Putting centerpulls on my Schwinn World- photos available?

Hello,

Recently, I've decided to upgrade the brakes on my 1990 Schwinn World. It came equipped with sidepull Chang Stars. These worked well enough when the bike was newer, but now they've become difficult to adjust, and the return springs may be wearing out.

I was hoping to use a set of NOS sidepull brakes by Dia-Compe or Shimano due to their original look and also because I am familiar with how they work. A nice ebayer sold me some, but neither set has a long enough reach to get both pads down to the braking surface. The original brakes had just over 60mm, and the Dia-Compes were at 57mm. The seller said longer brakes were hard to find and that he didn't have any in stock.

Someone told me that it's possible to install centerpulls on an older bike like mine with the right hardware.

Has anyone here done that, and if so, do you have any photos of the installation? Do the brakes work well?

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you,
-Bill

 

I got these for about $20 they are 48-63mm. Probably Alhonga or Promax.

 

Where'd you get them and what size were they? Is that $20US or $20AU?

Thank you,
-Bill

 

Where, most Old-Bike shops in Aus.
Size, from the frame mounting bolt to the mounting bolt for the pads, 48-63mm drop.
Money, $20 aus.

 

Well, trouble is I'm over here in the US and can't hop on a plane to go down there just for bicycle brakes at this time.


Which is really too bad because $20AU is just under $17US. As long as they're in good working condition and lack the problems I'm experiencing with the Chang Stars, that's hard to beat.

 

Instead of hopping on a plane to go to Oz for your brakes, have the seller put them on a plane to you. DHL, FedEx, and UPS all ship worldwide, and for a pair of brakes, the cost won't be too bad. You might also try some of the New-Old Bike Shops on eBay. They could probably fix you up.

 

While your bike might benefit from new calipers ... and, it is easy enough to install CENTER PULL brakes as long as you install "cable hangers" for the front (on a threaded fork, it attaches between the upper cup & lock nut) & rear (usually, secured by the seat binder bolt) ... you probably just need new cables & housing OR to simply clean & lube your current cables.

FWIW. The center pull design is superior to the single-pivot design because of the longer "levers" ... and so, center pull brakes were generally considered to be better than most of the older, single-pivot brake calipers. Center pull brakes were superseded by cantilever calipers that are attached directly to the frame AND dual-pivot road calipers.

 

I just installed new cables and cable housings.

I'm not sure what you mean by threaded fork. I've been riding for a long time, but never learned the terminology. I'm having some trouble visualizing how the conversion works.

Thank you,
-Bill

 

There is a 99.9% probability that your bike has a threaded fork.

The top of the steering column is threaded & it is secured to the bike's headtube by way of a threaded NUT which secures a threaded cup in which the upper set of bearings are located.

The steering column on a threadless fork is (as the name may now suggest) not threaded ... the stack is held in place by the handlebar stem. The cable hanger, in those instances, is stacked somewhere between the headset & the stem.

BTW. Almost all centerpull brakes will have sufficient "reach" for your bike if you decide you want to install a set ...

BTW2. Did you LUBE the new cables? You can just put a dab of VASELINE (or, equivalent) between your thumb & an opposing finger tip and lightly grease the cable(s) ... it can make a world of difference on almost all cables (new Campagnolo cables barely benefit from being lubed when installed in new Campagnolo housing).