Bicycle Mechanics - Another Rookie Question

So I'm definitely new to building bikes & had a quick question. I am putting together a '75 schwinn varsity & when I got it, it had no brakes . . . at all. No calipers, no cables, nada. Now I'm just about positive V-Brakes will work, My question is, are calipers more or less one size fits all, or am in for a world of hurt if I don't know the size? Any help will be much appreciated


Cheers

I believe Schwinn Varsitys came with road caliper brakes, which mount via a single bolt above the tire. Cantilever and V-brakes mount on two posts that straddle the wheel. Your fork and frame are unlikely to have the appropriate mounts.

Also, V-brakes require a different lever than caliper and cantilever.

JT's callin' it right -- if you have cantilever posts on a '75 frame/fork, I WANNA SEE PIX!!

Sidepulls are what you need to rebuild this golden oldie.

And don't forget calipers need to know if u have 27" wheels or 700c.

Awesome thank you very much guys. I will definitely be posting pics when she's all complete.



Cheers

+1 jsmithepa... Measure the "drop" from the brake mounting bolt to the center of the rim- brake calipers usually have a slot so you can adjust the brake pads from "x" mm to "y" mm depending on the caliper- your drop needs to be between "x" and "y". Plus, a modern double-pivot side-pull brake will be made so the mounting bolt is recessed- it won't fit on your frame without some bodging. It might be worth it, though, since brake technology has come a long way from 1975. One of the scariest things in the world is an anemic front brake when you want to stop suddenly.