Conference noted::bicycle

1801.0. "Good, long reach brake?" by NANOOK::BRALEY (Ed Braley DTN 263-6085) Thu Dec 13 1990 21:50

    
    	My Reynolds 531 frame was built around 27" wheel dimensions,
    so it has a long reach brake requirement when fitted with 700C rims.
    
    	It came with Wienmann 500 side pull brakes that are now set
    for a reach of about 59mm. They stop the bike, I have good cable
    and Mathauser pads, but the brakes feel really spongy. The calipers
    themselves can be seen to flex when squeezing the levers.
    
    	Does anyone have a recommendation for a better, stiffer, 
    replacement brakeset in the $40-100 range that will satisfy the
    59mm reach requirement?
    
    	(I'd consider some good, older calipers too...
    	 Or phrased otherwise, 'What was the upgrade for this 
    	 bike ten years ago, and who has that part now?...)
    
    	Thanks,
    	Ed.

    I have a Holdsworth framed bike with Campy long-reach sidepull
    brakes - I don't know if you can get these anymore and worry
    if one of them should break...

    Another possibility I'm a bit leery of is an offset bolt
    that lets a short-reach brake function in this situation.

    Are these bolts really dead reliable?  Brakes are not anything
    to mickey mouse around with.

    FWIW the Campy brakes do flex more than the short reach (SR) ones
    on my other bike, but aren't actually "mushy" by any means.

    - Jim