Centerpull brakes

Dale Stanbrough wrote:

wrote:



So? Who uses centerpull brakes... and why? They are dogs!


I have a bike with 700C tyres, drop handle bars and ceterpull
brakes (it was converted from a mountain bike). I've never
been able to find brakes that could replace them. Are there
any other brakes suitable for this set up?

Dale

To define terms ( a popular motif here today!) are your
brakes mounted on studs attached to the frame and to the
fork? Or do they attach with a single center bolt through
the brake's bridge? If the latter, what size are they?
[short=610, long=750 for Weinmanns, other brands vary]

There are _always_ alternates.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

In article ,
A Muzi wrote:

Dale Stanbrough wrote:

wrote:



So? Who uses centerpull brakes... and why? They are dogs!


I have a bike with 700C tyres, drop handle bars and ceterpull
brakes (it was converted from a mountain bike). I've never
been able to find brakes that could replace them. Are there
any other brakes suitable for this set up?

Dale

To define terms ( a popular motif here today!) are your
brakes mounted on studs attached to the frame and to the
fork? Or do they attach with a single center bolt through
the brake's bridge? If the latter, what size are they?
[short=610, long=750 for Weinmanns, other brands vary]


The brake arms are attached to studs brazed? onto the front
of the forks. The pads sit 1/2 way along the length of the
brake arm, and the top is connected traingularly to the center
pull mechanism.

-----
| ^ |
|/ \|
/ \ - center pull cables.
/| |\
\\| | |//
\\*|*// - brake arms and pads
| | |
| | | - forks
| | |
+-+-+
|
|
|
|
| - wheel

(whew!)

Most bike shop staff say you can't combine brakes which act off
pivots on the forks with drop handle bars and large profile
rims/tyres.

Dale

--

Dale Stanbrough writes:

In article ,
A Muzi wrote:

To define terms ( a popular motif here today!) are your brakes
mounted on studs attached to the frame and to the fork? Or do
they attach with a single center bolt through the brake's bridge?
If the latter, what size are they? [short=610, long=750 for
Weinmanns, other brands vary]

The brake arms are attached to studs brazed? onto the front of the
forks. The pads sit 1/2 way along the length of the brake arm, and
the top is connected traingularly to the center pull mechanism.

ASCII art snipped

Sounds like cantilever brakes. Snoop around the brakes section at
www.sheldonbrown.com and you'll see photos and examples of each type of
brake. ISTR Mr. Muzi's shop as having some photos on their Web site
as well.

Most bike shop staff say you can't combine brakes which act off
pivots on the forks with drop handle bars and large profile
rims/tyres.

They'd be wrong. With a pair of DiaCompe 287 brake levers, you can
use drop bars with cantilevers very easily. With a pair of 287V
levers, you can use them with V-brakes.

Comments down at the bottom...

Tim McNamara wrote in message ...
Dale Stanbrough writes:

In article ,
A Muzi wrote:

To define terms ( a popular motif here today!) are your brakes
mounted on studs attached to the frame and to the fork? Or do
they attach with a single center bolt through the brake's bridge?
If the latter, what size are they? [short=610, long=750 for
Weinmanns, other brands vary]

The brake arms are attached to studs brazed? onto the front of the
forks. The pads sit 1/2 way along the length of the brake arm, and
the top is connected traingularly to the center pull mechanism.

ASCII art snipped

Sounds like cantilever brakes. Snoop around the brakes section at
www.sheldonbrown.com and you'll see photos and examples of each type of
brake. ISTR Mr. Muzi's shop as having some photos on their Web site
as well.

Most bike shop staff say you can't combine brakes which act off
pivots on the forks with drop handle bars and large profile
rims/tyres.

They'd be wrong. With a pair of DiaCompe 287 brake levers, you can
use drop bars with cantilevers very easily. With a pair of 287V
levers, you can use them with V-brakes.


However, Mr. Stanbrough's bike has 700C wheels on a mountain bike
frame, which means the cantilever studs are not correctly positioned.
I'd guess they sit about 31mm too low for cantilever brakes to work.

There are brakes that have a large range of vertical adjustment-
Paul's Motolite is one:
http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Bra...ct_20515.shtml
These are expensive and rare, though. Drilling some mounting holes in
the frame and fork and bolting on caliper (centerpull or sidepull)
brakes might be possible- but only by someone who's an experienced
mongrelizer.

Jeff

wrote:
So? Who uses centerpull brakes... and why? They are dogs!

Dale Stanbrough wrote:
I have a bike with 700C tyres, drop handle bars and ceterpull
brakes (it was converted from a mountain bike). I've never
been able to find brakes that could replace them. Are there
any other brakes suitable for this set up?

In article ,
A Muzi wrote:
To define terms ( a popular motif here today!) are your
brakes mounted on studs attached to the frame and to the
fork? Or do they attach with a single center bolt through
the brake's bridge? If the latter, what size are they?
[short=610, long=750 for Weinmanns, other brands vary]

Dale Stanbrough wrote:
The brake arms are attached to studs brazed? onto the front
of the forks.
-snip a drawing of great effort-
Most bike shop staff say you can't combine brakes which act off
pivots on the forks with drop handle bars and large profile
rims/tyres.

They're cantilevers and those are exceptionally verstaile.
You can get excellent response from them with road levers.
Sheldon Brown has a nice overview (which youshould read) but
basically you can change the position of the pad in relation
to the arm and also the angle/length of the transverse
cable. The latter can change the brake from a low-gear
device to high-gear action or the inverse as you require.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Tim! 74 posts and a maybe? were talkin the tire unit not the bar unit...???
is it an economimc decision?

On 13 Nov 2003 16:24:03 -0800, (Jeff Wills) wrote:

However, Mr. Stanbrough's bike has 700C wheels on a mountain bike
frame, which means the cantilever studs are not correctly positioned.
I'd guess they sit about 31mm too low for cantilever brakes to work.

I doubt this. 700C wheels don't usually fit on a mountain bike frame, but
they do fit on certain hybrid frames, many of which are in essence
mountain bike frames designed to take 700C wheels. I think it's much more
likely that that's what he has.

Jasper

Jasper Janssen wrote:

On 13 Nov 2003 16:24:03 -0800, (Jeff Wills) wrote:

However, Mr. Stanbrough's bike has 700C wheels on a mountain bike
frame, which means the cantilever studs are not correctly positioned.
I'd guess they sit about 31mm too low for cantilever brakes to work.

I doubt this. 700C wheels don't usually fit on a mountain bike frame, but
they do fit on certain hybrid frames, many of which are in essence
mountain bike frames designed to take 700C wheels. I think it's much more
likely that that's what he has.

yep, it's a Cannondale bike that originally had flat handlebars (i.e.
it looked like a mountain bike, but with 700C wheels and eyelets for
touring).

Dale

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