Bicycle Mechanics - Best long reach brake calipers

Converted my bike to all dura-ace 7700 group, but I'm stuck on the brakes. The 7700 calipers that came with the group I bought do not have enough reach.

If I'm measuring this right, I need ~70-75mm of reach (from center of brake bridge hole to brake surface on the rim).

What are the best brake calipers I can get that will fit, the tektro r559's?
I also want to be able to run larger tires, these are temporary 700x23 or 25's that came with the wheelset I bought, I plan to run 700x32's.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e237/blindbatts/bike/2b73d4cb.jpg
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e237/blindbatts/bike/55804378.jpg
I found these dia-comp's in a bin at the local bike recyclery so I grabbed a pair for $10 just in case I couldn't find anything else long enough, but the brake power from these is -horrible-! I commute on this bike and sometimes have to stop fast to avoid cars, these I can pull the levers to the bars and not lock the tires up...

http://sheldonbrown.com/home-drop.html

http://sheldonbrown.com/home-drop.html

Lol, no thanks too ghetto for me.

If you don't mind modern brakes, tektro has some decent dual pivots. My wife has them on her commuter (fenders and 700x35 tires) and they seem to work pretty darn well. There is flex, but not as much as I would have thought.

I just saw your 559 reference, I think this is what my wife has and there is gobs of room for 35s and fenders.

How about Dia-Compe Mod 750 centerpull brakes? Should have the reach and they work.

I would say you named the best brake for the job;Tektro r559. Even with those you will like not be satisfied; the long arms lose you a lot of leverage.

How about Dia-Compe Mod 750 centerpull brakes? Should have the reach and they work.

Looking at the specs on those they should have enough reach, would they have more or less brake power than the Tektro r559? To convert to center pull I just would need a cable hanger with housing stop, right?

This may work for you. Not sure exactly how it works, but if you can clamp the brake lower it just could work. http://www.tracksupermarket.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=72&products_id=232&zenid=k0lk1g7vp3pkjv69migj6neoc7

Here's a photo of how it works on the front 256460

I still think the tektro 559 is the best option. It won't be as good as a set of 7700 calipers but they slow me down better than some other short reach calipers I've tried. A set of koolstop pads would probably make them even better too.

I still think the tektro 559 is the best option. It won't be as good as a set of 7700 calipers but they slow me down better than some other short reach calipers I've tried. A set of koolstop pads would probably make them even better too.


I'm 95% ready to order 559's right now, I'm just trying to make sure I order the nutted version for my old school frame.

I know the ones here:
http://harriscyclery.net/product/tektro-r559-73-mm-reach-brake-caliper-nut-mount-frt-rear-set-3153.htm

Are definitely nutted, but at the same time I need to order a 28.6 to 31.8 FD shim and would like to save on shipping, the one from HC is $11 and special order/out of stock.

Niagara has the shim I need for $3.85 in stock, and also sells the r559's.

http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=728004
I think these are the ones I want, because these cheaper ones say recessed nut.
http://www.niagaracycle.com/product_info.php?products_id=440666

Most reviews of the r559's I'm finding seem to be very positive, I can't imagine going from my super long reach (70-95?mm) single pivot dia-comp's to these newer tech dual pivot's wouldn't be a huge leap in brake power...having a quick release to pop the wheel off will be amazing too, I get lots of flats on my commute (%^@%$^ goathead thorns!) and having to loosen then re-adjust the brake cable is very annoying, so I usually fix my flat then finish my ride with only 1 functional brake and adjust it again once I get to the office/home...

Tektro 800a?

http://www.modernbike.com/itemgroup.asp?igpk=2126175524&TID=367

Cheap double pivot calipers.

17.99 for the pair.

Lol, no thanks too ghetto for me.

Man, all that frikken daylight (http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e237/blindbatts/bike/2b73d4cb.jpg) looks pretty ghetto to me.

How keen are you on this frame?

Tektro 800a?

http://www.modernbike.com/itemgroup.asp?igpk=2126175524&TID=367

Cheap double pivot calipers.

17.99 for the pair.

The cost increase of the 559 is worth it on a DA 7700 equipped bike.


Man, all that frikken daylight (http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e237/blindbatts/bike/2b73d4cb.jpg) looks pretty ghetto to me.

How keen are you on this frame?

If he uses 700x35 tires and/or fenders it will look fine.

So. . . brazing on a couple canti bosses is out of the question?

;)

I would say you named the best brake for the job;Tektro r559. Even with those you will like not be satisfied; the long arms lose you a lot of leverage.

+1 on Tektro....can't beat them for the price. +1 on the longer your arms, the less happy you will be.

Before you do this, spend less money and find yourself some Kool Stop pads for the brakes you have.
I have a similar setup on my Raleigh Sports commuter. With those pads, I stop fine.

I'm running Tektro 559's. They're nice calipers.

Because they are massive, U brakes don't flex much when the reach is bigger...

of the centerpull brakes.. Paul's Racer is the tops, these days.. Made in USA..

Man, all that frikken daylight (http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e237/blindbatts/bike/2b73d4cb.jpg) looks pretty ghetto to me.

How keen are you on this frame?

It's the only 68cm frame I've been able to find that didn't look stupid, I'm 6'5" and it's a 100% perfect fit for me. This is my bike and it isn't going anywhere :)

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e237/blindbatts/bike/5798c0be.jpg

C&V, Older kit, Universal, classic, sidepull-brake
was often longer reach in the back..

You can get away with it with an L shaped shoe backup stop-plate
that hits the chainstay, under braking force, to limit the arm flexing.
common original part back then..

there are center pull road brakes too, Weinnman a common supplier
that may have been what was on that frame originally
before it was stripped

it is what was done back then .. note the shorter reach on the fork.

I vote you add a set of VO fenders and a proper alloy seatpost.

don't think I need fenders, I commute in socal, lol.

I do want a nicer seatpost, unfortunately the DA kit I bought came with a 27.2 post and my bike uses a 26.4, so I stuck the DA post on my ironman bike for now...I'll get a nicer post eventually. Right now it needs a front derailleur 28.6 braze-on adapter, r559's, a water bottle holder seattube clamp adapter so I can have a water bottle, and I still need to swap my dual sided clip/platform pedals over. But it's getting there!

68! Fair enough... but guys like you who are right on the edge of the bell curve are generally out in the cold unless you go custom. Looking at where you have you seat, IMO you should definitely start saving for a custom frameset. IIRC, in a place like California where there'd be a few framebuilders around, you can get one for maybe less than $700 or something...

What are those cranks, BTW? I dig the old Record and DA stuff, but looking at a pair of 70s DA cranks I've got here, they're prolly a bit flexy unless you're a real beanpole.


If he uses 700x35 tires and/or fenders it will look fine.

If it has mudguards, my interest in the bike's aesthetics usually evaporates. But for mine, that's still too much gap for a 35mm tyre; you could fit a motorbike tyre in there. I've always felt that method of seatstay attachment looks downright agricultural (like bolts on the other end, even on otherwise sweet carbon); fastback or wishbone FTW.

don't think I need fenders, I commute in socal, lol.

I do want a nicer seatpost, unfortunately the DA kit I bought came with a 27.2 post and my bike uses a 26.4, so I stuck the DA post on my ironman bike for now...I'll get a nicer post eventually. Right now it needs a front derailleur 28.6 braze-on adapter, r559's, a water bottle holder seattube clamp adapter so I can have a water bottle, and I still need to swap my dual sided clip/platform pedals over. But it's getting there!

I have a decent 26.4 going to waste in my parts bin.

Does it have enough adjustment range to work back to front?

Looks like this bike needs a TT post, or one with a circular rail clamp assembly...

256699

You must have some crazy long legs... There are bikes out there for us, Gunnar make stock frames in biggie sizes, KHS makes the Zinn-designed Flite 747, and there are 66cm Cannondales out on ebay and Craigslist. I have a Cannondale and just had Gunnar build me a custom to run 210mm cranks. 6'8" here. Just a thought...

I would say you named the best brake for the job;Tektro r559. Even with those you will like not be satisfied; the long arms lose you a lot of leverage.

No they don't. Mechanical advantage is the same as any other dual pivot caliper.

The longer arms do provide more flex than super short stuff, but they're stiff enough not to matter much.

And the tektros are loads better than dia-compe centerpulls, assuming your wheels stay true.

No they don't. Mechanical advantage is the same as any other dual pivot caliper.

The longer arms do provide more flex than super short stuff, but they're stiff enough not to matter much.

And the tektros are loads better than dia-compe centerpulls, assuming your wheels stay true.I disagree, moving from shorter to longer brake arms is the same as moving the fulcrum of a lever back; from Sheldon Brown


With caliper (http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ca-g.html#caliper) brakes, the mechanical advantage is basically fixed by the manufacturer. You cannot change it except by replacing the calipers or the levers or the wheels. (Installing smaller wheels requires you to lower the brake shoes, increasing the effective reach of the calipers, and reducing the mechanical advantage accordingly. For instance, substituting 622 mm (http://sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html) (700C) wheels on a bike built for 630 mm (27 inch) wheels will degrade the braking.)

68! Fair enough... but guys like you who are right on the edge of the bell curve are generally out in the cold unless you go custom. Looking at where you have you seat, IMO you should definitely start saving for a custom frameset. IIRC, in a place like California where there'd be a few framebuilders around, you can get one for maybe less than $700 or something...

What are those cranks, BTW? I dig the old Record and DA stuff, but looking at a pair of 70s DA cranks I've got here, they're prolly a bit flexy unless you're a real beanpole.



If it has mudguards, my interest in the bike's aesthetics usually evaporates. But for mine, that's still too much gap for a 35mm tyre; you could fit a motorbike tyre in there. I've always felt that method of seatstay attachment looks downright agricultural (like bolts on the other end, even on otherwise sweet carbon); fastback or wishbone FTW.

haha, the cranks are off a centurion semi-pro that I gutted for parts, I believe they are sugino mighty and they are 175's.

I may go for a custom frame in the future, but for now this $80 find has suited me for a couple years of commuting, all up until now with the original suntour 10-speed components.

I'm not sure what kind of seatpost will be a good fit for me/this bike. The current seatpost I have actually a little higher than the minimum insert marks to fit me :( It seems like an extremely short seatpost, and I do have the seat set as far back as the flats on the seat rails would let me go. I really only see a couple options when I browse for 26.4's, Kalloy and origin8.

You must have some crazy long legs... There are bikes out there for us, Gunnar make stock frames in biggie sizes, KHS makes the Zinn-designed Flite 747, and there are 66cm Cannondales out on ebay and Craigslist. I have a Cannondale and just had Gunnar build me a custom to run 210mm cranks. 6'8" here. Just a thought...

The new KHS 747 interested me when I heard about it last year, did they actually release any out into the wild? I'd be interested to take one for a test ride. Mainly to see how a modern KHS compares to mine from 1984, haha.

I would love to run longer cranks but I've managed to have pedal strikes with the current setup a couple of times, any longer and I'm sure I would be having them more often if I didn't pay attention.

No they don't. Mechanical advantage is the same as any other dual pivot caliper.

The longer arms do provide more flex than super short stuff, but they're stiff enough not to matter much.

And the tektros are loads better than dia-compe centerpulls, assuming your wheels stay true.


I disagree, moving from shorter to longer brake arms is the same as moving the fulcrum of a lever back; from Sheldon Brown

Why are you arguing about the differences in leverage ? Look at
the ancient, suckass brake pads in the photos.

The frictional braking forces between the pads and the rims are going
to be exponentially more significant than leverage in this case,(I suspect).

If you do not believe me, set up your own practical experiment.

Or reference the pages in Bicycling Science on braking and materials
on pages248 and ff.

You hear a lot of stuff about bikes hyped for marketing. Kool stop
pads are the real deal.

Rumor is that they're out there, one board member has one and loves it... You'd probably have to find the dream LBS that'd bring a 747 in for a test ride. Heck, I'd like to try one.

For the long crank solution, I worked with my LBS and Richard Schwinn to totally tweak the geometry, higher BB, etc. No strikes yet, but then I'm just hammering hills and sport riding, no crits or the like.

One thing to think about - the 68 might be too big for you - if you consider that older bikes in freakish dimensions typically had shorter top tubes. So since you're "only" 6'5", you could probably size down a bit and still get the longer top tube to keep you comfy. Something to consider for the dream bike/next bike. The KHS has a pretty long wheelbase too - which is nice for stability and avoiding death wobble and the like.

Enjoy it!


The new KHS 747 interested me when I heard about it last year, did they actually release any out into the wild? I'd be interested to take one for a test ride. Mainly to see how a modern KHS compares to mine from 1984, haha.

I would love to run longer cranks but I've managed to have pedal strikes with the current setup a couple of times, any longer and I'm sure I would be having them more often if I didn't pay attention.

Why are you arguing about the differences in leverage ? Look at
the ancient, suckass brake pads in the photos.

The frictional braking forces between the pads and the rims are going
to be exponentially more significant than leverage in this case,(I suspect).

If you do not believe me, set up your own practical experiment.

Or reference the pages in Bicycling Science on braking and materials
on pages248 and ff.

You hear a lot of stuff about bikes hyped for marketing. Kool stop
pads are the real deal.


The pads in the picture just came on those calipers, the calipers aren't even bolted on or cabled in that shot, just set in the brake bridge to get sizing.

I run the same calipers with good pads up front, and the braking completely sucks ass, and I'm still using the original 27" wheel up front until I use up this tire...and yes it's an alloy rim and I regularly scrub the braking surface down with scotchbrite pads.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e237/blindbatts/bike/368606da.jpg

I forget what brand the pads were, but I think they were kool stops, I couldn't get the 'salmon' ones locally but I also do not ride in rain with this bike, ever. I don't think there's anything I can do to these dia-comp single pivot side pulls to make them actually work.

I ordered the r559's from niagara yesterday, hopefully I'll have them soon!

Rumor is that they're out there, one board member has one and loves it... You'd probably have to find the dream LBS that'd bring a 747 in for a test ride. Heck, I'd like to try one.

For the long crank solution, I worked with my LBS and Richard Schwinn to totally tweak the geometry, higher BB, etc. No strikes yet, but then I'm just hammering hills and sport riding, no crits or the like.

One thing to think about - the 68 might be too big for you - if you consider that older bikes in freakish dimensions typically had shorter top tubes. So since you're "only" 6'5", you could probably size down a bit and still get the longer top tube to keep you comfy. Something to consider for the dream bike/next bike. The KHS has a pretty long wheelbase too - which is nice for stability and avoiding death wobble and the like.

Enjoy it!


I totally understand, my mountain bike is damn near a perfect fit for me and it's only a 22" with a 400mm long seatpost and a 130mm stem, I think the effective top tube length on it is about 25", the KHS 747 specs say it's a 24.4 with a 65cm frame size so I think that would be a very close fit for me, easily within a stem swap range. Being able to run longer cranks would be interesting, but I don't have any real complaints with my bike in terms of fit.

I'm able to ride my 62cm ironman just as well, the taller seatpost compared to the bar height gives a pretty aggressive riding position which I just don't like for everyday commuting, that bike has a pretty long top tube for its size though.

The pads in the picture just came on those calipers, the calipers aren't even bolted on or cabled in that shot, just set in the brake bridge to get sizing.

I run the same calipers with good pads up front, and the braking completely sucks ass, and I'm still using the original 27" wheel up front until I use up this tire...and yes it's an alloy rim and I regularly scrub the braking surface down with scotchbrite pads.


I forget what brand the pads were, but I think they were kool stops, I couldn't get the 'salmon' ones locally but I also do not ride in rain with this bike, ever. I don't think there's anything I can do to these dia-comp single pivot side pulls to make them actually work.

I ordered the r559's from niagara yesterday, hopefully I'll have them soon!

Apologies, but I really don't know what to tell you at this point.

I'm 6'2" and 235-240# and my bike that has a similar brake to what
you are showing is this one:

256847256848256849

With it set up as shown, with a Dia Compe old
style brake, teflon lined cable housings, and the
ancient Dia Compe levers you see, I can lock
the front wheel if I want to, but I can't lock
the rear. I guess I have OK grip strength, but
I don't think it's exceptional.

I do have the salmon colored pads, but in the
photo it's hard to tell.

If you've got the money, the Tektro brakes :thumb:
are a swell product. they may very well work better
for you. But make sure you do your best to reduce
friction losses in the lever and cables, and maybe
the new pads that come with the brakes will also help.

Your brake cable stops are on the right side of the top tube, so you need "wrong sided" side pull brakes. The only Tektro that will work for you is the 800. They are not as nicely finished as other Tektros, they have no quick release and you have to bend them to toe them in, but they work well for a long reach caliper.

I Have them on my beater Jeunet.

http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/17012/2684198420068014369S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2684198420068014369WmITey)

my rear brake cable stop is actually in the center of the top tube.

Your brake cable stops are on the right side of the top tube, so you need "wrong sided" side pull brakes. The only Tektro that will work for you is the 800.

The brakes he ordered will work just fine. There is no need for wrong sided brakes. The cable stop position has little to no effect on a dual pivot brake.

The brakes he ordered will work just fine. There is no need for wrong sided brakes. The cable stop position has little to no effect on a dual pivot brake.

You are wrong. If the cable stops are on the right side of the top tube and the attachment point is on the left side of the brake, it's a problem. You can cross over behind the seat post, but it adds friction and looks stupid.

my rear brake cable stop is actually in the center of the top tube.

It doesn't look that way in your post #19. It looks like two stops on the right side, as on my Jeunet. Both frames were built for center pull brakes.

my rear brake cable stop is actually in the center of the top tube.

then , for center pull, you get another stop that hangs off the seatpost binder bolt,
in the center slot's gap.

It doesn't look that way in your post #19. It looks like two stops on the right side, as on my Jeunet. Both frames were built for center pull brakes.

doesn't seem to be the right side to me, but even if it is, I can just mount the rear brake calipers *backwards* in front of the seat stay rather than behind and flip which side the cable pull mounts, it's not the end of the world.

You are wrong. If the cable stops are on the right side of the top tube and the attachment point is on the left side of the brake, it's a problem. You can cross over behind the seat post, but it adds friction and looks stupid.

Im not wrong, I've tried it, it works. Will there be added friction? Yes. Will the brake work? Yes. Will it work better than a poorly made brake that has a cable stop on the correct side? Yes.


doesn't seem to be the right side to me, but even if it is, I can just mount the rear brake calipers *backwards* in front of the seat stay rather than behind and flip which side the cable pull mounts, it's not the end of the world.

This works as well. I did this as a temporary fix on a bike thad did not have enough cable. If you use a good quality stainless cabe and housing it should work fine. Some recumbents and mixties have routing that is much worse.

Your brake cable stops are on the right side of the top tube, so you need "wrong sided" side pull brakes. The only Tektro that will work for you is the 800. They are not as nicely finished as other Tektros, they have no quick release and you have to bend them to toe them in, but they work well for a long reach caliper.
I am no expert on wrong sided brakes, but how big of a deal would it be to route your cable to the left of the pump peg?
http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/17012/2684198420068014369S600x600Q85.jpg

I am also wondering how you can be so sure of something from the this blurry photo.


257097

I am no expert on wrong sided brakes, but how big of a deal would it be to route your cable to the left of the pump peg?

it depends on how much room you have between the cable stop and the seat tube. if there is enough room you can do this and it will work fine. if there is not much room it may cause more drag than going across after the seat stays. blind probably has the room if he uses a decent modern cable/housing. grand bois would likely have issues trying this because the pump peg is in the way.

I don't say this often, but have you considered 27" wheels? Decent rims and tires are still available, and you'd close up some of the gap.

I don't say this often, but have you considered 27" wheels? Decent rims and tires are still available, and you'd close up some of the gap.

I have 27" in the front still, the tire although a year old and with a small boot on the sidewall, still rolls smooth as butter and the center tread seems to have a ton of life left. I also haven't bought a new front wheel yet. I've ran continental ultra sport 27x1 1/8 on the old wheels/components for over a year, and while they roll nice and smooth, there is no tread pattern (slick) so I have no idea how much tire is left, and they do not resist thorn or glass punctures very well at all, I had to run heavy thorn proof tubes in them which felt like it added almost 3lbs to the weight of the bike, lol.

I went with a 700c in the rear because that was the best deal I found available. I purchased a used mavic open pro / stainless DT swiss spoked / DA 7700 hub / DA 7700 9-spd cassette with a tire and tube for about $125 off ebay.

I don't know of any tires comparable to what I intend to run in 27" though, I have a michilin city 700x32 with a reflective sidewall that I will be swapping to soon.
http://scottandmartynis.com/img/3/3735/1.jpg
I looked for awhile for anything with reflective sidewall, smooth rolling tread pattern, and highly thorn / puncture resistant (I live in goathead thornville, USA...socal)

I don't know of any tires comparable to what I intend to run in 27" though,
I have a michilin city 700x32 with a reflective sidewall that I will be swapping to soon.
http://scottandmartynis.com/img/3/3735/1.jpg
I looked for awhile for anything with reflective sidewall, smooth rolling tread pattern, and highly thorn / puncture resistant (I live in goathead thornville, USA...socal)

Schwalbe Marathon Plus in the 27" size.http://www.biketiresdirect.com/product/schwalbe-marathon-27-greenguard-tire

seat set as far back as the flats on the seat rails would let me go.

So you have the clamp back to front just to get the extra height then, is that it?

So you have the clamp back to front just to get the extra height then, is that it?

His seatpost should be more than long enough by Saturday.