Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - moar power! I need mo' whoah.

My brakes suck. I thought I had them adjusted improperly after slapping some new pads and cables on, but no, they just suck. Part of the problem is that I currently have steel wheels, part of the problem is that they're Weinmann center-pulls and together the combo has all the stopping power of a mild headwind.

So, I need new wheels. I'm going to try to track down a decent set of used 27" aluminum rims for the time being, and a new set of side-pulls from Rivendell, but in the future...

When the time comes to convert to 700c, I'd like to built my own wheels, and this offers some interesting alternatives. Does anyone have any experience with the Sturmly-Archer drum brakes? They look cool, but how well do they stop a bike headed downhill with a 300lb rider? Do they make taking off the wheels a complete nightmare, or is it somewhat painless?

Don't use SA drums as the primary brakes. Sure, they're sealed from the elements, etc... they're not strong enough. Tandems use them in the back as a secondary in conjunction with rim brakes, but that's the only practical application I've seen.

You can replace your pads with Kool Stop salmons right now for a little better stopping power. Upgrading to 700c isn't that expensive (you can get a decent wheelset for $200 plus a little extra to have your LBS stress/tension them properly) and the big upgrade would also be stronger brakes. Centerpulls have an odd post position which prohibits use of regular cantis or V brakes, but you can upgrade to a set of Paul Racers and Kool Stop pads, which should put some oomph behind your braking.

You might also look into:

a) a new fork with cantilever bosses, so you can add canti front brakes. They're about the most powerful rim style brakes, and new forks aren't very expensive.

b) a new fork drilled for a disc brake, a front disc brake, and a front wheel with a disc. That would give you more stopping power than you'd probably ever need.

Remember that 80% of your stopping power is in the front brake, so that's the one you need to beef up most.

In the meantime, have you tried truing your front wheels / tightening the brake cable? That (and adding the previously mentioned Kool Stop brake pads) could make a big difference.