Beefing up the braking power on an old road bike

[Bodhbh]

Quick one: I recently got given a vintage road bike. The brakes aren't particularly great. I'd like to improve the brakes without too much expenditure. I have to say I've already found them a pain in the arse to keep centred too.

Are the old caliper brakes just not as good and you suck it up, or a change of pads should do the trick, or I'm looking to replace them with something else?

Here's a pic of what's on the bike anyhow:

 

[biggs682]

couple of options try some Koolstop pads on original calipers , or pick up a pr of Dual action calipers they quite often spring up in the classifieds section when other people upgrade

 

[Bodhbh]

couple of options try some Koolstop pads on original calipers , or pick up a pr of Dual action calipers they quite often spring up in the classifieds section when other people upgrade

Cheers, that's more or less what I was thinking. I just didn't want to buy the pads and find they offered no improvement. All I know about it brakes is a quick read of Sheldon Brown. The dual pivot calipers should offer better performance? The ones that seem to be the best fit are the Tektro long reach (tyre clearance is 35mm).

 

[Broadside]

I have an old Raleigh Europa which i use for the shops/pub runs. In my experience the shoddy brakes are a combo of the old design of the calipers, old design of the brake block compound and the difference in the new technology alu wheel rims that are available but that you probably don't have on a vintage road bike.

Unless you want to start spending money you might just need to get used to it :-)

 

[Bodhbh]

I have an old Raleigh Europa which i use for the shops/pub runs. In my experience the shoddy brakes are a combo of the old design of the calipers, old design of the brake block compound and the difference in the new technology alu wheel rims that are available but that you probably don't have on a vintage road bike.

Unless you want to start spending money you might just need to get used to it :-)

Yeah, I'm at a bit of a junction where I decide to leave it as is - and use it for shop runs and not worry to much about it getting nicked - or start hemorraging money at it. Just been for a few spins on it, but it's actually a damn nice ride. Would quite like to use it on the commute - at least when the weather is like this - but then it needs decent brakes.

 

[Broadside]

That is the trouble, some of these old steel framed bikes do ride very nicely and I am just talking about an old Raleigh Europa, not something fitted with Dura Ace components! :-)

 

[Profpointy]

Others's experience may differ, but having bought coolstops as an upgrade, and not convinced there is a huge improvement over my OE shimana pads - some maybe. For the original question, i guess a really good fettle may be what's needed - I see they are dura ace, so presumably there or thereabouts the best available at the time, so if all adjusted and free to move properly, rims cleaned with meths etc, should be pretty good. Adjusting / fettling brakes does tend to be more faff than one might ideally like it must be admitted.

 

[tyred]

Replace the cables (modern nylon ones have less internal friction), inner and outer if you haven't already done so, make sure the brake caliper and levers pivot freely and add a little light oil, clean the rims and pads and re-try.

These type of brakes should work fine but will require a hard pull in comparison to modern brakes. Anyone with small or weak hands may struggle with them.

 

[accountantpete]

Is that a wear groove on the rim and how deep is it?

 

[Bodhbh]

That is the trouble, some of these old steel framed bikes do ride very nicely and I am just talking about an old Raleigh Europa, not something fitted with Dura Ace components! :-)

I'm aware I'm possibly sounding like a primadonna moaning about my rubbish old Dura Ace brakes!

Others's experience may differ, but having bought coolstops as an upgrade, and not convinced there is a huge improvement over my OE shimana pads - some maybe. For the original question, i guess a really good fettle may be what's needed - I see they are dura ace, so presumably there or thereabouts the best available at the time, so if all adjusted and free to move properly, rims cleaned with meths etc, should be pretty good.

I'll give the koolstops and the meths clean a go as a first. I'd like to keep the orginals if possible. If I'm still not happy, it's the Tektro dual pivots.

Replace the cables (modern nylon ones have less internal friction), inner and outer if you haven't already done so, make sure the brake caliper and levers pivot freely and add a little light oil, clean the rims and pads and re-try.

These type of brakes should work fine but will require a hard pull in comparison to modern brakes. Anyone with small or weak hands may struggle with them.

I've already replaced the cables and fitted some bulky STI-style Tektro levers I had kicking around. I do have small hands for a bloke and the Tektro levers are the short reach version - but yeah, maybe I just have to get used to grabbing the levers a bit harder.

Is that a wear groove on the rim and how deep is it?

It's a trick of the light I think, but I'll have another look. I've didn't notice it before seeing that photo.

Alright cheers all for the help. Will give the koolstops and a good rim clean a go and see whatsup.

 

[Profpointy]

Further thought, if the brake blocks are contemporary-ish with the bike & brakes generally they may well have gone hard / perished, so new replacements, be they OE Shimano, or koolstops might well be a considerable improvment if this is indeed the case

 

[Bodhbh]

Further thought, if the brake blocks are contemporary-ish with the bike & brakes generally they may well have gone hard / perished, so new replacements, be they OE Shimano, or koolstops might well be a considerable improvment if this is indeed the case

I did wander about that - they haven't perished, but the compound is certainly very hard. Hopefully new ones waiting when I get back from work tonight and I'll be able to provide an update.

 

[uphillstruggler]

lets see some pictures of the whole bike - looks like a great freebee

 

[Bodhbh]

First off, cleaning the rims and swapping the pads for koolstops has improved the braking a fair bit. But the brakes up front now only highlight the headset has some play.

lets see some pictures of the whole bike - looks like a great freebee

Okay, this is it as it as it was given to me:

This is the current setup:

The orginal wheels each had a broken spoke, tubular tyres (which looked perished, at least I didn't trust them) and the cassette looked a bit hardcore for me. So I replaced them with some rather heavier ones from a cheaper bike of the same vintage and stuck on some Kojak slicks I had spare.

The seatpost was far too short, so changed it for a longer, setback one and put on a brooks that was shamefully laying around. The brake levers I swapped, but really not sure where to sit them on the those bars.

The bear cage pedal is only on while I figure out what to put on it. The left pedal is stuck and probably a job for the LBS, unless I get a length pipe to stick around the spanner.

tbh just want to get the thing comfortable first, put some miles on it and worry about spending money if I enjoy riding and know what I'm going to use it for. Made the mistake before of getting ahead of myself...

 

[uphillstruggler]

that looks great.

re the stuck pedal, I had this issue myself.

take the crank off and clamp it somewhere that is easy to reach around. heat the crank/pedal axle. once the crank is hot enough, you should be able to get the pedal off but be careful - remember its hot . I had a pair of heat protective gloves and some thick leather gloves over the top and I could still feel the heat.

good luck