Bikeguide.org - Bike maintenance for BMX'ers

The Street => The Bike Shop => Topic started by: Boomhauer on January 19, 2016, 09:13:18 AM

Title: questions for front and rear brake users.
Post by: Boomhauer on January 19, 2016, 09:13:18 AM
So. I plan to do another 2 brake bike and want some ideas on what to use, I have Revenge brakes for the rear and a monolever small lever for the front but need front brakes, fresh pads for both, a rear brake lever and cable  and advice on whether to buy a new wire, inner liner and aluminum bits for my Nokon front brake cable or just get something else, also.. Odyssey gtx-r still the best gyro?

Suggestions on brake stuff and forks with brake mounts would be appreciated.

Thanks guys.
Title: Re: questions for front and rear brake users.
Post by: paranoidmexican on January 19, 2016, 09:45:25 AM
Here's what I use, I never have any problems. Everything runs smooth, I use this purple lube in my cables and chain.
http://www.amazon.com/Purple-Extreme-Bicycle-Chain-Lube/dp/B002OHUQGU

https://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS/486083/Eclat_Sniper_Brake_Lever.html (times 2)
https://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS/480010/Odyssey_Evolver_2_U-Brake.html (front brake)
https://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS/480024/Odyssey_Springfield_U-Brake.html (rear)
https://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS/512125/Odyssey_GTX-S_Aluminum_Detangler.html
http://flatlandfuel.com/snafuastroglideuppergyrocable.aspx
https://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS/511003/Odyssey_Detangler_Cables.html
https://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS/489036/Odyssey_Slic_Cable.html

forks with 990 mounts (not including zero offset flatland forks)
https://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS/353337/Bone_Deth_Bottom_Feeder_Fork.html
https://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS/353035/Deco_Fu_Fork_V2.html
https://www.danscomp.com/products-PARTS/353306/Odyssey_F25_Freestyle_Fork.html
http://flatlandfuel.com/harolineage990fork.aspx
http://flatlandfuel.com/sandmfastpitchfork.aspx
http://flatlandfuel.com/wethepeopleutopiafork.aspx
http://www.empirebmx.com/sm-pitchfork
http://www.empirebmx.com/tree-bicycle-co-okan-fork

hope this helps, can't wait to see what you end up running!





Title: Re: questions for front and rear brake users.
Post by: JFax on January 19, 2016, 12:15:21 PM
Suelo front brake. Nothing else comes close. Love my eclat lever, would recommend. For cables and detangler I use Impurity, pretty good but hard to get. I would get a snafu system
Title: Re: questions for front and rear brake users.
Post by: GUMP_ on January 19, 2016, 04:01:11 PM
I like the evo2 for the front. Comes with everything you need to run fronts.

I'm running evo2 in the front, fly Classico in the back using odyssey cables and dirt Harry levers
Title: Re: questions for front and rear brake users.
Post by: dude... on January 19, 2016, 05:38:17 PM
evos are decent on the front, might not be as good as the suelo, not sure cos ive never used one
Title: Re: questions for front and rear brake users.
Post by: cmc4130 on January 20, 2016, 12:30:35 PM
. . . . monolever small lever . . .

Short levers have less leverage.   

If you're wanting to do one finger braking it's still better to move your lever in further on your bars, use a long grip, then grab the end of a longer lever, like Tech 77's.

The most important factors in bmx braking (in order of importance):

1. THE CABLE. Extremely-well lubed, non-kinked inner cable and non-kinked housing  (Linear etc. are great, but even old Odyssey Slic's work very well). FILL the housing with Tri-Flow or other lube.

2.  Brake lever that doesn't flex, and a long lever is better. Tech 77 = classic.

3.  Pads.  With certain painted rims, you do need a stickier/gummier pad.  Chrome rims do work better, but with the right pads, painted rims work well too.

The brakes themselves are less important.  True, some flex less than others, but even a cheap Dia-Tech Hombre can work amazing, if the things above are dialed in.

Also less important is cleaning rims and pads.  When people start talking about Simple Green, Windex, Coke etc., these are just band-aid issues.  Yes, clean surfaces do brake better. But, if you're needing to do this, you probably have a non-lubed kinked cable and crappy lever. 
Title: Re: questions for front and rear brake users.
Post by: Boomhauer on January 21, 2016, 09:14:13 AM
Thanks much guys, I mostly got the responses I hoped for and expected.. I'll probably get suelo brakes for the front but I'm still not sure if I should spend the $$$ making my Nokon work right or just get something simple.

Gyro is between the Odyssey or Snafu, Shadow is out of the question even if Bezanson rides em.

Deco Fu forks or fastpitch are my go to choices but I'm gonna take what I can get for now..

Brake pads are the main issue now, I'll probably only have painted rims for the bike so I plan to strip em raw and  use clear pads.. But I can't remember which brand came super highly reccomended a couple years back.

This will probably be the third time I try to run brakes in the last 15 years so my knowledge is super dated
Title: Re: questions for front and rear brake users.
Post by: GUMP_ on January 21, 2016, 07:25:02 PM
I'm running red odyssey pads at the moment on the front on chrome. Does alright.


The clear flys I was running where real nice but where a few years old so they shredded to pieces pretty quick due to being brittle
Title: Re: questions for front and rear brake users.
Post by: CHROME_RIMS_YO on January 22, 2016, 01:19:34 AM
i am not psyched with the snafu mobeus detangler. it has a lot of friction in the bushing area when i pull the lever. i found out while trying xup abubacas. it jerked my whole top gyro plate crooked and tweaked my top cable housing. instead i now run a 17 year old piece of shit sst oryg detangler that's been dremeled out to fit my fsa impact integrated headset top cap. it's functional, yet it provides a laugh. my rear brakes feel amazing. dual lower odyssey linear cables, dragonfly upper, s&m gyro plate, v1 fly brake arms, chrome rims.

for fronts i have an f25 with evo2's, tech 77, and an odyssey slic (non linear) cable, and a chrome front rim. i like running minimal spring tension, yet i still want that clack clack on/off stiff brake feel and i can achieve that with a lot of triflow sprayed into the housing. so far so good. i've had 2 sessions on this setup and the last time my bike regularly had front brakes was when jason enns rode a kink empire frame. i like the 25mm offset of the fork for easily popping into and balancing on front brake tricks. i'd be curious to try out a nokon cable for the tight bends it can make. i bet it'd be a little smoother and make it possible to run slightly less spring tension.
Title: Re: questions for front and rear brake users.
Post by: JFax on January 22, 2016, 02:30:20 AM
I ran a WTP Utopia fork with removable tabs (like the Deco) and I would recommend getting welded lugs. Mine came off a couple of times and it was super annoying and difficult to fix.
Title: Re: questions for front and rear brake users.
Post by: Boomhauer on January 22, 2016, 11:59:27 PM
I ran a WTP Utopia fork with removable tabs (like the Deco) and I would recommend getting welded lugs. Mine came off a couple of times and it was super annoying and difficult to fix.
I have an entire bottle of red thread locker I've just been waiting to use. Lmao! I've had the Odyssey flatland fork with removable mounts and it was fine but thanks for the heads up, I'll keep that in mind.