1970's poor breaking

[Paulus]

Sorry about the spelling in the title.


I recently purchased a 1974 Mercian, and I suddenly remembered how poor some of the brakes were at that time.
Is there any way I could get a better braking performance without changing the wheels and/or the calipers. The brake blocks are the standard type old school blocks. The calipers are side pull, Exage motion, and the levers are Mafac What blocks can you suggest? The rims are alloy, not steel.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Kool Stops are supposed to make quite a difference.

 

[biggs682]

@Paulus koolstops will help for sure

 

[raleighnut]

Sorry about the spelling in the title.


I recently purchased a 1974 Mercian, and I suddenly remembered how poor some of the brakes were at that time.
Is there any way I could get a better braking performance without changing the wheels and/or the calipers. The brake blocks are the standard type old school blocks. The calipers are side pull, Exage motion, and the levers are Mafac What blocks can you suggest? The rims are alloy, not steel.

Do not try to brake from 'the hoods' set the levers lower down the bars and get a good grip on them. In the 70s my Carlton with Weinmann 'dynamic' sidepulls would let me get the rear wheel a foot in the air under perfect control with great modulation/feel but by contrast the Raleigh 531 that I put modern (105) calipers on will spit me over the handlebars if I brake with more than one finger (and has done so more than once)

 

[sidevalve]

As above really but perhaps flying over the handlebars is not a technique to be recommended. My old Dawes has similar brakes to yours and they work quite well but then I do try not to rely on them to stop me having to look ahead and see what's going on in front of me - something a lot of modern riders [and drivers] seem to have forgotten

 

[midlife]

Did someone mention 1970's Mercian . Pics would be nice.

Have you tried cleaning the rims of crud.

Shaun

 

[Paulus]

Did someone mention 1970's Mercian . Pics would be nice.



Shaun

Here it is---Resprayed and rechromed. It rides really well, 531 frame.

 

[midlife]

Class

Mercian always did make graceful frames, lovely gentle curve to the forks. The under bottom bracket cable route is unusual for 1974 though.

Thanks for the photo.

Shaun

 

[Hugh Manatee]

That's rather lovely. The brake calipers are new than I had imagined. New blocks will help I'm sure.

 

[midlife]

Ooops forgot to look at the brakes, is the reach too small? Do the blocks cover all the rim or just the top 2/3rds?

Shaun

 

[raleighnut]

Beautiful bike.

 

[Paulus]

Ooops forgot to look at the brakes, is the reach too small? Do the blocks cover all the rim or just the top 2/3rds?

Shaun

The blocks do just about cover the whole of the rim. I may change the calipers for longer reach ones. I am not sure that the present ones are the originals.