Brake problem, please help!

[meincornwall]

Hi all,

I've recently returned to cycling after a long break and bought a Claud Butler San Remo (very old & knackered) which I have been fixing up.

I have had to fit allsorts of new components, including new cables all round and new bars (Charge slice bullhorns) with the brake cables routed through the bars which I drilled.
Incidentally the cables are running without restriction (after much fannying about).

The problem I face now is that having got the bike completed and ready to roll I do not seem to have enough travel in the brake/selector levers to pull hard on my brakes.

Do you guys reckon this could be solved by:
- changing my Shimano Exage Motion calipers (to Shimano Tiagra or Campagnolo Veloce)
- change the bars (cut down & reversed drops I was thinking)
- change the levers for a design more suited to my chosen style of bar.

The levers currently have 55mm of travel.

Anyone's help on this matter would be greatly appreciated as my low budget method of getting back into the saddle is rapidly becoming a money pit!

 

[meincornwall]

ps The 55mm of lever travel equates to about 13mm of cable travel at the rear caliper.
This was measured by holding the cable taut, marking it, pulling the lever and measuring the distance moved by the cable.
So it won't take into account cable stretch or any take up of play in the system (as the caliper was diconnected at the time).
Thanks folks

 

[Ivan Ardon]

I may be wrong, but those look like single pivot calipers on the bike. They're going to be poor whatever you do with them.

 

[meincornwall]

Thanks, reckon you're right, I've ordered some campag veloce calipers so fingers crossed!

 

[NickM]

I may be wrong, but those look like single pivot calipers on the bike. They're going to be poor whatever you do with them.

Well, poor compared to current dual pivots; but their performance can be improved by fitting better brake blocks:

http://www.dotbike.com/ProductsP5993.aspx?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=3&utm_campaign=DPL

Whether this is better than fitting a cheap pair of dual pivots is moot... if you do that, make sure you get brakes with the same drop as your current ones.

Cable pull for sidepulls is ~12mm, so that is not the problem. However, I'm a bit concerned to hear that you have drilled your bars. The cable exit points are on the thicker part of the bar, I hope?

 

[redjedi]

I'm not an expert but I would have thought that having decent brake blocks and making sure the cables are tight should be enough.

with the brake cables routed through the bars which I drilled.

But this bit does concern me. I'm not sure how safe that would be.
You don't want to have to brake in an emergency only for your bars to snap.

 

[meincornwall]

Thanks for your advice and concern, the bars are drilled directly behind and slightly above the levers and about 2 inches out from the clamp. I have drilled as small as possible and they hold up ok.
I've given them a hell of a wrenching and bashing about in my garage and they don't seem affected.
This was done using such force that I can be confident that if they haven't failed in the garage then they won't fail in traffic.
My new brakes should have arrived today so will be fitted when I return from work tomorrow or Friday, I'll let you all know how it goes.
Thanks to all of you for your concern and advice.