What brakes are these?

[jeremyd123]

Hi all, I've picked up a Pashley no.33 cargo trike which I plan to turn into a coffee bike. Are these single pivot or dual pivot caliper brakes? They aren't particuarly effective and I wondered if anyone had any suggestions on what I could change them to?

 

[recumbentpanda]

Hi, those are single pivot callipers. The pivot is the bit with the dark ring on the centreline of the tire. It’s a bolt that the two arms pivot around. A dual pivot brake might give better leverage but I see that those are steel rims. First thing I would try is making sure you have the best pads for steel on there. In wet weather, pads with leather inserts used to be an improvement on plain rubber (this is back in the 10th century or thereabouts!). There are probably modern equivalents.

 

[Sharky]

Presume, these are on the two rear wheels, operated by a dual cable pull brake lever. (that's what I had on my tandem trike).

Rear brakes are much less effective than front brakes and on top of that, with two rear wheels having less weight on them, it is very easy to lock the wheels and skid. Also if it is a dual pull brake lever, it is difficult to balance the pull.

My solution was to ditch the rear brakes and replace the front wheel with one that had a drum brake as well as the rim brake. So I had two brakes operating on the front wheel and both still effective after 30 odd years.

You can also get dual rim brake calipers - have a Google search fot trike brakes.

Edit: just realised that yours is a trike with two front wheels, rather than two rear ewheels. So two rim brakes at the front won't be too bad.

 

[T4tomo]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30401080...I447AvYkf-sz3jcljgqJJ1yOLHCQCwQAaAssqEALw_wcB

the steel rims are the bigger issue than the caliper type, some these might help, particularly if current pads are old and hard.

 

[classic33]

They're useless above 10mph*, and the trike becomes unstable above 12mph. Loaded or not.
You might struggle to get alloy rims to replace your current steel ones.


*Loaded, they're not much use above walking speed.

 

[rogerzilla]

They look like Weinmann 500. About the cheapest alloy brake available in the 80s and fitted to millions of bikes.

 

[MichaelW2]

It may be hard finding dual pivots with enough drop. Most Long Drop models are 57mm from bolt to lowest brake block bolt position.
Tektro make some.

Tektro R559 / Alhonga​

 

[Juan Kog]

I used to use a bike with combination of steel rims and weinmann single pivots for a 2 mile ride to the station ,including a steep downhill section with a main road at the bottom . In the wet additional braking was provided with the assistance of Dr Marten .

 

[Gunk]

I used to use a bike with combination of steel rims and weinmann single pivots for a 2 mile ride to the station ,including a steep downhill section with a main road at the bottom . In the wet additional braking was provided with the assistance of Dr Marten .

They are hopeless, most of my builds I replace them with vintage Shimano or Campagnolo dual pivots