From: v561whw2@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Kevin P O'Neill)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles
Subject: Re: Force 40 Brakes
Date: 8 Apr 92 12:32:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <1992Apr8.025950.844@beaver.cs.washington.edu>, pardo@cs.washington.edu (David Keppel) writes...
>gday@cs.ubc.ca (Gordon Day) writes:
>>Is it possible to have the rims designed such that they channels in
>>the sides to allow water to channel away under the brake pads on a
>>caliper brake?  We get enough rain up here in British Columbia to
>>make the question something more just academic interest :-).
> 
>Brake *pads* are already designed for drainage.
> 
>There are `scrapers' for MTBs that are supposed to remove excess mud
>before it gets to the pads.  Anybody have experience with these?  Do
>they work for water, too?

	The "scrapers" are called rim rakes and they are sold by Delta (at
the moment I can't remember Delta's original name, btw Delta is a distributor).
A friend of mine swears by them.  I would have tried them, but for two reasons.
The first is that they only work on Aztec Kool Stops (I'm fairly postive about
this, although it might be a pad that resembles the Kool Stop), and I didn't 
want to change my pads become I'm extremely satisfied with them.  The second 
reason is that I run fat tires on narrow rims, and I have very little room for
brake pad misadjustment.  The rim rakes excerbate this problem, with the result
the rakes would come too close to my tire's sidewalls for me to feel 
comfortable.  I'm afeared that if the rim goes out of round even a little bit,
there would be a good chance of the rake cutting through the sidewall of my 
tires.  
	A pad that works well under extreme conditions is the Wilderness Trail 
Bikes Gripmasters.  The Gripmasters are availiable with two different pads. 
these are abrasive pads that were originally designed to dress the rims through
abrasion (these work beautifully in snow, rain and mud), and a normal use pad.  
Although the abrasive pads offer better braking, they wear at a quicker rate 
than any pad I've ever used, and they will wear out the sidewalls of the rim 
quicker than any pad on the market - but they really are effective when it comes
to stopping the bike.  The normal use pads wear out at near the same rate as 
other pads, and they don't wear out rims any quicker than other pads.  But they 
still work better than any of the aftermarket pads I've tried (Aztec Koolstops,
Scott/Mathauser pads, and Eagle claws to name those that came to mind). 
	However, the downside is that these pads are initially very expensive, 
about 28 bucks retail.  The cost is due in part to the pad holders which are 
very well made.  They are machined holders, and they are very stiff.  There is
very little flex in the holder, which means that I get by with no toe-in (which
may be one reason why these brake pads work so well - It seems to me that less t
oe-in means that more surface area is used during braking).  The holders are 
also curved to match the curvature of the rim.  But the 28 bucks is only the 
intial cost, because the pads holders are recyclable, and when the pads are 
worn out, pack them up and send them to WTB.  For 10 bills and a little extra 
to cover shipping, they will repad the holders.  Although this is still a 
little more than most aftermarket pads cost, the performance of the WTB pads 
and holders are worth the extra money.  


						Cars generally suck,

								   Kevin

>	;-D on  ( No brakes, no brakes! )  Pardo
From: arnie@col.hp.com (Arnie Berger)
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 14:47:00 GMT
Subject: Re: Avoiding airline charges
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division