Ideal brakes for commuter w/ winter tires?

[gregk]

I am trying to figure out what parts I want for my future commuter/campus bike/winter trainer. It will be a Surly Steamroller fixie. I am going to need a front brake, but I don't know what is best- I am going to run a 700x25 tire in the summer and a 700x35 cyclocross tire in the winter. I will possibly use fenders. Will long-reach road calipers do the job? Do I have any other options using the Surly fork (no v-brake mounts...).

 

[boudreaux]

I am trying to figure out what parts I want for my future commuter/campus bike/winter trainer. It will be a Surly Steamroller fixie. I am going to need a front brake, but I don't know what is best- I am going to run a 700x25 tire in the summer and a 700x35 cyclocross tire in the winter. I will possibly use fenders. Will long-reach road calipers do the job? Do I have any other options using the Surly fork (no v-brake mounts...).

Lots of luck with a 35 and road calipers, especially with fenders. Try www'rivbike.com. They sell alot of calipers that work with wider tires,but your fork could also be a limitation. Maybe better to start with a more suitable frame.

 

[mjw_byrne]

Ideally I'd use fork with a disc mount and a mechanical disc brake in your situation (since discs are more tolerant of weather and you get to avoid wearing your rim out), but of course that involves getting a new fork and front hub too, so that's probably more than you want to spend.

 

[Conniebiker]

No contest in my book. Part of why I dont ride the roadie in winter is the lack of disc brakes. Rim brakes just make me nervous in winter wet, since often times it can ice up. Hydraulic discs cost marginally more(my Deore 525 were 140 for the pair) but they are worth it for the lack of cable woes associeated with winter.

 

[coelcanth]

don't worry too much about using a fancy disc type brake..
one of the reasons people like to train on fixed gears is cause of their good traction in slippry conditions
a good old long reach sidepull caliper probably will clear a fender
another option is a centerpull brake... something like a mafac 'racer' model
this will have lots of clearance and uses the same mounting position as sidepulls
you will definitely want to use fenders, your tires will be spraying stuff everywher
also you mite want to look into some special studded snow tires like nokian or somthin

info linx:
http://www.classicrendezvous.com/France/Mafac/Mafac_ad_Racer-Tiger.htm
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp