Brakes make my shoulder hurt
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Persephone7676
Posts: 91 Member
Does anyone have suggestions for making road bike brakes work with less force on the brake lever? I have been experiencing problems with my shoulders while riding for some time now and after fittings, new pads, new cables, adjustments and too many other things to name I am left wondering if there's an unusual amount of force needed to stop my bike? Is it possible that certain rims and brakes don't work well together? I have ridden other bikes and noticed they were not as hard to get the brakes to grip.
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The most common problems I've heard of are standard brake pads on carbon wheels.
Have you had a mechanic look at it?0 -
Yeah I have had several mechanics look at it but they say it's normal. They aren't carbon rims but they are a semi-aero rim? DT swiss 1850's.0
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Yes, it is absolutely possible that certain rims or brake pads or brake calipers do not work as well as others. Soft rubber pads are the grippiest, and dual pivot brake calipers work much better than single pivot. Typically Campy brakes work better than Shimano or Sram. What do you have?0
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Hi there, just want to share that I'm riding DT 1700 (height 20.8mm), I think your 1850 is 30mm. Runs D/A brakes with any brake pads I happen to have, Kool Stop, Shimano whatever - nothing special and don't have any braking problem. If I have to guess, possibly something to do with the brakes? I find the D/A is more responsive & require less strength compare to the old 105.
Hope you get this sorted real soon!0 -
I'd check the brake pads, make sure they're not glazed or scored. In winter, I usually examine the pads every 500 miles or so. Sometimes they'll pick up grit or other hard objects (occasionally even bits of metal from the rim, scored out by the aforementioned grit!) If the pads are less than pristine, remove the rubber bit from the carrier, and give the face a bit of a rub on a sheet of fine wet & dry abrasive paper, clean them up and refit. It sounds counter-intuitive, rubbing away the pad, but at the end of the day, pads are relatively cheap, and clean pads will ensure that the far more expensive rims last much longer.0
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Yin - Good advice, I'll try grinding them down again, it's not going to hurt.
narak - I just checked with the LBS about getting some Kool Stops for my bike. I really hope those help. Did you get the Salmon colored ones or the Black?
lph/narak - they are Cane Creek 3's, the have the offset pull arm, they came on my bike which it's a 2007 model
I did try Ultegra pads last time and they are doing the same thing as before. It's like they work good when they are brand new or after I sand them but soon after they lose their grip? I was going to try the Kool Stops because so many people seem to think they are great. I just want to keep my shoulders from getting so tired from it. There are a LOT of hills here and my wheels are fast rollers so I am always braking in a group.0 -
Do a little Googling to confirm, but I don't see anything good about the Cane Creek brakes. The calipers can make a huge difference. My Trek has the now defunct Bontrager Speed limit brakes on it, with the compound actuation, and I have never felt more powerful, clean acting brakes ever. They feel like vise grips on the rims and are even better than the Campy Record on my 1999 Colnago. You may want to consider a change.0
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LPH - I did some googling and saw much of the same opinions about those particular brakes but it sounded like if the pads were swapped out they were ok.
I did a little experiment before tonight's ride. I sanded down my pads on the front and the back. Then I took the sandpaper lightly around the gripping surface of the rim, only on the front. It made my front brake work great and the back one is still kinda sucky. I think whatever is in those brake pads is actually coming off on my rims. Ever hear of such a strange thing?0 -
well - Mavic do a "rim cleaning stone" to clean up the braking surfaces on their Alu. rims
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=7126
So i'm guessing it's not a unique problem you're having...0 -
Yin - Well, apparently I'm NOT the only one with that issue, LOL! Thanks for finding that. The irony is what I used yesterday is almost exactly like the link you sent. It's one of those 3M, fine sand paper block things you get at Lowe's or Home Depot. I think I'll buy another one now.0
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A question, do you shoulder problems? Have you considered resistance training to strengthening your upper extremities? I have a hard time seeing shoulder pain coming from just the brake problem (not saying you're wrong.) Perhaps there is more to it than the brakes, rather the fact is your pain comes when braking. Just some thoughts to help.0
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Hi Persephone - I used the black colour Kool Stop
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dtpss - I have been doing resistance training and I've been focusing on my upper body. In the past I have had problems with numbness and pain after riding long distances. As for general shoulder problems, no. I have been trying some different adjustments to the fit of my bike and it seems to be helping but I still have the tightness in my right shoulder and upper arm. I notice it when it's windy and when I'm riding faster rides that I end up braking more frequently. It's been an ongoing issue. The strength training does help. I am working on the brakes now just to explore all my options for getting comfortable. I want to go on a cross country ride in the next 2 years and that's another reason I'm trying to find 'what works'.
Narak - I'll look for the the black ones then :-)0 -
I just put on the black Kool Stops. Now if it decides to stop raining I will try them out tomorrow (maybe I should have got salmon for rain :ohwell: ) The old pads were grooved, glazed had shards of metal and that's after I sanded them down a bit. They were indeed Dura Ace but honestly they really sucked. I won't be buying those again. Here's to new brake pads :drinker:0
