thats what i'm running at the moment, but alot of tar. And i'm quite happy with it. But like Simon was saying, a working brake dosn't use tar, people using tar are probably getting all pissed of at him, thinking i use tar and i have a good brake. But there are people who have really shit setups, maura blacks half of the smooth rim, who think they have a great setup. Simon looks down on our brake setup, and we would look down on theirs. I think at the end of the day, it's what you get used to. If i got a grind and some proper hard pads, i probably wouldn't go back to using tar. But at the moment i am used to my brake, and never used a grind, so i happy as i am now. I supose you could compare it to beening blind from birth, and then just being happy, and content, as you consider yourself normal, becuase you never have been able to see, so you don't know how good it is. :blink: Edited June 15, 2005 by JT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Motivator Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 A brake that you know when it locks and when you lock the brake with your finger you can jump on the leading pedal and the wheel wont slip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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