Options to improve brakes on Croix de Fer?

Options to improve brakes on Croix de Fer?

Author
Discussion

gareth h

Original Poster:

3,943 posts

244 months

Yesterday (10:57)
quotequote all
I’ve just dug my old Croix de fer out of the garage to do some road riding, and am finding the cable discs rather uninspiring after the hydraulic discs on my mountain bike, any advice on the best way to improve the Croix brakes?
TIA

blueovercream

322 posts

105 months

Yesterday (11:22)
quotequote all
I did this on my Marin Four Corners a while back.

I replaced both (I think Promax) with Avid BB5 which were a decent upgrade for a reasonable price.

I didn’t want to invest in a full hydraulic replacement x2 which of course would be the best way to make them significantly better. Cable-operated hydraulic set up could be another less expensive option.

If you haven’t done so already you could also just start with a decent service/tune up - new cables and pads - and you might notice a difference. Mechanical disc brakes can perform reasonably well if they’re set up well.

Onespeeder

74 posts

72 months

Yesterday (11:37)
quotequote all
By coincidence, I am doing the same with my old CdF.

I did not care for the original Shimano brakes and years ago swapped them for Bb7. I had tried Bb5 on another bike and did not like them either. The Bb7 are satisfactory but difficult to set up without rub but with little lost motion at the lever. Good cables and ferrules are essential. This seems to be a characteristic of cable discs.

Never had hydraulics but that's about change

blueovercream

322 posts

105 months

Yesterday (12:37)
quotequote all
I did this on my Marin Four Corners a while back.

I replaced both (I think Promax) with Avid BB5 which were a decent upgrade for a reasonable price.

I didn’t want to invest in a full hydraulic replacement x2 which of course would be the best way to make them significantly better. Cable-operated hydraulic set up could be another less expensive option.

If you haven’t done so already you could also just start with a decent service/tune up - new cables and pads - and you might notice a difference. Mechanical disc brakes can perform reasonably well if they’re set up well.

POIDH

1,740 posts

79 months

Yesterday (17:02)
quotequote all
I'm running grooved SRAM discs (180mm on front) with Kevlar Uberbike pads on TRP Spyre Calipers and SRAM levers on my Genesis Vagabond.
Of course they are not the same as my MT5's on 200/180 discs on the MTB, but other than fully loaded for a week's tour on the Arran String Road descent, they work really well.