What brakes?

[Ball]

Hi all,

Looking for some help with a fixie project I'm embarking on, I'll post this in Fixed and Singlespeed too in case this is the wrong place.

I just bought a second hand frameset for £70. It's an old steel framed Peugeot, Carbolite 103 frame, with headset, brake calipers, seatpost, saddle, square taper bottom bracket and forks. All it's really missing is wheels, brake levers, chainring, rear hub (and cogs) and a chain.

I have a couple of issues however. I had a set of Quest Como wheels (700s) lying spare, so thought I'd stick those on as I'm not particularly worried about weight. However, the brake pads only just reach the rim, and they are as far down on the calipers as they will go. The calipers have about a 2.5 inch drop from the frame bolt to the middle of each brake pad. Does this mean I'll need to buy bigger wheels?! The seller said that he was running 700s on it fine!

Secondly, I'm looking for a cheap set of brake levers. I bought some cheap Shimano AX road levers off ebay, but they are too small for the handlebars. Anyone know of any good ones?

Last question is, I've used the quick release levers on my wheels, but they seem to screw in a lot more than on my road bike, meaning the levers stick out a long way from the frame. Any idea why? Is this because the forks are narrower? Should I therefore not use the Q/R levers and attach the wheels some other way?

Cheers in advance for any help.

Tom

 

[wheres_my_beard]

Post this is the Fixed/Singlespeed section, you'll get a better response.

Due to the extra strain on the drive train, it's not a great idea to use QR with fixed as it will not be able to hold the wheel securely, and you'll mess up your chainline, and possibly more if things go badly wrong while riding. Does the frame come with track dropouts?

Do the pads sit fully on the rim without touching the tyre, or over hanging the outside of the rim? If they don't fit right, you will possibly need some different levers with more reach. What's your budget?

 

[smokeysmoo]

You'll need to buy long reach calipers like THESE

 

[Ball]

Thanks for your replies guys...

Wheres_my_beard: No, it comes with forward facing diagonal dropouts, which I'm told are fine for fixed conversions. Buying a new axle won't be a problem. It's a 126mm spacing at the rear, so what size axle will I need, 140mm like this? http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_767857_langId_-1_categoryId_242556

My budget was originally £200 MAX, but I only spent £70 on the frameset so I'm now aiming to keep the whole thing below £150 if possible.

Smokeysmoo: Those calipers look shorter than those which already came with the frame! How do I measure the drop, frame bolt to brake pad when closed? If so, the drop seems to be around 70mm as opposed to those Tektros which are only 57mm.