What are modern side-pull brakes like?

[velomaniac]

Old school roadbiking was about accelerating out of trouble not stopping before you got into it in the first place
Now single pivot with leather faced blocks on steel rims were principally there to keep the rims nice and shiney in the dry and wipe away the corrosive water in the wet, braking however was an optional extra only for the wealthy classes :roll:

 

[Midlife]

Weinmann 500's had small arms plus the non-aero levers of the day weren't that efficient so mechanical advantage was reduced........mind you, not as bad as rigida dimpled steel rims in the rain, now that was a ticket to A&E

Seriously though, as long as you know that braking is a bit weaker than modern dual pivots then pedal away

Shaun

 

[widowmaker]

I have just been out (in the rain) on my 1985 Raleigh with weinnman centrepulls with a cycling buddy who has a modern carbon fibre giant and we did a non scientific brake test and there was only a marginal difference in his favour

I did win the quietest brakes

 

[grogee]

I have a set of those tektro 539s or whatever they're called on my MB racer. It has 700c wheels but should really have 27". Hence the need for long drop.

They are the nuts, agree with comment that they're the equal of any cantis. In fact they'd be fine on an mtb were it not for the lack of tyre clearance.

Goodness me did we really used to ride steel rims in the wet! That feeling of needing to slow down NOW and squeezing the lever hard, only to have zero retardation. Scary. But authentic, if that's what you're after. My weinmanns went straight into the recycling bin as soon as I could ditch them.

 

[xerxes]

They are the nuts, agree with comment that they're the equal of any cantis.

That's good to know.

I'm thinking of modifying an old small wheeled shopper for use as a runabout; I want something that doesn't take up so much room in the hallway. The things I'm looking at come with old 500A steel rims, 440mm bead seat diameter; alloy rims the same size aren't available and it's virtually impossible to find decent tyres in that size anyway. I was thinking of rebuilding the wheels with modern alloy 20" 406mm bead seat diameter rims, commonly found on BMX bikes and modern folding bikes, so there's plenty of tyre options.

If there's room for fatter tyres, and I think there will be, that will make up for some of the lost wheel diameter, and hopefully be more comfortable over the potholes, but the brake surface will be about 17mm lower and the original brakes are hardly low profile to start with.

It's all still in the pondering stage at the moment, but it might be a fun project if I find a suitable bike at the right price and not at the other end of the country with no postage option - as always seems to be the case with Ebay and Gumtree. :roll:

 

[Koupe]

PM sent re. possible shopper project

 

[grogee]

They are the nuts, agree with comment that they're the equal of any cantis.

That's good to know.

I'm thinking of modifying an old small wheeled shopper for use as a runabout; I want something that doesn't take up so much room in the hallway. The things I'm looking at come with old 500A steel rims, 440mm bead seat diameter; alloy rims the same size aren't available and it's virtually impossible to find decent tyres in that size anyway. I was thinking of rebuilding the wheels with modern alloy 20" 406mm bead seat diameter rims, commonly found on BMX bikes and modern folding bikes, so there's plenty of tyre options.

If there's room for fatter tyres, and I think there will be, that will make up for some of the lost wheel diameter, and hopefully be more comfortable over the potholes, but the brake surface will be about 17mm lower and the original brakes are hardly low profile to start with.

It's all still in the pondering stage at the moment, but it might be a fun project if I find a suitable bike at the right price and not at the other end of the country with no postage option - as always seems to be the case with Ebay and Gumtree. :roll:

I don't know if this helps or hinders on your shopper project, but rims are available:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Exal-Rim-TX19 ... 43afd3ca72

I remember getting obscure tyres for one of my folders from somewhere that did wheelchair tyres primarily. I think it was 406mm I was after - they supplied them eventually (after sending the wrong ones first)

http://www.bohle.co.uk/shop.sfxp

 

[NeilM]

That feeling of needing to slow down NOW and squeezing the lever hard, only to have zero retardation. Scary.

Reminds me of the chrome plated front disc on the Norton Commando I had back then. :shock:

 

[xerxes]

I don't know if this helps or hinders on your shopper project, but rims are available

Yes, ETRTO 406 rims and tyres are no problem, however the original wheels are 500A, which is 440 ETRTO and both rims and tyres are as rare as rocking horse sh1t. :?