The rise & fall of U-Brakes (?)
- Thread starter JCS
- Start date
That looks trick. Can't offer any advice, but I suspect a few beverages will help you and your mate see it though.
pw_pw_la
Senior Retro Guru
I wish we could post videos. I took a nice one of it in action this morning!
(Screenshot below at least.)
It took some faffing, but I think I got it reasonably dialed-in, in the end.
I will say, I found that much easier to do without the booster in the way.
It makes getting the correct cable tension a little too tricky.
My hope is that now it's set-up, I can re-install the booster, and tighten the springs back to roughly where I had them and hopefully everything works as well as it does now!
@Retro_Roy What are yours going on!?
(Screenshot below at least.)
It took some faffing, but I think I got it reasonably dialed-in, in the end.
I will say, I found that much easier to do without the booster in the way.
It makes getting the correct cable tension a little too tricky.
My hope is that now it's set-up, I can re-install the booster, and tighten the springs back to roughly where I had them and hopefully everything works as well as it does now!
@Retro_Roy What are yours going on!?
Attachments
Mmmh. I think technically, that may not be classed as a U brake. God knows what it would be called though - Cross Link perhaps?
Like you say, without the brake booster is the way to set-it up initially to see that's happening, access the link and get the independent return spring adjustments right. I guess the flats on the silver AL spring parts are just wide enough for a spanner or at least a cone spanner when the brake booster is fitted.
For your enjoyment, from a Paris bike show in 1952, brake number 7 from Bowden with a similar link system between the arms, interestingly the cable pinch bolt is set higher via another link.
pw_pw_la
Senior Retro Guru
Mmmh. I think technically, that may not be classed as a U brake. God knows what it would be called though - Cross Link perhaps?
Like you say, without the brake booster is the way to set-it up initially to see that's happening, access the link and get the independent return spring adjustments right. I guess the flats on the silver AL spring parts are just wide enough for a spanner or at least a cone spanner when the brake booster is fitted.
For your enjoyment, from a Paris bike show in 1952, brake number 7 from Bowden with a similar link system between the arms, interestingly the cable pinch bolt is set higher via another link.
View attachment 627084
Ha. Very nice!
Well, technically rollercams shouldn't be classed as U-brakes either, but we let those slide earlier and these basically operate in a similar fashion, where the cam and rollers are replaced with the scissor pivot instead.
I suppose anything mounted to a u-boss, which therefore pivots where it does, should count!
And yeah, the flats on the spring are for a size 13 cone spanner. The main issue tho, is accessing the tiny little, annoying hex bolt that secures the brake cable to the pivot. There's a tiny hole drilled in the booster, but that requires a scenario whereby the loaded tensions align bolt to hole just perfectly. And in all my attempts I couldn't make that the case. So off came the booster! Now the brakes work great, I just have to remove the bolts again, put the booster back on, reload the springs to approximately the same position, and all should be gravy....
Famous, last, neverinamillionyears words, of course.
GT-TJR
GT Fan
I'm looking for a set of these to go on my GT. I notice yours have the graphic the correct way up. Many I have seen have it printed the other way round, presumably for installation on bikes where the brakes are located under the chain stay. Do we know if they made them printed both ways?
GT-TJR
GT Fan
Ok thanks. That’s kind of annoying, now I know they made them the “GT way”. Was going to live with it being upside down. Makes the hunt more challenging I guess.
Chopper the ex Copper
Alpinestars Fan
Chainstsy mounting of rim brakes for use on our sodden and soggy trainsnis about as appropriate as 29ers. In sunny Marin Valley they are both doubtless joyful ideas, but in the UK...
