mattheus wrote:Given that hard late braking is best, I wonder if better brakes *do* help?
This is the thing.
Unless your brakes are GOOD, you
cannot do the "hard and late" thing.
That was my issue with 20" wheel Moulton.
One: the original Tektro brakes were bendy and flexible so they wouldn't squeeze hard enough.
Two: the rims were black.
I would expect that if I were to re-fit the black rims (I still have them) and retain the Shimano 105 brakes as they are now,
and do the same ride twice measuring the rim temperature silver rim vs black rim ............ the black rims would be warmer.
Not going to do it, but it would be a valid experiment to compare silver CR18 rims and black Moulton MT20 rims.
hamster wrote:Mick F wrote:Yes, they slow faster too, but at the point of brake application, the rim is going past at a tremendous speed compared to a 700c bike.
Not so. The rim touches the road and is going past the brake at exactly the same speed as the bike is travelling. Only because the rim circumference is smaller, the smaller wheel makes more rotations. But the linear speed of the rim is the same.
I utterly agree, but you're not catching what I'm saying.
At the moment of braking, the wheel is spinning at a higher speed than on a normal bike. The wheel top is twice the road speed of course like any wheel. The axle is moving at road speed, the bottom of the wheel is stationary, but the top of the wheel is therefore twice the road speed ............................. but the rotation rate is very much higher than a normal wheel.
At the moment of braking, the wheel needs to be slowed from a higher rpm.
Mick F. Cornwall