Bicycle brakes are supplied as "front" or "rear" or as a pair. I see no difference in the appearance of the brakes. I realize that the braking forces through the brakes are opposite, front to rear, but I don't see any physical differences in the brake's design. Except maybe for the length of the mounting bolt.
2006-08-15 08:29:08 · 5 answers · asked by Igor 1 in Sports ➔ Cycling
Yes, there is the difference in mounting bolt lengths (longer - front, shorter - rear). But there can be other differences. Brake shoes with removable brake pads are front and rear specific as well. If you switched the brakes around (which you can't since the different length mounting bolts won't allow this), the removable brake pads would eventually come out of the brake shoes due to the braking forces pulling them forward. Also, some manufacturers make the rear brake weaker than the front. This is done to reduce locking up the rear wheel. The answers having to do with cable length are kinda silly, since the cables are not really part of the brake mechanisms, and it's stating the obvious.
2006-08-18 13:51:56 · answer #1 · answered by kennyboy 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Larry did pretty much gave you a very good answer. However, I discovered that on some bikes, the brakes mounting stud that goes into the frame may have different lengths for the front and rear. For example, the front brake stud that mounts onto the front fork may be longer than the rear brake stud that mounts into that cross piece above the wheel. As a result, in a situation like that, you can tell which is the front and which is the rear. It all depends on the bike.
2006-08-15 14:04:47 · answer #2 · answered by davj61 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not sure about mounting studs, the length of cable is the main difference, rear cables are longer.
One of the biggest difference to look out for is which side the lever is for; some people use left lever for front brake and visa versa, I have only ever used right hand lever for the front brake. Some levers (especially hydraulic) or integrated shifter/lever units are not ambidexterous and can/should only be mounted one way up (therefore - the correct side). Look out for this when buying brakes as a pre-assembled/complete set.
2006-08-17 06:06:30 · answer #3 · answered by amtghota 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bicycle Caliper
2016-12-11 17:17:19 · answer #4 · answered by pinette 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Other than the length of the cable, theres shouldn't be any difference between them. There might be a difference if they're side pull rather than modern center pull, however
2006-08-15 10:25:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋