Erik Freitag wrote:
> I have an old (ca 1978) Nishiki in the garage which runs OK, but I'm not happy with the dia-compe
> center-pull brakes - not enough stop when I pull the levers and too much time adjusting to keep
> them centered. These brakes also have the highly advanced extension levers, which should be
> removed from the bike and enshrined in the annals of good ideas gone wrong.
>
> I'd like to keep the old bike as a backup and errand-runner, but I don't want to spend a lot of
> money to fix it up.
>
> Is there a low-cost way to improve the brake situation? I'm very happy with the Avid Single Digit
> 5s on my commute bike.
A caliper brake system consists of 4 parts:
.The levers .The cables .The calipers .The brake shoes
All of these parts are upgradable. Many people think first of replacing the calipers, but, in fact,
this is the least likely part to make any real difference. A caliper is a simple leverage unit, and
there's not all that much to one.
In the case of older bikes, it can be difficult to find a new caliper that will even fit.
The other 3 parts are much more likely to yield real improvement.
.The levers
Older designs had the cables exit up from the front of the brake levers, arching over the
handlebars. The newer style, where the cable exits out the back of the lever and runs under the
handlebar tape is referred to as "aero" because it eliminates the wind drag of the exposed cables.
Aero levers are generally a major improvement over the older type. The pivots are located
differently, making it possible to get fairly serious braking from the position where the rider's
hand is on top of the lever hood. Traditional levers would permit the use of this position for
gentle deceleration only.
Additionally, the better aero levers have better internal cable routing, so there's less cable
friction. I particularly recommend the Shimano Tiagra units we sell for $39.95, including cables.
See:
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/brakes.html#leversdrop
.The cables
Older cables used metal-to-metal contact as the inner cable slid through the spiral-wound steel
housing. Lubricant was by grease, if the mechanic was conscientious.
Modern cable housings have a Teflon or similar lining. The better inner cables are stainless steel,
and are "die drawn" to make them smoother. The result is greatly reduced cable friction, so more of
your finger strength is transmitted to the caliper, rather than wasted overcoming cable friction.
.The brake shoes
Modern high-performance brake shoes also make a considerable difference. The very best is the ugly
salmon-colored material originated by Scott-Mathauser, and now sold under the Kool Stop name. See:
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/brakeshoes.html
Sheldon "Boilerplate FAQ" Brown +--------------------------------------------------------+
| Westheimer's Discovery: |
| A couple of months in the laboratory can frequently |
| save a couple of hours in the library. |
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Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts
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