Saturday, September 1, 2007

Squeaky Squeaky!

I just built up the DeSalvo cross bike and rode it pretty hard yesterday. The bike is built with Empella Froglegs and SwissStop Rat brakepads. I could not believe how much fricking squeaking and fork shuddering there is. I can't even stop the bike without the whole neighborhood getting pissed at me. Then, after tightening the bolt that tightens the brake post, I noticed that it just keeps spinning. The whole set up is totally stripped! I never really liked these Empella froglegs, but I just spent $30 on getting some super nice pads for them. Sigh.

So my new big thing is Mini V-brakes. there are some promising articles on weight weenies and roadbikereview where people are using Mini V-brakes with road levers and having success with them(Predictable braking in wet, no squeaking or shuddering, and inexpensive!) I bought a pair of Tektro RX5 to test out. They are only 25 dollars for the whole set. Insane. I would love for them to work out. Have any of you guys tried Mini V-brakes? I spend way too much time worrying about the perfect brake system, but someone has to be thinking about these things right? Of course the best would be a super-light mini disk system. I am at the airport now flying to Wisconsin for a wedding.

3 comments:

pvb said...

The mini V-brakes have been trumped by the nano, but I hear there will be a mid-season release of angstro V's and those should be totally trick.

My old Avid brakes were ungodly noisy, but I think it worked to my advantage as I can only imagine how unnerving it must have been for whomever was riding in front of me to hear what must have sounded like a mud pig in heat bearing down on them in some corner or descent.

Wisconsin native, JD, and I, as well as some other CB riders made an early morning assault on stade de Harvard this morning...we've got to start hitting that more often...weekday AM sessions.

Yash Katsumi said...

Yeah dude, I am planning to make some official barriers and leave them there. When it starts to get dark early, we will move the practices to 6AM so that we can be on the bus and be ready for work by 8:20AM.

Anonymous said...

hot damn. after this post I went and dropped unimaginable amounts of currency on several types of brakes available. nothing worked, still a weird rhythmic squeaking. frustrated, I took my penny-farthing out for a spin to junior's cheesecake out on dekalb and discovered that sound was actually my fat veiny thighs rubbing together! having read yash's earlier posts, I have started the sportlegs diet today and have already lost 10 lbs of mexican consumed in red hook this weekend.