“No housing? No problem”: Cyclist baffled why brakes no longer work after shocking DIY cable botch job – then complains mechanic charged him too much; Van der Poel returns to racing – but no Strade Bianche, team says + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“If they really wanted to clean up the sport, they should have stayed and done something about it. They knew what was going on all along, they were there when all the big scandals happened”
Following last week’s news that Rabobank is returning to professional cycling as the jersey sponsor of its old Visma-Lease a Bike squads, road.cc spoke to the team’s former leader Michael Rasmussen – an ex-pro synonymous with the Dutch bank’s scandal-laden years in charge – to discuss what’s changed in pro cycling since 2012, and why Rabobank should never have left in the first place:
“If they really wanted to clean up the sport, they should have stayed”: Rabobank’s return to pro cycling – decade after leaving due to doping scandals – a “no brainer”, says Michael Rasmussen
Pog Punk
Speaking of Strade Bianche and a certain world champion, it looks like Tadej Pogačar and Urška Žigart’s build-up to this weekend’s Tuscan classic is of the pleasant, relaxed variety, at least judging by his latest sunny Instagram training and coffee stop video.
Not jealous at all…
And cheers Tadej for ditching the usual rap Insta soundtrack and for catering to us pop punk (or should that be Pog punk?) millennials with a smattering of mid-90s Green Day…
No Strade Bianche for Mathieu van der Poel, team says – as Arnaud De Lie and Paul Magnier join Dutch superstar on Le Samyn start list
Today’s the day, folks. After another imperiously dominant winter on the cyclocross bike, as we reported yesterday, Mathieu van der Poel is set to make a surprise early return to road racing today at Le Samyn, the Walloon cobbled race that serves as an epilogue to Belgium’s Opening Weekend.
The 30-year-old was initially planning to kick off his road season at Tirreno-Adriatico next week, but has now instead opted for an early leg loosener on the slightly more forgiving pavé of Wallonia as he begins his monument preparation.
However, despite Van der Poel’s early return to action spawning speculation that Strade Bianche – the race he won in blistering fashion in 2021 – could be on the cards this Saturday, Alpecin’s co-manager Christoph Roodhooft has come along to spoil the party, telling Het Nieuwsblad that Tuscany’s iconic gravel classic will not make it onto his Dutch star’s programme.
(Cor Vos/SWPix.com)
Instead, Van der Poel will follow his season debut at Le Samyn with an Italian double whammy of Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-Samremo, which he won in 2023, before turning his attention to the Flemish classics in late March and a hugely anticipated showdown with Tadej Pogačar.
Nevertheless, with his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Jasper Philipsen arguably emerging as the man of Opening Weekend, taking third at Omloop and a long-awaited victory at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne after a stuttering start to the season, Van der Poel’s social media proclamation that the “itch” to race was getting too strong will surely send an ominous shiver down the spines of Alpecin’s rivals.
Among those rivals this afternoon will be Belgian champion Arnaud De Lie and Soudal Quick-Step’s in-form wunderkind Paul Magnier, fresh off second at Omloop on Saturday.
(Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)
“Second place is a bit frustrating, especially as I was so close, but at the end of the day, it’s a podium in my first cobbled classic,” 20-year-old Magnier said at the weekend.
“So, at the same time, I am happy with this result after a hard race and an equally hard sprint in the headwind. It’s a good result for us and for our confidence to kick off the classics. Now I will focus on Le Samyn and hopefully I will be in the position to fight for a good result also there.”
Can I upload this U-turn to Strava?
Strava users can once again share links across the app, after the social fitness giant U-turned on its unpopular decision to remove URL links, hailing “significant improvements” in spam detection and prevention systems in recent months.
Read more: > Strava users can add links again as social fitness giant apologises for “disruptive” policy
Guess who’s back, back again?
Forget the Tour Down Under, forget your Middle East and Med tune-ups, even forget Opening Weekend (I know, I feel bad even writing that). The phony wars are over, Mathieu van der Poel has pinned on a number on the road – the cycling season has properly commenced now.
Roll on Samremo and the Ronde…
British cycling coach accuses UCI of threatening to fine children, takes governing body to European Commission for ‘unfairly blocking’ riders from cycle event
An interesting development here in the world of mountain bike trials, where a British coach and event organiser is taking the UCI to the European Commission, after accusing the sport’s governing body of breaking antitrust laws for “unfairly blocking” cyclists, particularly children, from competing in rival, non-UCI events.
Read more: > British cycling coach accuses UCI of threatening to fine children, takes governing body to European Commission for ‘unfairly blocking’ riders from cycle event
‘Oi mate, could you open that gate up ahead for me? Cheers’
Now it’s time for today’s excruciating bike crash video that you’ll end up watching over and over again:
Ouch… Talk about taking one for the team. Deary me.
Lorena Wiebes chalks up 97th pro win with dominant sprint at Le Samyn, as Ireland’s Lara Gillespie continues promising start to the season with third place
Lorena Wiebes edged ever closer to that landmark 100th career victory this afternoon, chalking up win number 97 with a perfectly executed uphill sprint at Le Samyn.
The European champion, left isolated as a reduced bunch approached the finish of the cobbled semi-classic in Dour, surfed the wheels perfectly, latching onto Georgia Baker’s Liv AlUla Jayco lead out before launching her trademark blistering acceleration with 150m to go to seal another dominant win.
Uno-X’s Linda Zanetti proved best of the rest behind the on-fire Wiebes, as UAE Team ADQ’s Irish prospect Lara Gillespie continued her brilliant start to the season with a close third.
The 23-year-old’s strong sprint on the drag in Dour saw her secure her second one-day podium in three days, following up on Sunday’s second place at Omloop van het Hageland, as well as her European elimination title on the track last month.
“It’s nice to win in the spring, and it’s nice to do it in this race, and actually, I enjoyed it,” Wiebes, who despite closing in on a century of wins is still two weeks shy of her 26th birthday, said at the finish.
“It was pretty chaotic, like always on the Belgian roads. We had a good position every time going into the cobbled section, the team did a good job.
“Unfortunately, we lost Elena Cecchini in a crash, so we had one rider less, but the girls brought me perfectly every time on the cobbles. One time, I tried it myself because I had good legs, I enjoyed it. I felt really ready for the sprint, and I like it when it’s slightly uphill also.”
I’m sure someone at SD Worx is preparing all the ‘100’ social media videos as we speak.
“Van der Poel lost his rainbow jersey and turned into a showman again”
He may be just a few hours into his 2025 road season, but Mathieu van der Poel – ever the show boater – is already busy lighting the blue touch paper this afternoon at Le Samyn.
With 65km to go to the finish of the Belgian one-day race, the Dutch superstar shot off the front on his own, in what appeared at the time to be an attempt to launch an early bid for the ‘most audacious solo attack of 2025’ (a category that will almost certainly be contested by his old mate Tadej Pogačar come the monuments).
Despite getting us all excited, that move was quickly nullified by a nervous bunch. That didn’t deter Van der Poel, however, who hit out again with 50km remaining, this time in the company of Taco van der Hoorn, as they exited the race’s main cobbled stretch for another brief mid-race interval session.
van der Poel lost his WC jersey and turned into a showman again
— Matthias (@nairoingreen.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Quickly caught once more – they won’t let MVDP get away that easily – he’s currently sitting safely in the peloton as it enters the last few laps around Dour. I wouldn’t bet against him launching another speculative attack before the race is over, of course, the mood he’s in at the moment.
And with Van der Poel in showman mode as he starts his road campaign, it bodes very well for this spring’s anticipated showdown with a certain Slovenian…
Brompton celebrates 50th birthday by releasing new 12-speed version of iconic C Line
2025, believe it or not, marks half a century since Brompton was founded by Andrew Ritchie, and to kick off its golden jubilee year, the iconic folding bike company is paying homage to its original model, the C Line, by expanding its range and adding a new 12-speed option.
Famed for its three-part fold, and inspiring the rest of the British brand’s range, Brompton says the C Line is “lighter, more portable, and available in more options” than ever before.
The new 12-speed version, a system first used on the P Line model, now sits alongside the old two and six-speed C Lines, while the bike’s ‘advanced rear frame’, Brompton says, “allows owners to glide and steer their folded bikes through railway stations and entrance foyers with the seat post locked halfway up”.
The new C Line 12-speed, which is available in a range of colours, including flamingo pink, amethyst lacquer (which is apparently purple), and Brompton classic Turkish green, is available to order from tomorrow.
League One footballer admits causing cyclist’s death by careless driving
> Professional footballer admits causing death of cyclist
Boom! Mathieu van der Poel starts season in style with explosive, dominant uphill sprint victory at Le Samyn
Be afraid, be very afraid.
Those speculative, showboating digs early on all turned out to be a ruse. At Le Samyn, his first day racing on the road in 2025, Mathieu van der Poel wasn’t simply content with launching a few TV attacks and easing his way into the classics campaign, eyes on the bigger prizes ahead over the next six weeks.
Nope. As a whittled down bunch entered the final lap of a race which had proved frenetic if lacking in decisive moments – and where the benign conditions meant it was incredibly difficult for moves to stick – the grey-clad Van der Poel began to lurk ominously near the front, following the accelerations along the cobbles with ease, focus now not on doomed attacks but on that drag in Dour.
For one of his main rivals, Arnaud De Lie, things weren’t so breezily straightforward, the Belgian champion forced into a late chase after an ill-timed mechanical, before ultimately being boxed in during a chaotic final few hundred metres.
Better placed as the road reared up to the line was the other pre-race favourite, the in-form French hope Paul Magnier – in fact, the 20-year-old, a canny operator for one so young, had latched onto Van der Poel’s wheel.
Not that it mattered in the end. When the former world champion hit the front and rose out of the saddle with 150m to go, it was all over very quickly. Magnier, who hasn’t been out of the top three all year, was forced to sit down in surrender, another second place bagged, such was the ferocity of Van der Poel’s opening statement.
And what an opening statement. Considering he wasn’t even meant to be racing Le Samyn – the rain in Spain meant it made more sense to pin on a number in Belgium, apparently – the ease with which he destroyed the opposition in the sprint can only be construed as a signal of intent, a warning shot fired in the direction of Flanders.
“I was feeling pretty strong during the race, but it wasn’t hard enough to make a difference, and I feel like a lot of teams were watching me,” a relaxed Van der Poel, account opened for 2025, said at the finish.
“So, with 50km to go I said to my teammates that I was going to save my legs for the sprint. Because I knew I was capable of winning on a finish like this – and that’s what I did, and I’m very happy with this win.”
And that’s what he did. And, by the looks of things, what he may be doing throughout the spring. Does anyone else hear the Jaws theme?
Doddie Aid 2025 raises over £1.35 million for motor neurone disease research
This year’s Doddie Aid, which saw people cycle, walk, run, or swim over a million miles during the first five weeks of 2025, raised a total of £1.35m for motor neurone disease research, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation announced this week.
That means the foundation, set up by the late Scotland rugby player Doddie Weir, who died in 2022, six years after his MND diagnosis, has now contributed £19.5m to research into effective treatments and ultimately a cure for the disease.
Doddie’s Grand Tour, the latest edition of the now-annual long-distance cycle led by Weir’s former teammate and friend Rob Wainwright also raised £763,304 this year.
This year’s ride saw Wainwright – accompanied by former Ireland international Gordon D’Arcy, Scottish rugby legend Scott Hastings, around-the-world cyclist Mark Beaumont, and Doddie’s wife Kathy – cycle 800 miles from Dublin to Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, where he handed over the match ball to Sir Chris Hoy ahead of the Scotland-Ireland Six Nations tie.
“Doddie Aid is all about getting active, having fun, and raising money to help fund the research that could change lives,” former flanker Wainwright said in a statement announcing this year’s charity totals.
“Every year, the response is incredible, and this year was no different. A huge thanks to everyone who took part this year and to all those who joined us on Doddie’5 Grand Tour ride and donated to another ambitious challenge.
“Like Doddie, I believe MND isn’t incurable, it’s just underfunded, and that drives us forward every day. Every mile, every donation, and every new research project we fund is all about bringing real hope – and one day, a cure – to people living with MND.”
“This perfectly sums up 100 per cent of the cycling infrastructure in the UK”: Road safety campaigners produce striking ‘broken bridge’ poster to call for properly connected cycle networks
The Biking Lawyer – the Canada-based “personal injury lawyer for cyclists” who went viral back in 2023 for his tongue-in-cheek ‘advert’ suggesting cars should be hi-vis – is at it again this week, flipping anti-cycling tropes on their head and redirecting them towards motorists and their vehicles.
This time he’s teamed up with cycling safety activist Tom Flood to produce this striking poster, putting a motoring twist on the age-old question: ‘Why don’t cyclists use the cycle lanes?’
“We’re not seeing drivers using the new bridge we built,” the parody ad poster, featuring a bridge the quality of which most cycling infrastructure can only aspire to, proclaims.
On a more serious note, the poster continues at the bottom: “Connected networks are just as important for people on bikes as they are for those driving cars.”
And, just like that earlier hi-vis car ad, it appears ‘The Bridge’ has captured the imagination.
“Perfect metaphor,” said one BlueSky user. “Exactly what I try to explain to all the ‘no one uses that bike lane’ and the ‘no one rides the metro’ people.
“If it comes from and goes nowhere, who does it serve what does it encourage? Build a network, not an island!”
Absolutely, Paint isn’t infrastructure
— Mark On A Bike (@mtonabike.bsky.social) March 3, 2025 at 2:46 PM
“This perfectly sums up 100 per cent of the cycling infrastructure in the UK,” added Girl on a Brompton.
“This is very likely right. Can anyone think of a single cycling journey they might have reason to make in the UK that would not involve at least one stretch of the ride designed to put you in danger?” replied John.
“I can’t. The sample size is small (so far), but the 100 per cent number holds!”
Some, meanwhile, with their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks, saw nothing wrong with Tom and the Biking Lawyer’s bridge.
“There’s no need to even build the bridge,” joked one user. “Nobody is swimming across the river, so they must not need to get to the other side.”
“A couple of ramps and it would be fine,” wrote CykelTony.
Or surely all the drivers could get out and push their cars, right?
“No housing? No problem”: Cyclist baffled why brakes no longer work after shocking DIY cable botch job – then complains that mechanic who fixed issue charged him too much
Another day, another live blog, another DIY mechanical horror story – that had quite a few of us in the road.cc office making involuntary noises…
Yikes. And you thought there was only one kind of housing crisis going on at the moment.
This extreme – and inane – form of bike fettling, described by the ever-reliable Trench Tales as “some absolutely outstanding front brake BS”, was part of the owner’s attempt to “improve” his machine, apparently… by just ditching all that completely useless brake cable housing, naturally.
If by ‘improve’, he meant making his e-mountain bike extremely dangerous, then great job (wait until Adrian Chiles hears about this).
“The guy told me he had been ‘changing/ improving things on the bike’. He told me he doesn’t understand why the brakes don’t work anymore,” the baffled mechanic posted on Instagram after being presented with that monstrosity.
“Basically, he just removed the WHOLE housing of the front brake cable. He also removed the end cap of the rear housing, causing it to shrink and decompose.
“He was 100 per cent serious. And at the end, he told me what I charged him was too much.”
Classic. And it turns out everyone else is just as bemused by those cable shenanigans.
“On a suspension fork no less,” one Instagram user commented, amid a plethora of “Oh My” and “Wow” remarks and exasperated GIFs.
“Dude is out here innovating and disrupting,” another, more glass half full, commenter said, while Jason promised: “I’m doing this to all my bikes today”.
Just don’t give off about the price when it all goes wrong, alright?
Meanwhile, in the road.cc group chat, the dismay was palpable.
“I make fun of my own bike-fettling skills (or lack of),” said writer and bike reviewer Simon Withers, “But sheesh, what planet was that person on?!”
Sure, who needs housing anyway?
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Latest Comments
The cyclist here needs to look into Section 142 of the Magistrates' Court Act 1980, firstly because there was no offence, and secondly because it appears that the police mislead the Court. "A magistrates’ court may vary or rescind a sentence or other order imposed or made by it when dealing with an offender if it appears to the court to be in the interests of justice to do so;] and it is hereby declared that this power extends to replacing a sentence or order which for any reason appears to be invalid by another which the court has power to impose or make." https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/43/section/142
I wonder how well advised the cyclist was in Court? And in this case would cycling legal insurance cover the cost of a specialist solicitor?
@quiff I would expect the police had not been trained with the change, perhaps.
@courteousdriver The Highway Code does not differentiate between cars and bikes in this instance, it says that when overtaking parked cars you must give way to oncoming traffic. It's not for you to decide whether or not they have sufficient space in your opinion, you should not drive in the oncoming traffic lane if there is any oncoming traffic, full stop. Not a difficult rule to understand and one that one would have thought a self-named courteousdriver would have no trouble obeying.
@mctrials23 It seems to me that the car moved closer to the kerb on his side of the road, and the cyclist was able to proceed entirely within his own lane - both at very slow speed. So there is no ground for an offence. The concerning point is that the copper thinks that the same "gap" should apply to the different types of vehicle. That's peak carbrain.
Peripheral to your point, but parking facing oncoming traffic is advised against at all times, but only an offence at night, I think?
@mac f 1896 If you look closely at the video you will see that the cyclist remains entirely in his own lane on his side of the white lines as he passes the oncoming vehicle, which also stays entirely within its lane. There is therefore no need for either road user to give way to the other and as they are both travelling at low speeds there is no danger to themselves or to any other road users. I would love to see a transcript of the magistrates' court proceedings as prima facie there is no justification in law for the guilty finding or for the penalty imposed.
@perce pedantry but I think Séamus Ennis would be scunnered with that ... had he not been Irish... (Uilleann pipes are bagpipes of course, though personally I'd much rather those - or small pipes - than the GHB)
@quiff I think you are probably right here - but - is that _really_ being inconsiderate to the oncoming driver? Looking again at the video, the oncoming driver appears to be over the centre line when approaching the parked vehicle and just seems to be straightening the bend a little, so you would expect them to be moving towards the kerb anyway. As driving interactions go, it's about as benign as it gets. I expect the magistrate has never ridden a bicycle, but I also wonder if they've ever driven a car?!
Thanks - I only had a quick peek on Streetview and I'm glad it works for locals, but it looked like "you say 'shared used facility', I say 'same old not-over-generous footway now with the odd blue sign". We don't need cycle paths absolutely everywhere, but looking at the size of the road, where it goes and runs though I would be thinking more like this (minus parked cars): https://maps.app.goo.gl/gswbQefKzc47nEJm8 Or... declare it an urban freeway and get rid of the junctions and houses next to it! Maximum flow...
38 thoughts on ““No housing? No problem”: Cyclist baffled why brakes no longer work after shocking DIY cable botch job – then complains mechanic charged him too much; Van der Poel returns to racing – but no Strade Bianche, team says + more on the live blog”
Removing the cable outers,
Removing the cable outers, what a smart way to reduce weight! I see the routing also ensures the shortest cable can be used, another way to lower weight. Maybe he could start drilling the forks and frame to make his bike lighter still?
He should apply the drillium
He should apply the drillium technique to save weight on that big heavy battery, it’s so bulky too, aero holes will help.
The frame is metal, so doesnt
The frame is metal, so doesnt need the cables from the battery to the motor, just pass the current through the chainstay
ROOTminus1 wrote:
Yes indeed, that’s a great suggestion! But he should drill the battery holes longitudinally instead of crosswise, to maximise aerodynamic efficiency.
The solution to the “issue”
The solution to the “issue” of no outer with suspension forks is obviously just to lock them out. This is no doubt why the lock-out function exists.
Also, when you need to loosen the cable for maintenance you just unlock the forks and get someone heavy to sit on the bike whilst you do whatever fettling this great innovation needs.
He should be sent off to work
He should be sent off to work for Elon at doge, that’s the sort of innovation only the USA can truly appreciate!
Cheapest mechanical ABS
Cheapest mechanical ABS design ever!
Alternatively, should have got brake fluid top-up at a motorbike garage 😉
I like that bridge metaphor
I like that bridge metaphor
I get the impression from
I get the impression from this person’s Twitter account, his appeal to the Community Protection Notice, preventing him from filming driving offences in Ealing, was unsuccesful. Will CyclingMikey be next?
@CitizenUddin
Just did a little search, he is Mark Ecclestone and Road.cc has reported on the isues he has raised in the past.
Perhaps Road.cc can get the latest news?
While I don’t think
While I don’t think “councillors are crooked from top to bottom” (per some comments you see here) the exceptions are sometime … exceptional. And if you are unlucky enough to cross the wrong one there may be a lot of unfairness coming your way.
(I’m thinking of some of the unbelievable – but apparently true – stuff in Private Eye’s “Rotten Boroughs” page. Plus a comment by the late Simon Hoggart which I can’t recall exactly but was something like “once you’ve witnessed local government up close you’ll be baying for more centralisation”.)
chrisonabike wrote:
— chrisonabikeAnd vice-versa. Boris, Truss, Cameron: shining examples of honesty, morals and efficiency.
eburtthebike wrote:
I blame the voters. They knew (or should have known) what they were getting.
That sounds very much like an
That sounds very much like an abuse of power and definitely against the councillor code of conduct. I hope walking Marky has made a complaint to the council.
“No housing? No problem”:
“No housing? No problem”: Cyclist baffled why brakes no longer work after shocking DIY cable botch job
Are they related to Elon or Donald?
That brake stuff is
That brake stuff is absolutetly jaw-dropping. It’s brakes 101 – put a cable end on!
Bigtwin wrote:
Literally, when you end up skating along the ground on it.
At the risk of ridicule …
At the risk of ridicule …
If the inner cable is attached at both ends to levers that essentially move in the same direction, why is removing all the other sheath such a bad idea?
Large sections of cables are already unsheathed [gears, back brakes as they go externally down the down tube and across the bottom bracket… so why can’t *all* of it be unsheathed?
It’s fine for it to be bare
It’s fine for it to be bare between two points that are fixed in relation to each other and covered by straight lengths of cable, because it will always require the same amount of cable to cover that distance. Where you have parts that move in relation to each other, or an unfixed turn that needs to be made, you need the outer to maintain the distance of the cable run. Otherwise, when you try to apply tension to the cable, the unfixed sections will simply try to straighten out a bit, instead of transmitting it all the way to the other end.
That sounds very old
That sounds very old-fashioned! And pretty rubbish – cables break, stretch, there are losses in the system, it’s not digital … we need to disrupt bike design! We already have wireless…?
Thanks for the explanation,
Thanks for the explanation, mdavidford.
Very much appreciated.
Good point! And why use a
Good point! And why use a flimsy cable when you could have something more substantial?
My wife’s “pootle around the
My wife’s “pootle around the village ” bike is an old Raleigh with rod brakes. They are NOT fun to play with.
I tried, but I just cannot in
I tried, but I just cannot in earnest believe that this question is sincere.
I’m not really fussed if you
I’m not really fussed if you believe it was sincere or not.
I’m not a bike mechanic.
Or a physicist.
My technical specialisation does not include mechanical cables.
I am however, unlikely to try this at home based on two reasons:
1. The outer case is there for a reason. Because I don’t know what that reason is, doesn’t mean I should feck around with it.
2. I have full hydraulic brakes.
In engineering, there was a term that appeared on all drawings: If in doubt – ask.
No-one should ever be belittled, berated or humiliated for asking a question.
Oldfatgit wrote:
Hmm… that might work with a slight modification at the piston end, and low enough temperatures? (See my pic above)
Generally agree, unless it’s “why should we do anything for cyclists when nobody cycles?” – although it’s arguable if that’s really a question.
Oldfatgit wrote:
This is an important principle that I wish more tech people made use of. It’s been called “Chesterton’s Fence” (https://fs.blog/chestertons-fence/)
FWIW, I don’t think your question was out-of-place or insincere. Something that’s obvious to one person may be baffling to another until it’s explained.
Thank you Hawkinspeter.
Thank you Hawkinspeter.
When I’ve thought about them [which isn’t very often], I’ve only ever considered the sheath to be cosmetic or of low mechanical value – i.e. keeping crap out the inner cable.
I’ve never considered that they have have had a more important mechanical function … and now it’s been explained, I’ll play more attention to their internal lubrication.
Details of the system and why
Details of the system and why are available on e.g. Bowden Cable on Wikipedia
(There are all kinds of interesting systems for transmitting forces with redirection – see. e.g. rigid chain actuator, Stangenkunst etc.)
I didn’t. It’s just that for
I didn’t. It’s just that for me it is SO logical that I honestly can not fanthom not getting why the houding is needed.
I mean, did you even see how that inner cable is now running? It exits the brake lever at a sharp angle, cutting in to the aluminium barrel adjuster, and hindering a souple movement of the cable. Then it runs through a clip that is meant to keep the housing from moving and potentially rubbing the tire. That clip is very much not built for handling brake forces itself. Then the cable runs diagonally over the suspension fork’s leg. Aside from the friction that will add, eventually that cable will eat in to the forks leg.
Every thing in itself should be reason to not want that, but all those things together should be such a clear no go.
Do you actually see the setup in that picture as a viable setup?
Sredlums wrote:
Different people see the world in different ways.
I’d be more inclined to view something in similar ways to yourself – how is it supposed to work – where’s the force being applied etc.
However, someone else may come along and start questioning why I’m wearing blue socks with beige trousers and who on earth would imagine that those colours go together. Colour matching/composition is something that’s just not on my radar.
Agreed, and to be clear, I
Agreed, and to be clear, I don’t expect everybody to be an expert in everything (I certainly am not). Ha, I worked at bike shops long enough to know for a fact that many people are not mechanically inclined 😛
It’s just that yes, I am still surprised everytime someone doesn’t seem to grasp even the most basic pinciples. I am not judging it, but I am baffled. I mean, how can that setup ever work on a suspension fork that moves up and down?
Oldfatgit wrote:
Just think of the weight savings you could achieve there though, because they usually have outers for the whole run!
In seriousness I am also not mechanically minded, and asked the same question in a bike maintenance workshop once.
It’d work in a straight line
It’d work in a straight line but I am not sure I’d like a brake cable exposed to the environment more than it needs to be.
TechBro, innit?
TechBro, innit?
Move fast (because you have no brakes and therefore no choice)
and break things (because you have no brakes and no choice).
An e-mountain bike with
An e-mountain bike with mechanical brakes is already a bit, er, rubbish. But without brake outer it’s even worse. And as for those mud guards – that do absolutely nada except flap about uselessly.
What is it with brakes
What is it with brakes nowadays – nice and tight they catch on the wheel, loosen them slightly and hardly work.
Are hub brakes better?
How true is the wheel though?
How true is the wheel though?
You can rotate the wheel to check for any spots where the rim catches the block. As long as you have only one or two places, then careful use of a spoke tool will fix it. However if it is too far out or too many spots, best to take it to a shop otherwise you could easily make it worse
Hub brakes have their own
Hub brakes have their own trade-offs. I actually liked the one I had for its particular application – in a “utility” bike where I didn’t care about “speed”. Very infrequent maintenance, it didn’t care about rain / road slush / banging the bike. Maintenance wasn’t hard but did involve some dismantling. With adjustment it was not underpowered e.g. could lock the wheel.
However it was heavy metal and lacked the finesse of e.g. hydraulic discs. Plus I imagine it would get very hot in the mountains.
Brakes working on rotating surfaces are all the same – if the distance to the surface varies at some point there will be problems. Brakes at the hub are no different, just less likely to get out of alignment in common situations. All of ’em need some adjustment at some point.
Disc brakes avoid the perils of wheels getting out of true, but if you bash the rotor it may be stuck wheel – and new rotor time.