Rim brakes at affordable prices from starbike.com

If it comes to riding safety, no bike components are more important than brakes. Correctly installed and adjusted brakes are mandatory for safe riding.

Rim brakes are still the most common bicycle brakes. This is due to their simple work principle: during braking the opposing brake pads push against the sidewalls of the rims. The resulting friction turns the rotational energy of the rims into heat energy and the bike reduces its speed. Rim brakes are used from recreational bikes to high-end road bikes, the latters prefer them due to their low weight.

Basically there are two different types of rim brakes. The first type can be found on road bikes and is mounted with a single bolt centered above the wheel. The second type, often refered to as v-brakes or cantilever brakes, features two fixation bolts (one on the left and right chainstay/fork legs).
Essential for a correct function of the rim brake is well centered wheelset, An untrue wheel doesn't transfer the brake power equally and might result in a safety risk when the rim is deformed.
The advantages of rim brake systems are their relatively low price and their good availability when it comes to maintenance and repair.

The disadvantages of rim brakes are, when compared to disc brakes, their lower brake power, the possibility of blown inner tubes after long braking periods due to overheating rims and the wear on the sidewalls of the rims.

For lightweight brakes carbon rim brakes are the way to go on road bikes. Due to special carbon fibre layers, new standards can be achieved in terms of weight without sacrificing brake power, though, as most carbon bike parts, their complicated production results in corresponding prices.
Well known manufactures of lightweight brakes are THM-Carbones, TRP and Campagnolo.

Should you have any questions which rim brakes suit to you and your bike, simply contact us.