Our 95-kilo rider has a bad feeling. It's not due to the technical demands of our brake test track - hardly, with 400 metres of elevation gain on asphalt and dry conditions. Although the thermometer shows a lousy four degrees, his forehead is covered in sweat. The discrepancy between being and worrying is caused by 28 kilograms sitting on the back of his neck. 28 kilograms in the form of a trailer, which also pushes and raises the system weight of rider and bike to an impressive 142 kilograms. The 12 to 27 per cent gradient of our traditional disc brake test route from Jenesien down to Bozen completes the framework conditions and means: hard work for the brakes and a weighty risk. Nothing can go wrong now.
The sometimes sobering results of our disc brake test (BIKE 12/10 ->) prompted us to analyse the actual loads that occur in practice in detail using the latest technology. What forces occur? What influence does weight have? How does grinding braking compare with technically good braking? Is the front or rear brake subjected to greater stress? The measurements therefore provide safety-relevant basic knowledge.
Equipped with temperature sensors on the pads of the front and rear brakes, acceleration sensors to monitor deceleration, a high-precision GPS and a brake lever dummy to record manual forces, the bike is fully wired for the track. Data recording is used to expose brake killers. Conversely, this means that only those who know what brings a brake to its knees can consciously brake better and, in extreme cases, avoid life-threatening failures. In addition, the measured data provides a solid basis for refining future brake tests on the in-house test bench and outdoors as practically as possible.
You can find out all about the brake load in everyday use during this special test in the PDF download below.
