The Brakeset:

Halt! Who goes there?

This particular style of brake is called a "disc brake." This is one of the most powerful type of brakes available for bicycles. It is also one of the more expensive & complex to maintain brakesets. But aside from that, they are the preferred type of brake for off-road or touring applications because of their power and their ability to stop in almost any condition (i.e. muddy or wet conditions).

They are also less suseptible to damage because they are a separate system. Other brakesets that utilize the rim of a wheelset to stop a bike are prone to damage.....if a wheelset is bent, the braking surface is no longer flat. And when the surface is irregular, the brake calipers cannot properly compress to stop the bike. Discs however are less likely to be damaged due to their isolated location closer to the center of the wheelset.

There are two types of disc brakes:

- Hydraulic: Just like on a motorcycle or automobile system, this type uses brake fluid to activate the brake calipers. When the brake lever on the handlebar is pulled, it forces fluid thru high pressure tubing to the calipers. The fluid then pushes brake shoes to compress a disc.

- Mechanical: Mechanical disc brake systems use a cable system typical of other styles of brake mechanisms to activate the calipers. These types of brakesets are not as powerful as their hydraulic counterparts or for that matter most other types of brakes, but are getting better.

If you can't afford a disc brakeset, these style of rim brakes are a good alternative. They are a very simple design that utilize cables and leverage to provide powerful braking. They are also relatively inexpensive compared to discs. Let's take a look at each:

- Cantilever: This style of brake has been around for many, many years. It utilizes two arms which are mounted on brake studs on the bike frame. The two arms are attached together using a stradle cable. The stradle cable is attached to a main cable that goes to the lever. When the brake lever is activated, it pulls the two arms together, compressing the rim of the wheel.

- V-Brakes: The v-brake is a step up from the cantilever. It also utilizes two arms mounted to a brake studs. But instead of using a central stradle cable to attach the two arms, the main cable attaches directly to both arms: The main cable and cable housing travel from the lever to a metal tube attached to one brake arm. This metal tube is called a "noodle." The cable housing stops at this point, but the cable continues out and attaches to the second brake arm. When the brake lever is activated, it pulls the second arm in, which in turn forces the first arm to pull in as well, compressing the wheel.

- U-Brakes: The u-brake uses a center plate which forces two brake arms out, thus compressing the rim. This is the weakest and most unpopular brake of this group and has pretty much gone the way of the dodo bird. These brakes came out during the mid-80's when mountain biking enjoyed an explosion in popularity. But because of their poor performance they are no longer widely used.

These styles are popular on mountain and touring bikes. Be advised: v-brake levers are made specifically for v-brakes only. You CANNOT use a brake lever designed for a cantilever or U-brake on a v-brake without a special adaptor. But you CAN use a v-brake lever on a cantilever or U-brake.

Caliper brakes (also known as sidepull brakes) are typically used for road bicycles. They consists of two arms attached to either a single or dual pivot point (more on that below) and connected to a main cable. Like the v-brake, the cable housing and main cable attach to one arm but without the use of a "noodle." The housing stops at this arm, but the main cable continues out and attaches to the second arm. When the brake lever is activated, it pulls the second arm in, which in turn forces the first arm to pull in as well, compressing the rim of the wheel.

- Single pivot: Single pivot brakes were once the common design of the caliper brake. A central bolt, joined two separate arms together and also served as the mounting bolt for the brake caliper to the bicycle. Nowadays single pivot brakes are usually seen on less-expensive road, mountain and BMX style bikes.

- Dual pivot: (The brake in the photo above) Dual pivot brakesets are now the standard brakes of choice for any "serious" road bike or certain categories of BMX bikes. Instead of a central bolt that joined the arms, there is a half-cresent shaped piece of metal with two pivots. One pivot is on one end of the cresent and holds one arm, plus serves as a mounting bolt for the brake assembly. The other pivot is on other end of the cresent and holds the other arm. This maximizes the power of the brakes (similar in concept to the v-brake).

There are other kinds of brakes as well: Coaster brakes, drum brakes, hydraulic rim brakes, etc. etc. Of all these brakes, coaster brakes are the most common brakes found on beach cruisers, older BMX or kids style bikes.

Coaster brakes are integrated into the rear hub of the bicycle's rear wheelset. This is not a brakeset as compared to the previously described brakes, because coaster brakes do not use any levers, hydraulic lines or cables to activate them. If the rider wants to stop, all they have to do is pedal backwards just slightly until the pedals stop and continue applying backward pressure in order to bring the bike to a stop. The way you can tell, visually, if a bike has coaster brakes is to look at the rear hub of the bicycle on the opposite side of the drivetrain (the side with no chain or gearing). You will see a small "L" shaped device coming from the hub and clamped on to the chainstay. That device helps activate the brake when you pedal backwards.

Most modern wheelsets have rim sidewalls that are machined to enhance braking. Cheaper wheels usually have bare metal sides that are smooth, but not machined or are just painted/powder coated. Machined surfaces are the best because they provide superior grip to the brake shoes in the most adverse conditions compared to a surface that is not machined.

The Brakeset: Return to Bike Anatomy Home