After an earlier post I am wondering about converting my commuter to these – currently I have BB7s and a dynohub.

I’m finding very little about weight online, only 1 guy saying a brake weights 500gm.

The only freehub I can get is a “nexave” which I could screw my 8s freehub body onto and perhaps upgrade the seals.

Seems to me, BB7s at around 300gm an end, I shouldn’t see much increase in weight bar the brakes, so it will only increase by 400gm?

Sounds about right – 200g more per wheel or so.

They feel very spongy until you get used to them – there’s no hard thunk the way there is with discs or rim brakes. But they are very powerful and last for ever.

I have Sturmey Archer hub brakes on my Charge Steamer. Not sure if they’re roller or not tbh. It seems impossible to lock them but they do stop it ok. The whole bike weighs a ton, though, and I suspect the drums don’t help.

I run a roller brake / dynamo hub at the front / coaster brake at the rear.

Love them. My last roller brake needed two replacement shoes over 8 years of heavy use – at a cost of £15 a time. The frame died before the brake.

Very progressive would be a good way of describing the braking. I would also suggest that if you’re worried about weight these brakes are not for you!

Cheers guys.

I’m not overly concerned about weight but the bike does get used for road rides so I don’t want it becoming an utter tank.

wwaswas I think sturmey are drum brakes.

Yup, Sturmeys are drum brakes.

On thing…they are meant for v-levers yes?

I am running ergopower on ddrops 🙁

Are you looking to sell the BB7s….??
Are they road one…?!

DrP

Yup, you’d probably need to use Travel Agents if you’ve got drop bar levers.

They’ll work without, but the levers will come right back to the bars.

maybe and yes DrP, not for a while though. I have 3 bikes to build/sort out, a ton of DIY to do and a shouty girlfiend!

Ben – thanks.

They’re quite heavy but work well and last just about forever, but can accumulate grit and sand inside because they are not really sealed.

They are like BB7s and drum brakes in that they need good cabling to work properly. Any flex in the cable or levers and the brake feels spongy.

You’re not supposed to dismantle them, but

Bear in mind you need the appropriate Shimano hub to go with them – it’s a shame they don’t use CentreLock so they could be used on a wider range of hubs.

For the equivalent weight, I’d sooner use Sturmey-Archer drums but the ingress of dirt and sand on the roller brakes can be sorted by flushing them out with fresh grease.

If a sealed roller was made, it could be the perfect mtb brake. Filled with grease there’s nothing that will wear out in the life of the bike and it would be pretty immersion proof because the grease would fill all the voids.

Cheers epi – I’ll look at sturmey too. I will use a front dynohub and 8s cassette.

The cabling does concern me – a travel agent is bound to add some sponge.

Do sturmeys work with std (non-V) levers?

I’ve tried various levers with the Sturmeys, but the best are Sturmey’s own lever and the bonus is they are cheap (but not nasty).

I’ve found dropbar levers too flexy, but that’s on mtb stuff. They would be ok for road use IMO.

You realise you can get a front dynohub with an integrated drum brake?

The pull on the drum brake is basically the same as a canti brake.

Aye, I knew that, need to check out prices.

I may be at the Forth Fat – in which case you’ll be able to try out my drum brakes.

Ta – I’ve ridden them on Pashleys.

Hmmm the 70mm dynohub is 1220gm hs aroound 1500gm for the shimano roller brake & dynohub.

No SA rear cassette hub with a drum brake, but shimano will do there I guess.

Oh hang on, they do make drum brake cassette hubs 😀

I’ve had them on my commuter for the last 7-8 years. Just need a little grease every 6 months or so. No sign of them wearing out yet. I have the IM70 models.

Great performance but a very different feel to discs/calipers/V brakes. Heavy and cheap but maintenance free. I have a dynohub front (DH-3R30), and 8 speed nexus at the rear (SG-8R36 – same as alfine 8 speed inside with good seals). Whole bike weighs 15kg with a steel duster frame but it is only for 3.5 miles each way every day and excellent training! Almost zero maintenance the whole thing.

Got them on a dutch shopper for town duties. Never touched them and they work perfectly, even in the rain. Bike lived outside for the first three yeas of its life. For commuting and pottering I think they are perfect. Feel takes a little getting used to.

cynic-al – Member
Oh hang on, they do make drum brake cassette hubs

That’s what’s on the back of my Pug.

what’s the quality/durability like?

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