richminiturbo Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 (edited) Hey, can anyone help me? Ive been trying to set up some stupid u-brakes but cannot for the love of god get them to work properly! i.e they dont actually lock up which i want them to, they just gradually slow you down but it takes ages. but the cable is pretty tight all the way through Does anyone know how to set these up properly? If so can you give me a few tips?Ta, Rich Edited March 18, 2006 by richminiturbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Kearney Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 (edited) I'm not an ambassador of U-Brakes nor know them very well, but this page might help you:U-Brakes joeedit: or try this:U-Brakes Edited March 18, 2006 by Joe_Kearney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richminiturbo Posted March 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Awsome, thanks! I think i have it all set up right but just think the pads are crap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Nugent Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 Just out of interested, are you using U-brakes for trials? If so I have never heard of that before... I wouldn't expect good performance from them at all. Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callum Trialsin Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 I take its a bmx, but if you have chrome bmx rims then they wont work very well what ever you do.But you can buy some better pads (trials ones).Hope this helps Callum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaRtZ Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 OR whatever bike it is, you could weld some V'mounts or even a disc tab lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraldo453 Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 i reccomend to just buy hydrualics, V-brakes are usually a slowing down brake, where as hydualics are a locking brake, but if your gonna stick with V, just get some plzmatic V-brake pads form www.cleanbikes.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan6061 Posted March 18, 2006 Report Share Posted March 18, 2006 What brake is it? Could just be a shit one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derenkirby Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 U brakes will never get much better than how u have them...the whole point is the just dont have enough leverage to get the wheels to lock. with good pads you may get the front to lock but u will never get the back to lock without some serious finger power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luccosleeps Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 like he'd actually use a U brake for trials you idiots, its obvious that its for a bmx, and no v brakes arent just a slowing down brake nor are maggies a just a pure locking brake you know f**k all mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derenkirby Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 like he'd actually use a U brake for trials you idiots, its obvious that its for a bmx, and no v brakes arent just a slowing down brake nor are maggies a just a pure locking brake you know f**k all mate.gotta agree with that v-brakes do work very well wen set up well, although from my own personal experiance maggies really are a lot easier to get that little bt of extra locking power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trials Boy Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 like he'd actually use a U brake for trials you idiots, its obvious that its for a bmx, and no v brakes arent just a slowing down brake nor are maggies a just a pure locking brake you know f**k all mate.Haha calm down Jake, there only new members Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Cable Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 like he'd actually use a U brake for trials you idiots, its obvious that its for a bmx, and no v brakes arent just a slowing down brake nor are maggies a just a pure locking brake you know f**k all mate.calm down mate, your not going to get validated like that are you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trials Boy Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 calm down mate, your not going to get validated like that are you Don't you think he's got the point? He's just bored sh*tless because he hasn't got a bike and he can't wait for his Leeson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipkickbs Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 I take its a bmx, but if you have chrome bmx rims then they wont work very well what ever you do.But you can buy some better pads (trials ones).Hope this helps CallumChrome rims are actually better for braking, Which is why they make them funnily enough.Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callum Trialsin Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 Chrome rims are actually better for braking, Which is why they make them funnily enough.Sorry mate, I've always got told that chrome rims aren't as good for braking.Thats why they have specials pads for them(alot more sticky). But you may be right :$ .Just get some new pads and then try them.Callum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat hudson Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 what you mgith want to try for a short term solution, is putting somthing that will increase friction on your rim. tar or shit shifter, somthing like that. only untill you get better pads though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poopipe Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 Sorry mate, I've always got told that chrome rims aren't as good for braking.Thats why they have specials pads for them(alot more sticky). But you may be right :$ .Just get some new pads and then try them.Callumthe first thing to try on chrome rims is cleaning them with window cleaner - windolene or something. Do that and clean your pads up & you should be ok. your cable line is very important on u-brakes - it needs to be as straight as possible - which is quite hard if you're running brakes on the chainstay. I used to hang the splitter part way in front of my seattube - about halfway along the front triangle - and use a very long loop of cable - which helped quite a lot. If you run a gyro you should just run cables straight out of the bottom part into the brake - rather than buggering around with a splitter . your best best is to check the g-sport website as he has some excellent techy tips on bmx setup & a whole bunch of cunning brake ideas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the judge Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 (edited) i reccomend to just buy hydrualics, V-brakes are usually a slowing down brake, where as hydualics are a locking brakeIn the wise words of Roy Walker "you're close but you're not quite right". HS33s were initially made for xc (I think) and just mtb's in general. They were just found to work well for trials.edit: plus I don't think they'd fit on u-brake mounts would they? Edited March 19, 2006 by the judge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Quinn Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 In the wise words of Roy Walker "you're close but you're not quite right". HS33s were initially made for xc (I think) and just mtb's in general. They were just found to work well for trials.edit: plus I don't think they'd fit on u-brake mounts would they?It can be done!But would you really want to? The U brakes on my BMX (Odyssey evolvers, chrome rim, linear slik cable and plazmatic V Fly pads) lock as well as anything. They admitadely don't have the grabiness of hs33's but that's not too much of a worry in bmx, you want modulation for manuals anyway. Also on a bmx wouldn't the crossovers/general hoses of hs33's just be too flimsy?But yeah to answer your question, new pads (i reccomend V-Flys but whatever), clean your rims, get a new cable (i reccomend a linear slik, your LBS may have one) and stuff it full with lube. Then you should be sorted. O and not too much spring tension.Max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 U brakes will never get much better than how u have them...the whole point is the just dont have enough leverage to get the wheels to lock. Let me guess, have you ever had a decent BMX? I'm gonna say no to that. My back brake on my BMX is great. Single finger, easy action, (gay porn ad?) and locks and holds really nicely. James Noyce had the Fly U-brake on his bike and it felt like a Magura, and twice as loud Anyway, it's the same as any brake - decent pads make a decent brake, and a good cable helps too. Whip the inner cable out. Spray some lube down the outer, then rub the inner in and out of it until it feels like it's got a smooth flow. Might have to apply some more lube if it's a shitty cable. Get a decent cable routing. Don't go too short, but don't leave it fully uncut if it's a new cable. Moving to the brake itself, take the arms off and lube the posts up with grease. This really, really helps the brake. It makes the arms move better, and it can also quieten down the brake in case it squeals. Bolt the brake back on, but don't add any tension yet. Do the bolts up fully tight, then un-do them a full turn. You now need to add tension. Usually, this'll need a 13mm spanner for the spring-cap. Add a little tension, just enough so when you push the pads, the pads return away from the rim. More tension means it'll be harder to pull the lever 'cos you're basically fighting the spring action. Hold the spanner in the correct place to get the tension right, then do up the brake bolt again. If, once it's tight, the brake doesn't move, put a spacer underneath the spring cap. Set the straddle cable to the correct length, so it loops properly around the seat-tube with a bit of clearance. Using the metal brake triangle, attach the main cable. It might take a bit of tweaking to get it right, so until you get a bit more pro at setting it up, try setting all the barrel adjusters to the middle of their range so you've got some leeway. There are two main ways of getting the cable to the right length. One is simply looping the straddle through the brake triangle, then pulling the triangle forward along the brake cable until the pads are fairly close to the rim, then tightening the main cable bolt up. Alternatively, you can just 'do it by eye' and just do the main bolt up, then loop the straddle round. It's often easier that way just 'cos you aren't fighting the brake spring (may take a bit longer if you're new to it all though). Anyway, set the pads up so they're toe'd in a little, and you should be fine. Better pads + better cable = better brake. Also, if you're running a gyro and it's a cheaper model, you'll probably be better off just getting rid of it unless you buy a decent gyro. Another thing to remember with BMX's though is that they aren't all about massive lock. Modulation in BMX is far more important than trials, and it seems a lot of trials riders jump on BMXs then try and hop to backwheel doing, for example, an abubaca or fufanu, land badly, and just expect the brake to hold, like it would in trials. It doesn't work like that. I know it'll mean you've got to land stuff properly, but that's a good thing in the long run 'cos you'll learn to ride better, not just blag it with a powerful brake. Just tweak your setup til you're happy with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaRtZ Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 Thats all very well mark, but what if hes talking about the VERY old u brakessuch as Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 If he was talking about a U-brake like that, he's named it wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Cable Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 Don't you think he's got the point? He's just bored sh*tless because he hasn't got a bike and he can't wait for his Leeson.whoops i didnt see your post!SorryFrom Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan6061 Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 Thats all very well mark, but what if hes talking about the VERY old u brakessuch as Isn't that a cantilever? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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