Brake upgrade..

[Salty seadog]

I have a single speed which I was given. It's great apart from the braking which is very sloppy. It has bull horn bars with ITM tt levers that plug into the bar ends and basic tektro calipers.
There is a bargain to be had on some ultegra calipers. Would this work ok in this set up as in the description it says the calipers must be used with certain sti levers to get the correct pull ratio.

Could this work?

Your thoughts please.

 

[raleighnut]

I've got a similar set-up on my Raleigh 'Road Ace' but with 105 calipers

They are really weird, like yours they feel very soft but are devastating in use. 1 finger is sufficient to lock either wheel but they still have loads of possible movement long after that point. Absolutely lethal if you 'panic brake', so much so that I'm thinking or changing to 'Interruptor Levers' mounted 'backwards' as in my other bullhorn equipped bike.

 

[Old jon]

I replaced the Tektro thing with a 105 caliper on my fixed. It works fine. The one on the back, original, is never used. And is little use anyway.

 

[Drago]

I got one bike with Tektros, and another with 105s, and the Tektros are markedly better. I suspect this is due to the rather excellent Felt branded pads.

 

[mjr]

I replaced the Tektro thing with a 105 caliper on my fixed. It works fine. The one on the back, original, is never used. And is little use anyway.

View attachment 383432

If the back one is little use, that that the right straddle cable for the brake? The yoke looks very high from that angle, which will result in a lower mechanical advantage. http://sheldonbrown.com/canti-trad.html#ma

 

[Old jon]

If the back one is little use, that that the right straddle cable for the brake? The yoke looks very high from that angle, which will result in a lower mechanical advantage.

I suspect the perspective, of the photograph that is, makes it difficult to see accurately. As the pads / blocks touch the rim the arm of the bell crank and the cable form something very close to a right angle. Which is the way I was taught.

 

[mjr]

As the pads / blocks touch the rim the arm of the bell crank and the cable form something very close to a right angle. Which is the way I was taught.

When were you taught and was it before low profile cantilevers were widespread? I'm not sure what you mean by "bell crank" there, but if you mean the cantilever angle, it's only a right-angle for what's now called "medium profile", while Quella seem to use Promax brakes and they're "low profile" so the angle would be less than 90 degrees. It's on the Sheldon link (and I know, it surprised me too when I first realised it). EDIT: I failed to paste this Sheldon link: http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-geometry.html#cantitype

 

[Heltor Chasca]

I replaced the Tektro thing with a 105 caliper on my fixed. It works fine. The one on the back, original, is never used. And is little use anyway.

View attachment 383432

I like that. Very dapper.

 

[Old jon]

When were you taught and was it before low profile cantilevers were widespread? I'm not sure what you mean by "bell crank" there, but if you mean the cantilever angle, it's only a right-angle for what's now called "medium profile", while Quella seem to use Promax brakes and they're "low profile" so the angle would be less than 90 degrees. It's on the Sheldon link (and I know, it surprised me too when I first realised it). EDIT: I failed to paste this Sheldon link: http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-geometry.html#cantitype

Hmm, as a paid up pedant I admit it is not a real bell crank, you usually found them at the tops of bell towers. I said the angle between the cable and the arm of the bell crank. not the 'cantilever angle' 'cos that is a pair of words that may mean what you choose them to mean. The same as 'medium profile' and 'low profile' are just words. My bike came with Tektro stuff.

 

[overmind]

I like that. Very dapper.

Me too, and is that a Brooks saddle ?

 

[Cycleops]

And a camera too to catch any would be villains. Becoming a bit of a necessity these days.

 

[Old jon]

Me too, and is that a Brooks saddle ?

A Brooks saddle indeed. One on the other bike as well. They work well for me.

And a camera too to catch any would be villains. Becoming a bit of a necessity these days.

Nope, just so I can post videos of bits of rides. I could stop and take still pictures 'cos I carry a camera for that also. I just do not like stopping.