Why the demise of the Centre Pull brake?

[GuyBoden]

I was wondering why the centre pull brake isn't popular with manufacturers anymore. They work well are easy enough to adjust and were better than most of the old single pivot side pulls, but the ubiquitous dual pivot side pulls caliper brake seems to have taken over.

 

[Paulus]

I would agree. I have two bikes with centre pull brakes, and as long as they are adjusted correctly they are perfectly good.

 

[si_c]

I was wondering why the centre pull brake isn't popular with manufacturers anymore. They work well are easy enough to adjust and were better than most of the old single pivot side pulls, but the ubiquitous dual pivot side pulls caliper brake seems to have taken over.

Generally a bit simpler overall - caliper brakes just required a single mounting hole in the fork crown or brake bridge and didn't require cable stops in the headset or seatpost.

Agreed that centre-pull brakes were generally pretty good but for the inexperienced mechanic a side pull brake is a little easier to set up and maintain - no need to worry about straddle cable height for example. Direct mount brakes have all the advantages of both except for the tire clearance on centrepulls.

All have been killed off by disc brakes

 

[GuyBoden]

I've just cleaned, added new brake blocks, fitted and adjusted the Weinmann 750's centre pull brakes on my Dawes Galaxy, they're good brakes.

 

[Cycleops]

Partly about fashion but mostly side pulls and all that came after are easier and cheaper to produce.

 

[Paulus]

All have been killed off by disc brakes

I must admit that I can't get excited by disc brakes
They just don't look right on a bicycle of any description.
I know the arguments for them, but as Chris Boardman often says, "they are a solution to a problem that wasn't there in the first place".

 

[si_c]

I must admit that I can't get excited by disc brakes

I quite like the cleanliness you get at the forks and the brake bridge, the disc rotor seems a little less obvious overall to me.

I know the arguments for them, but as Chris Boardman often says, "they are a solution to a problem that wasn't there in the first place".

They were pretty inevitable once they took over in the MTB world, they may not be necessary but they do have advantages, particularly in the wet.

 

[rogerzilla]

Heavier, need brake hangers, poor response to cable pull where brake force is lower the closer the pads are to the rim, or the more worn the pads are (shared with low profile cantilevers).

They stay centred and can work better than sidepulls for longer reach, although they need to be made very stiff to work well, especially the fixed bridge piece.

 

[avecReynolds531]

I'm happy with centre pull brakes - Weinmann 610/ 750 with Kool Stop pads, Tektro levers and cabling under the handlebar. Work well, good clearance for mudguards & tyres. I've read that specific frame braze-ons - such as this Peugeot - increase the braking power further.

Haven't tried it, or any other versions (Mafac, Universal, Rene Herse) of the centre pull. If I win the lottery, then will try Paul Racers

 

[TheDoctor]

The only time I've dealt with centerpulls lately, I found them to be a nightmare to set up, compared with DP sidepulls.
Braze-on CP brakes look very like the U-brakes that were around on MTBs in the 90s.
That Pug looks nice though. Lovely colour

 

[Fab Foodie]

They're OK, but Dual Pivots are so much better for no downside (apart from following a bent rim). Agree with Boardman about Discs on road bikes.

 

[GuyBoden]

Interestingly, with dual pivot single caliper brakes one side is pulled before the other. It's an inherent part of the design. The centre pull brake does not suffer from this design.

 

[si_c]

Interestingly, with dual pivot single caliper brakes one side is pulled before the other. It's an inherent part of the design. The centre pull brake does not suffer from this design.

Goes to check his brakes...

 

[si_c]

Goes to check his brakes...

Mine seem to move together, although they are dual pivot but direct mount, so that may make a difference.

 

[tyred]

The Mafac Racers on the old Peugeot I've been working on are the best brakes I've ever used on a road bike.

The downside is that they are more difficult to set up properly and have more individual parts so are probably more expensive to make/fit compared to side pulls and cost is usually the driver behind most things.