Dual calliper upgrade advice please

[Ed no-more-lemons]

Hi I am a bit of a Luddite, but really do need to upgrade my stopping power.
All my bikes are traditional steel racers, fitted with dual levers which I really like and would prefer to carry on using.
So can peeps point me in the direction of some dual calliper units that I could use with these levers and or advise me regarding any issues I may need to be aware of.
Any advice gratefully received.

 

[Ajax Bay]

How about a picture of the front end of one of your bikes?

 

[Ed no-more-lemons]

 

[Ajax Bay]

I have a similar vintage ALAN with side pull Weinmann 500s. By replacing the blocks with 'modern' brake shoes and top quality pads I think you will see a massive improvement, and it's worth doing that first. If you go on and obtain some newer caliper brakes the pads will fit those, of course.
(Koolstop Salmon Dura 2 are the ones I fit to the front - back brake performance 'doesn't matter'.)

 

[Drago]

How about some Weinmann centre pulls? They keep the period look, and with some carefull setting up and decent brake blocks they an still peovide some very respectable retardation.

 

[PpPete]

If you do decide to go for dual-pivot calipers you need to check the brake drop
.

Older frames often need more drop than the standard 49mm
Tektro R359 (47 - 57mm drop) are good value and more in keeping with a vintage style than Shimano's BR451.
The dual-cam release mechanism is quite clever and opens wider than some.
Quite effective too, even with the supplied pads, but much better with Kool Stop Dura 2 (especially the Salmon
or dual compound)

If you need longer drop , I'd have a look at Tektro R369 or R559 (55 -73mm drop) although I've no experience of these. Do be aware that the longer the drop, the more the arms will flex and the less effective they will be.

Avoid "Alhonga" deep drop. Very cheap, but for a reason. Apart from anything else they have no release mechanism so you will likely need to deflate tyre before removing or refitting a wheel.

 

[Juan Kog]

I agree with PpPete tektro would now be my first choice. But in the late nineties when I converted an old 27" wheel frame to 700 c choice of brakes was limited , so Alhonga it was . I used tektro brake levers with the cable release button and better quality blocks . No problem removing wheel and braking performance was fine.

 

[DRM]

If it’s long drop brakes you won’t go wrong with Miche ones, I fitted some on my Verenti with Swiss Stop blocks and they don’t half pull up sharply.

 

[Ed no-more-lemons]

Thanx for all feedback, especially re period centre pull option. I thought I remembered something about not having enough pull on vintage levers married to modern callipers from an old thread. Definitely need new outers all round.

 

[Drago]

Modern levers usually work very well with vintage calipers.

 

[Ed no-more-lemons]

Modern levers usually work very well with vintage calipers.

How about modern callipers with vintage levers though?

 

[Ajax Bay]

How about modern callipers with vintage levers though?

Ed - I have run a quick check on the 'vintage' levers Weinmann late 70s and Weinmann 500 caliper and a modern STI lever and dual-pivot caliper (with Koolstop Salmons). For the same lateral movement at the rim (622), the older lever/brake combo deliver/require about 5% more cable pull. In the scheme of things this means that you would be fine replacing the old caliper with a new one: the vintage lever with a modern caliper will bite a little quicker.
Better pads are still my recommended first port of call.

 

[Ed no-more-lemons]

Gone for some new pads for the time being. Not Koolstop, but maybe next time. Thanx for everyone's input