My only grip with biking in the winter is the amount of wear on the wheels from rim brakes. I see getting tabs as a sure thing to avoid the wear and extend the life of wheels… but am I barking up the wrong tree. (Getting a modern commuter just seems like cheating)
by hotpot32
7 Comments
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Brazed it on myself Nov. 2023. Used a dummy hub and disc brake to line up the adapter. Commuting on it daily since, the brace is a must.
I did a terrible job on mine and it’s fine 3 years on.
Consider what you’ll have to do about the front. Forks can’t be converted to disk, so you’ll need a new fork no matter what. Maybe that’s a good compromise, unless you really use your rear brake a lot (which you shouldn’t in general, but you do ride in snowy conditions)
I did a couple of them and all but one without a brace tube. The one with tube was a soma wolverine, they are known for failing at this point.
For the next one I will definitely use a brace tube.
The tabs without one are fine, but I cant hear all the people anymore, telling me that my 3 year and a couple of thousand km conversion will break at the next occasion. Just shut up John.
Kool-Stop salmon brake pads are softer and wear quicker, but they extend the life of the rim (less aggressive compound). The salmon compound work better in the rain
Zero issues on my 95′ Merlin Ti….
[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TZmiHZ8_fkm8WXCVhWooZHXjmVn8smAO/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TZmiHZ8_fkm8WXCVhWooZHXjmVn8smAO/view?usp=sharing)
https://preview.redd.it/j46k81kf5tce1.jpeg?width=1345&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=52f612e8adf6ff5258f6943de7c1add55ebdfd59
Three years daily rider. Zero movement or other concerns. Load hits the dropout, the little foot is not doing much.
I found out eventually that I’d blocked the axle removal path so I can’t take the wheel off without popping the adapter plate. Few turns with a hex wrench, adapter settles back into place without trouble, but obviously a bit of a cock up.