OK. Here's an update for anyone subscrbed to this post. Simply adjusting the brake pads (so that they are <1mm away from the rim) seemed to do the trick. The cross levers don't have the modulation of the drop levers can lift the front brake can make the back wheel lift off the ground, which is the maximum breaking needed. Sorry for the roundabout postings, I take back any suggestions that this setup is at fault. Lots of people in the UK have the bike set up with cross levers successfully. I am unused to v-brakes and modern rims that are super-truable.
Last edited by scotland; 12-10-07 at 03:14 PM.