Disc Brake vs Lathe! Ultimate Bicycle Disc Brake Test with Large Lathe

Bicycle disk brakes have come a long way over the years, but they’re still no match for this monster lathe, as you will see in this head-to-head face off.

While the outcome of this test really wasn’t necessarily surprising, as trying to stop a spinning lathe would be akin to trying to use bike brakes to stop a locomotive, it is fun to watch regardless. YouTube channel Beyond the press took the time and effort to setup this machine face-off, pitting tons of torque against the force of friction, and torque takes the win convincingly.

The brakes begin to smoke as soon as they’re applied, then start slinging sparks only a fe short seconds later. However, the brakes do hold up surprisingly well despite the incredible forces being applied to them by the lathe. It takes quite a while before the brakes break down and fail, resulting in another test once the brakes are rebuilt, though the new components face the exact same fate as the first ones. Once again, the lathe is far too powerful for the bicycle brakes. Check out that rotor glow, and the smoke rings that come from the caliper after the test is over! Very cool stuff!