Are the brakes powerful enough when descending steep hills?
1333826
No I do not think so. We are taking it to a bike shop to see if they can fix this problem.
1333827
Out of the box the brakes will not stop the bike in a reasonable distance--the wheels aren't true and the pads are a very poor compound. You must true the wheels and you must replace the pads before you even think of going fast let alone descending. The calipers are strong enough to work with new pads, but the modulation of single pivot side pulls is miserable for large amounts of descending. That said, I replaced my calipers with ultegra, added a drag brake (rear drum hub) and was plenty comfortable descending whiteface (8mi @ 8%) with 300 lbs of rider and 65 lbs of trailer. Out of the box the brakes will not stop the bike in a reasonable distance--the wheels aren't true and the pads are a very poor compound. You must true the wheels and you must replace the pads before you even think of going fast let alone descending. The calipers are strong enough to work with new pads, but the modulation of single pivot side pulls is miserable for large amounts of descending. That said, I replaced my calipers with ultegra, added a drag brake (rear drum hub) and was plenty comfortable descending whiteface (8mi @ 8%) with 300 lbs of rider... » Read More Out of the box the brakes will not stop the bike in a reasonable distance--the wheels aren't true and the pads are a very poor compound. You must true the wheels and you must replace the pads before you even think of going fast let alone descending. The calipers are strong enough to work with new pads, but the modulation of single pivot side pulls is miserable for large amounts of descending. That said, I replaced my calipers with ultegra, added a drag brake (rear drum hub) and was plenty comfortable descending whiteface (8mi @ 8%) with 300 lbs of rider and 65 lbs of trailer. « Show Less
1333828
I (Eleanor's husband) ride with my special needs son. Between the two of us we have a little over 300 lb. on the bike. The brakes are similar to a standard one person bike so no it will not stop as quick because of the weight. A matter of physics. I have my brakes adjusted close so I can give a very hard squeeze if necessary. I can keep the bike under control going down hill although I do want to upgrade to better brakes because braking is more work than I like. Also added rim tape before using.
1333829
I was a little timid on the only big downhill we did. You definitely must pay attention to braking earlier than on a single bike. Still glad I bought it so I don't worry about my wife keeping up.
1333830
Based on feedback from other reviews I replaced the brakes before I used the bike! I am very very happy with the bike overall - by upgrading the brakes, the chain tensioner, and new rim tape. This is a screaming bike,make sure you have a bike shop give it a tune-up before riding.
1333831
The brakes when squeezed is not going to make the bike stop completely and instantly while going down hills, however it does have a strong enough brake to stop the bike while going down steep hills.
1333832
Yes .... I have ridden over 500 miles and have had no braking problems. After I assembled the bike I took it to my local bike shop and had then double check everything and have no problems....
667687
No. I have a 5800 lb jeep with DBA rotors and Brembo calipers, inside of 35's..... She stops about 15% faster than stock...... No fade or soft pedal
52976
those ramps are low and gradual but a lowered subaru with an air dam? I dont think by the time your tires got to the ramps would the lip be high enough to clear.
2216059
This would not work well on gravel or large hills. You could not go up the hills on it and it would be dangerous going down a large hill because there is not much of a brake on it.
2250362
Yes, and they are great for going down hill. I am not really strong but managed my 180# husband with hand controls. Love them.
2052892
Nope, no faster; easier to go up hills in the lower gears though. Best wishes, Robt.
293933
It is low to the ground, to prevent top heaviness & easy tip over, but it goes over speed bumps easily. It can climb serious outside incline without losing power. We live near a park with steep grade & it took me up that hill there & back without any power loss. I was prepared for some lag as it reached the top of the hill, but there was none.
1462334
Too fast for the amount of power it has. It should be geared down lower. It can barely get up a hill of any sorts.
2151007
I seriously doubt it. Even if it has enough power (doubtful), you need to be able to slow your tine speed down.
2011226
It seems as it would be dangerous to looks at how fast you are going while you are flying down a hill at speed. I only look while I am on smooth safe areas. It's small but works fine. I have never crashed on it so I am not sure if it can take a beating. Bottom line is it depends how steep and technical but I only look at it when it is safe and I don't have to look at obsticals and extremely rough terrain . Good luck,RL
2258677
yes, there are a couple of hills in town that have to be used to get back home. My three-speed works fine for me. A friend of mine loved the bike so much she bought one, but with 5 speeds. I love this bike, you won't regret buying it.
2011227
It seems as it would be dangerous to looks at how fast you are going while you are flying down a hill at speed. I only look while I am on smooth safe areas. It's small but works fine. I have never crashed on it so I am not sure if it can take a beating. Bottom line is it depends how steep and technical but I only look at it when it is safe and I don't have to look at obsticals and extremely rough terrain . Good luck, RL
1004861
Might not be good if lots of hills. A total blast on flat and slight incline surfaces.
1864943
Yup, put them on and no problems. I have small hills and they get good traction. With care they don't tear up the lawn on the hills.
1834075
From a mechanical standpoint, I think that's totally possible. It should behave like any other brake application...they shouldn't require any more travel.
2057551
No it is not. It has high which is very fast low and reverse. We have a lot of terrain here and it climbs a lot of hills and valleys
1102949
It depends entirely on the grade and your fitness level. I used to race bicycles for a living and I can hande short moderate grades on this bike. But I would not want this bike on a long steep climb. As always, your mileage may vary. If in doubt go for a bike with multiple gears. Going overgeard on a hill can put a lot of stress on your knees.