# Paul's brake booster



## danwerle (Oct 11, 2005)

I know, I know. Tires are the only pieces of equipment that get more attention in 'cross forums than brakes; however, I found these on Paul's Web site, and I'm curious. 

Has anyone tried them? Are they even helpful? I've used Paul's brakes for several years and haven't had any real troubles with brake shudder or stopping. If you've got the brakes set up right, you're using good quality brake pads, and your fork doesn't wobble like Humpty Dumpty, I don't see their benefit. 

Other thoughts? 

www.paulcomp.com
Click on "brakes" in the left-hand column
Click on "brake booster" in the left-hand column


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

Since I am considering changing out my hefty steel fork for a light carbon fork this season, it is interesting to know that this product exists, since the potential for brake shudder is a concern.


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## DRLski (Apr 26, 2003)

might be worth trying, although I wonder if they add a considerable amount of weight since they do seem pretty bulky. Then again at my level weight isn't really the issue.


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## patineto (Nov 2, 2007)

The very best but long gone out of production are the DKG brake booster's (DKG made the Real salsa quick releases)

Excellent mud clearance even with the biggest tires of them all.









Micro adjusters for absolute rigidity and so so pretty.


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

patineto said:


>


Um....


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

danwerle said:


> I've used Paul's brakes for several years and haven't had any real troubles with brake shudder or stopping. If you've got the brakes set up right, you're using good quality brake pads, and your fork doesn't wobble like Humpty Dumpty, I don't see their benefit.


Agree. I have used Neo Retro's with various steel, Al and CF forks. If you set the pads so that they hit the rim flush, they will cause shudder. If you toe them in adequately, you get nicely modulating, shudder-free braking.

I don't buy the pitch on these boosters. If they do anything at all, I would expect them to worsen the problem.


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

pretender said:


> Um....


Tandem, IIRC.


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## rkj__ (Mar 21, 2007)

PeanutButterBreath said:


> Tandem, IIRC.


ding ding ding. we have a winner.


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## patineto (Nov 2, 2007)

PeanutButterBreath said:


> A
> I don't buy the pitch on these boosters. If they do anything at all, I would expect them to worsen the problem.


Mister Peanut If you ever come to san Francisco you are more than welcome to try any of my bikes with rim brakes, all 12 of them if you like (plus and a few others with disc brakes), most of them with Boosters and I bet you can feel the difference right away.

Then again I don't think they are necesary for a cross bike (I try them on my Empella and they made no difference), you just don't need that much braking power.

If anything and only if you want the Ultimate power but not weight penalty mount you brakes on the back side of the forks.









I guess they somehow "Wedge" into the rim, no noises, great modulation and they stop like hell, I can do stopples on the tandem (no stoker) with out even using the "Disc back up" brakes.


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

I've tried them on bikes with V-brakes. No perceptible effect for me.

But what I am saying is that if they _do_ boost braking power, I would expect that to worsen fork shudder not solve it.


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## patineto (Nov 2, 2007)

PeanutButterBreath said:


> I've tried them on bikes with V-brakes. No perceptible effect for me.


Depend on the bike, but also how perceptive you are in terms of set up (I do know you work on bikes for a long time) It also helps if you are a little chubby and you need all the help you can get on the brake department, because you can push the brakes to their limits.



> But what I am saying is that if they _do_ boost braking power, I would expect that to worsen fork shudder not solve it.


Shuddering, noise and vibration is the main reason why I used them even on the klein attitudes with the big old forks.

With cantilever brakes and also V-brakes, they still far better and require a lot less constant work (checking on the angle of pads) than toe-in the brake pads, plus the lever feel is a lot more solid since the pad is contacting the rim in a much more parallel fashion.


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

patineto said:


> With cantilever brakes and also V-brakes, they still far better and require a lot less constant work (checking on the angle of pads) than toe-in the brake pads, plus the lever feel is a lot more solid since the pad is contacting the rim in a much more parallel fashion.


Might be a good option for some folks then.

Toeing-in brakes is pretty easy. I use a zip-tie that is looped on itself, so I can just hang it over the back end of the pad and get instant toe-in when I actuate brake. Tighten things down and that's that. The lever feel does soften, but I prefer that to having a chunk of aluminum bolted to the front of my bike.


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## patineto (Nov 2, 2007)

PeanutButterBreath said:


> Might be a good option for some folks then.
> 
> Toeing-in brakes is pretty easy. I use a zip-tie that is looped on itself, so I can just hang it over the back end of the pad and get instant toe-in when I actuate brake. Tighten things down and that's that. The lever feel does soften, but I prefer that to having a chunk of aluminum bolted to the front of my bike.


Doing the toe-in is not even a issue, I have done thousand of them over the years, but you do need to accept that heavy toe-in make for a very mushy feel at the lever since the brake pad need to "Bend" before it fully contacts the rim.

Personally I like "sharp and responsive" feel on my levers it gives me confidence (most be the motorcycle riding thing) but other people somehow enjoy softer brakes, with elongating wires and mushy levers for them to toe-in is fine for me the option is the booster (or backwards brakes, or whatever it takes)


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