jyl

Sigh. Something else I didn't know that I needed until I realized that I didn't have it. If I may ask, at what online store might one purchase these unneeded but required brake shoes?

jimmuller 

The Motobecane. Those Weinmann Carrera brakes and the pads were purchased for a bike I built up for my sweetie some time ago. They were way overkill for that application but I was sparing no detail at the time. Since at least one year of the Champion Team used these very brakes I thought they'd be appropriate. They work very well!

The Golden Boy 

"unneeded but required"

Yeah, me too.

Yokozuna Premium Cables, Housing and Brake Pads



Then you start thinking how awesome they'd be on your #1 bike, and then, #2 bike...

I got the set of threaded shoes to replace the rock hard Superbe pads on my 1978 Trek 730. They look so outrageously cool.

However, a while ago I got a full set of the black shoes off the eBay- right around the same price as the Yokozuna pads. I don't know if they're actually old stock Mathauser/Scott pads or if the seller just represented Yokozunas as NOS. I haven't mounted them yet because I have so much else yet to do with the braking system...


I'd like to have the black sanded off, replace the shoes on my NOS XC Pro brakes and put them on my Trek 720.

Of course, if I do that, I have to replace the Shimano cable hanger with the identical DiaComp one and of course the levers have to be replaced with either Superbe or Gran Compe levers... You can't just change one thing. *sigh*

The Golden Boy 

I think they look smashing on there- they compliment that brakeset and what you see of the frame.

dddd

Those old "Beer Tap" levers are Shimano, off of an early-1970's Azuki with stem shifters, and used here with the old Shimano "3.3.3." downtube clamp.

The lever-stop plates are angled differently (thus angle the levers differently) between downtube-clamp and stem-clamp shifters, so these parts need to stay in the appropriate clamping location.

[IMG]DT Shifters all 004 by dddd2002, on Flickr[/IMG]

noglider 

I read on the interwebs -- therefore, it must be true -- that Kool Stop salmon-colored brake pads use the same formula/patent/material as the old Matthausers. Maybe it's not true. Here are some Kool Stop pads on my 1962 Rudge Sports. The Rudge has the original steel rims on it. These brakes stop like a demon in dry weather. They are some of the best brakes I have on any of my too-many bikes. Absolutely outstanding. Of course, wet-weather performance is poor, but I haven't even tried to address that, with the rims being chromed steel.

dddd

That's a great data-point, noglider.

What I know about those pads is they were often referred to as a "BMX" version, and that the rubber was harder, though still grippy. Perhaps these underwent testing and development using both alloy and steel rims?

I wonder if your Rudge still has actual chrome where the pads rub, or if it's nickel or dwn to raw steel? Would probably affect the friction equation quite a bit I'd think.
Do you get to test the brakes on significant descents where you are?

Those heavy old bikes are great riders!

noglider 

I rode the Rudge in Maplewood, where I lived until August 2013. Maplewood is very hilly, and I took it down some serious hills. One right near where I lived was where I hit 38 mph and higher, several times. I don't know if I ever clocked my max speed on the Rudge there, but it's a safe bet that I exceeded 30 mph. The brakes were strong and controlled. So yes, they pass with flying colors.

The Rudge now lives in Florida with my mother in law. It stays there and waits for me to visit every April. It's a perfect Florida bike, as 3-speeds are more than enough on such flat land. I need the speeds to handle wind, not hills. 1st is for a headwind, 2nd is for a mild wind, and 3rd is for a tail wind.

crank_addict

Where can one get the dope? (I mean brake pad to ally shoe bonding agent) Another crazy thought..... make some custom pads for steel rim use.

Cut up heat sink parts from an old PC, thread or mount post added and then use sections cut from automotive brake pads. Any crash test dummies out there?

Also, wasn't there a BMX version but round? Skyway?

RobE30

crank_addict

screech... back up here... Jim, you mean the Weinmann Carrera had those arched pads (1 yr. Champ. Team)? That's some cool detail to note. I'm playing around with a faux tribute BIC build that has the Motobecane logo brakes (Weinmann). Guess I'll have another reason to get the knockoff's from Merry. thnx

jimmuller 

Thanks!


No, not the pads, just Weinmann Carerra brakes. I'll have to dig around online to find which year though. Found it. Not quite as I remember, but close. The Champioin Team had Weinmann Super Carerra 400 in '82, '83, '84.

I checked mine, they are curved.

onespeedbiker

I first tried some Kool Stop salmon pads (with integral threaded stud) with my Campy GS brakes and they performed well. I then tried the plain carrier Scott-Matthausers from Yokozuna (a more period look) and was displeased; they seemed to have no grip on aluminum rim sidewalls. I finally mounted a set of Kool Stop Salmon pads in some GS holders and they again worked great. Because of this I question whether Kool Stop salmon-colored brake pads use the same formula/patent/material as the old Matthausers. The web info is Kool Stop made the Scott-Matthausers pads and later made them under their name.https://www.bikepro.com/products/brak..._math_pad.html. BikePro says the Scott-Matthausers pads have an A/91 (Shore A Durometer) hardness, where I have seen posted the Kool Stop salmon was measured at an 85 Shore hardness and the black is slightly harder with an 86 reading. Assuming this is correct, it would explain the differences I felt between the two brake pads.

Regardless I'm sticking with Kool Stop (BTW I also tried the black Kool Stop pads and could feel no difference with the salmon, but they did work better than the OEM black pads).

The Golden Boy 

Now that doesn't bode well...

The Golden Boy 

Sorry for taking so long to get these uploaded- a lot of stuff has been sort of going on.

I find it interesting that a lot of these bikes that people are posting happen to be dark blue. As is mine...

RobE30

So, what year is your Trek? The pic I posted is of my 81 Trek 710. I love that bike!

ascherer 

Tom, I put those on my Sports and they shriek like...well, I don't know what. I've been messing around with toeing them in to no avail. Any tips?

onespeedbiker

I have never had much luck bending brake arms for toeing in either. What I have done is take a thin brass washer and cut it in half, then place the half washer around the front of the stud between the back of the pad and the brake arm; this causes a defacto toe in without having to bend the brake arms into submission.

Velocivixen

@ascherer- They screeched on my Nishiki so loud that dogs a block away began barking. I did my best to toe but without all the curved washers had a hard time, so sanded a "toe in" into the pads with still no luck. My bike had aluminum rims and Dia Compe side pull brakes. The front was better than the back but they were both shrieking loudly. However I found that they stop me much better than the current Cane Creek "Grey Matter" pads I have.

jyl

A surprising amount of toe-in can be needed with some more flexy brakes. As much as two quarters' thickness.

The Golden Boy 

Hi Rob!

This one is a 78 730. It was brazed in Nov or Dec (I forgot) so it was built as a 1979 736 with a Shimano Arabesque 600 group.

I've replaced most of the 600 bits with Suntour Cyclone and Superbe and a Stronglight triple crank. This is a really stable bike, despite it being Trek's 1978 "racing" geometry. They basically just shortened the chainstays, but left all the other angles the same as their touring bikes.

I'll have to check out your 710!

ascherer 

@onespeedbiker, @Velocivixen: I haven't resorted to bending calipers yet, but since they are steel I'm not worried about their integrity. I've done something like @onespeedbiker using washers but not in such an elegant way; I may try cutting some in that manner. I suspect some of the issue is that the calipers themselves are loose enough to be making it worse. I've tightened them but during the winter I will tear them down and see if that helps. Maybe I'll switch front and rear, if that's practical.

The Golden Boy 

Yesterday was totally beautiful, so I got the non-threaded Superbrake shoes installed on my 1985 Trek 720.

Dave Mayer

I use 3 versions of these pads/holders on my various bikes. Good in the dry. Excellent in the wet; these are my favorites for winter riding. Unlike most other pads on the market, they retain a high percentage of wet weather stopping power, and they do not dissolve into black sludge that covers your rims.

My favorites are the Superbrakes with the replaceable inserts. Be careful about buying used holders, as I have caught a few at our local Co-op with serious cracks.

JohnDThompson 

On my Trek 720:



On my wife's TS Isaac: