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BMX General => BMX Chat => Topic started by: punkdSICO on February 01, 2012, 02:09 PM

Title: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: punkdSICO on February 01, 2012, 02:09 PM
Hi all - on an oldschool build, Im considering getting a ACS Rotor but I keep reading that these suck-butt in terms of braking..  Occassionaly, someone will say they are okay providing they are setup correctly. I brake 1 finger and brake efficiency has always been a major issue for me, so, I could not tollerate anything that compromises braking.

What about Gyro's?  I believe they are only mid-school onwards, correct?  Do they reduce stopping power?

btw, I only want to spin my bars once (360) but I have my brakes so snug against the rims, when I spin, the rear cable mis-shapes and the brake then goes on hard.  Maybe I can correct this with correct adjustments?

Anyone?

Paul
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: SaMAlex on February 01, 2012, 02:16 PM
 ACS Rotors work crap and you have to put the stem right up.

Gyros were around in the mid 80s and work so well that they are pretty much unchanged now.
Some say (when set up correctly) they work better than a single cable.  :daumenhoch:
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: CD17 on February 01, 2012, 02:22 PM
I had an ACS Rotor on my Trickstar & it worked okay, gyro's are better, but I think the problem is more the calipers & if you are using old skool brake pads than the rotor/gyro.

(http://www.radbmx.co.uk/archive/albums/b366/claire169/TA1001.jpg)
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: punkdSICO on February 01, 2012, 02:46 PM
Gyros were around in the mid 80s and work so well that they are pretty much unchanged now.
Some say (when set up correctly) they work better than a single cable.  :daumenhoch:
Cool..  So, what would be the best "old school" gyro to use?  Im not being lazy, I just dont know anything about Gyros and searching just gives you all the modern ones..

thanks for both the replies so far..

Paul
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: Dannywhac on February 01, 2012, 02:56 PM
Oddy Gyro - came out '86ish I think :) If you're going to ride in anger make a gyro cover as well as I've torn many a crotch on Oddy's.
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: deeman on February 01, 2012, 03:00 PM
I had both on my bike.I wouldnt waste your time with the rotor.its inherantly a bad design which didnt sell after the revoluton that was the gyro came along.the most easily available are the odyssey gyro 2,available in black or chrome for 14.99 on ebay.as said before,you have to have the stem an inch and a half out for the rotor to work as it slides up and down the stem shaft.i dont know exactly when gyros came out 86?or 87?you can still find nos first gen gyros about if era correctness is of concern.if you are going to ride the bike the gyro is the only way forward.
(http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i349/deeman37/driftvid003.jpg)
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: renegaderacer on February 01, 2012, 03:41 PM
I'm going to pee everyone off now and say I prefer Rotors!

I had one on my Decade Pro and it was never less than perfect. I think it's more down to the brakes you're running and how they're set-up.

Also, as far as I'm concerned, they look a lot better and much neater with only one cable. No matter what you do with a Gyro, they still look messy to me and they're trickier to set up properly than a Rotor.

I'm not knocking a Gyro, I've had loads and they are very good once set up but for my money I'd get a Rotor.

Oh, make sure it's a Pro Rotor though.  :daumenhoch:

Giles
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: punkdSICO on February 01, 2012, 04:06 PM
feck it - I just ordered a Chrome Gyro 2.  Its only for a Aero Reflex rider so ill take the hit from the Era Police..

I do like the Pro Roto's and, there are NOS ones available but, just too many stories of them loosing braking power.  Saying this, I do HATE the double brake cable image as to me it implies that you ride a new school bike and you dont have a girlfriend  ;)

But it looks like thats going to be me in a few days :)

hey ho..

thanks to all above..

Paul

Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: SaMAlex on February 01, 2012, 04:34 PM
New school bikes don't have brakes!  :LolLolLolLol:
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: punkdSICO on February 01, 2012, 04:41 PM
New school bikes don't have brakes!  :LolLolLolLol:
hehe..  Yeah, I forgot about that evolutionary stroke of genius :)

Paul
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: ED209 on February 01, 2012, 04:55 PM
i started thinking 'do i really need a gyro anyway?' i dumped mine and dont notice that its  gone but the brakes work now :-)
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: punkdSICO on February 01, 2012, 05:10 PM
i started thinking 'do i really need a gyro anyway?' i dumped mine and dont notice that its  gone but the brakes work now :-)
Oh god, if my brakes suddenly suck more, I will be very miff'd!!

Time will tell..

Paul
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: john4130 on February 01, 2012, 05:14 PM
if you're only going to spin the bars once you could use a linear cable, it'll still work fine even when you've spun the bars and it wont bind and make the brake feel shit.
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: ED209 on February 01, 2012, 06:40 PM
i started thinking 'do i really need a gyro anyway?' i dumped mine and dont notice that its  gone but the brakes work now :-)
Oh god, if my brakes suddenly suck more, I will be very miff'd!!

Time will tell..

Paul

prepare to be 'miffed' Paul  :(
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: punkdSICO on February 01, 2012, 06:59 PM
if you're only going to spin the bars once you could use a linear cable, it'll still work fine even when you've spun the bars and it wont bind and make the brake feel shit.
Bugger!  Never knew about these..  Just read up on linear cables and the fact that they dont compress and reduce spongyness, could these be the missing ingredient that I have been searching for since 1984?!!

Question: is there such a thing as an oldschool linear cable?  Google would suggest not..

ta,

Paul
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: SaMAlex on February 01, 2012, 09:15 PM
Even if you dont spin the bars, Linear cables feel so much better than a normal (Cheap) cable. So much more solid  :daumenhoch:
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: theRuler on February 01, 2012, 11:03 PM
Properly set up gyro will work better than a single cable.
More cable = less flex.

Run twin lower cables, a good quality 2 into 1 upper and you are set.

If your rear brake is worse with a gyro, you are doing something wrong.

In terms of braking performance:

1. gyro
2. straight cable
3. foot in spokes
.
.
.
.
.
99. feather in spokes
100. rotor
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: BENDYCAT ELEVENTEEN on February 01, 2012, 11:25 PM
what are fishbone gyro's like ? - have two different sizes and both spin fine
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: theRuler on February 01, 2012, 11:28 PM
what are fishbone gyro's like ? - have two different sizes and both spin fine

Pros:
Pretty looking?

Cons:
Not quite as good as Gyros, bit fiddly to set up, some cables don't fit.
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: Gary72 on February 01, 2012, 11:33 PM
There was a guy on here who worked for the India F1 team that was selling a twin cable conversion for old school brake levers. Worth having a search.
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: Dannywhac on February 02, 2012, 09:20 AM
what are fishbone gyro's like ? - have two different sizes and both spin fine

Pros:
Pretty looking?

Cons:
Not quite as good as Gyros, bit fiddly to set up, some cables don't fit.

Also designed not to tear bollocks off when you end up with your feet on a ramp platform with the rest of the bike hanging down below you. Got one when they first came out (before I stopped using gyros) could never get it set up right - not as much 'pull' as an Oddy gyro I thought.
Title: Re: ACS Rotor or, Gyro? Less efficient?
Post by: fugazi on February 02, 2012, 10:05 AM
There's a reason the Gyro has remained pretty much the same for more than a Quarter of a Century, it works!  :daumenhoch:
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