Close call

[Globalti]

This was more or less how I crashed and bust my collar bone.

 

[Vantage]

I did similar a while back.
Nice long downhill full of bends and I was getting into my element. Halfway through a blind sweeping left bend I'd let the bike wander into the middle of a quite narrow lane and was doing maybe 25mph. Chelsea tractor driver coming up the lane made the same mistake. A quick dart to the inside for me and outside for him and we missed each other by mere inches.
Scared the crap out of me.
My dad who was following mentioned I took a rather care free /stupid attitude to corners at speed

 

[tyred]

I find they work very well with modern levers.

Funny you should say that as I had considered saying it too.

I carried out some work on an old Dawes for a woman I know and she was struggling to get her small hands around the Weinmann brake levets so I replaced them with some modern Tektro ones which offered adjustments. The improvement to braking was unbelievable. This was on Weinmann side pulls.

I'd say to anyone who wants to improve the brakes on an old road bike to start with the brake levers rather the callipers.

 

[Lovacott]

Yep. We have a network of lovely little single track roads. Very rarely much on them but there is always the occasional vehicle or occasionally a deer shoot out or something. When I see some riders Strava speeds on segments on some of them they must be taking huge risks to cover them at the speeds they do.

I rarely see cars on some of my route, but one morning last week I saw three on the same stretch and all three were haring it along.

Because I take the same route twice a day, four or five times a week, chances are that sooner or later, I will meet a car at a blind bend.

I'm also very wary when passing farm gates as tractors have a tendency to just fly out on the assumption that there will be nobody there (also, the big Devon banks make it hard to see anything in advance).

 

[DCBassman]

I'd say to anyone who wants to improve the brakes on an old road bike to start with the brake levers rather the callipers.

The Revell mixte I'm doing up has Ritchey Logic mtb levers on Weinmann side pulls, and after thinking I'd put on matching levers from a donor bike, I'm going to leave them as-is.

 

[RichardB]

I would have thought that the car driver would have stopped to see how you were. Perhaps they saw you getting up in their mirror and assumed that you were okay but seems very wrong .

Haha, nope! I lay there for at least 5 minutes. I'm nearer 70 than 60 now, and I don't bounce as well as I used to. She must have been well aware of what happened, and I was still watching her go from my position in a grass bank when she disappeared round a corner. I didn't get reg number or even make and model, so no chance of chasing it up, but I'd be dying of shame if I had left a cyclist down and didn't stop to at least check he was OK.

I find that it's always best to ride downhill with your hands covering your brake levers , for one thing you are more aerodynamic and the other is that you can grab a handful of brake if needed.

I had my hands on the levers, but from above, where there is much less leverage. I needed to have the levers already grabbed from below, and then I am sure they would have stopped me, for as Drago says above, they aren't bad brakes, and they are set up 100% (I am very particular about that).

 

[RichardB]

I'm also very wary when passing farm gates as tractors have a tendency to just fly out on the assumption that there will be nobody there (also, the big Devon banks make it hard to see anything in advance).

Pembrokeshire lanes the same. I always recite in my head (rolling Pembs farmer accent) "I've been coming out of this gate without looking for 40 years, and my father before me, and his father before him, and I'm not going to start now!"

There's a farm a mile up the road where the farmer has a habit of driving his telehandler out of his narrow gate *on a blind bend* with the forks down at chest height. He's a complete menace. I encountered this once on the motorbike, but defensive riding meant I was going slowly anyway. Now I just crawl past, even in a big solid car. He also covers the road in slurry and cowsh!t and when it rains the road is lethal for about half a mile. He is not popular.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Newer brake pads of the newer materials will also help with the Weinmann center pulls. I think I still have Weinmann Vanquers on my single speed .

 

[RichardB]

Newer brake pads of the newer materials will also help with the Weinmann center pulls. I think I still have Weinmann Vanquers on my single speed .

Will look into that, cheers. The current blocks are the old-style small, square rubber blocks in the separate alloy shoes. Adequate back in the day, but perhaps brakes are too important to have second best. I'm not that wedded to originality!

 

[avecReynolds531]

Will look into that, cheers. The current blocks are the old-style small, square rubber blocks in the separate alloy shoes. Adequate back in the day, but perhaps brakes are too important to have second best. I'm not that wedded to originality!

Thanks for this thread.

The Weinmann centre pulls I have on a bike were supplied with Kool Stop brake blocks. I couldn't get along with the original Weinmann levers.

With modern brake levers such as the Tektro R340, or Campagnolo ergolevers, they've been excellent in stopping power - but this meant brake cables running under the bar tape. I was happy to forget authenticity for decent brakes.

SJSC have brake levers & blocks: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brakes/

All the best.

 

[raleighnut]

I think a lot of younger riders set their brake levers for too high on the bars to be able to brake easily, I've had mine like this since the 70's

 

[RichardB]

The Weinmann centre pulls I have on a bike were supplied with Kool Stop brake blocks. I couldn't get along with the original Weinmann levers.

With modern brake levers such as the Tektro R340, or Campagnolo ergolevers, they've been excellent in stopping power - but this meant brake cables running under the bar tape. I was happy to forget authenticity for decent brakes.

Kool Stop are a good shout, will have a look for those. Cables under the bar tape? No, that's a step too far! I like my brake cables looping up in the air, where God intended them to be. Seriously the levers are OK for me. They can be used in two ways, and I need to remember to use the appropriate way, that's all

I think a lot of younger riders set their brake levers for too high on the bars to be able to brake easily, I've had mine like this since the 70's

View attachment 549203

Nowt wrong there. Levers pointing at the floor, where they should be. I would have the bars slightly flatter/further forward (hooks pointing to the rear axle) and the levers moved accordingly, which would make riding on the brake hoods a little easier (for me), but your setup looks fine to me.

 

[mjr]

Halfway through a blind sweeping left bend I'd let the bike wander into the middle of a quite narrow lane and was doing maybe 25mph. Chelsea tractor driver coming up the lane made the same mistake. A quick dart to the inside for me and outside for him and we missed each other by mere inches.

I've seen similar happen with an actual tractor! Very scary, even as the following rider!

 

[Lovacott]

Pembrokeshire lanes the same. I always recite in my head (rolling Pembs farmer accent) "I've been coming out of this gate without looking for 40 years, and my father before me, and his father before him, and I'm not going to start now!"

There's a farm a mile up the road where the farmer has a habit of driving his telehandler out of his narrow gate *on a blind bend* with the forks down at chest height. He's a complete menace.

Farmland roads have lots of 90 degree rights and lefts as they were built on farm boundary lines.

I've had tractors, muck spreaders, combines and quad bikes all pulling out of farm gates ahead of me without so much as a sideways glance.

Then there are the stray sheep, pheasants, escapee bullocks, Hares and Rabbits to contend with.

My approach to a blind bend is to practically grind to a halt and take a good look before engaging my legs again. It's saved my arse more than a few times.

 

[si_c]

Weinmann centre pulls haul me up pretty well. Not as good as modern brakes, but not remotely shabby either.

Newer brake pads of the newer materials will also help with the Weinmann center pulls. I think I still have Weinmann Vanquers on my single speed .

Chances are if the bike is a little older that the brake pads have become harder and so less effective. A new set of pads (Koolstop work for me) is likely to improve the performance noticably. Ensuring that the straddle wire is set at an appropriate height is also important. As mentioned above centrepull brakes are very effective - easily as effective as a good set of dual pivot brakes - but they do require more setup.

Nowt wrong with the Weinmanns, but after years of riding flat bar bikes I had forgotten how little leverage you have on the brake levers when riding on the brake hoods. Enough to control your speed, but not for an emergency stop. Lessons learned.

Modern Shimano levers have a contoured shape which improves braking from the hoods - older levers are less effective. That being said with older steel bikes the handlebars were much higher than modern road bikes so the drops were used more frequently. There are a few articles detailing this kicking around but I can't find them just at the moment.