Brompton Brakes - Shiny new things! but how?
 

Hello! First time poster, long time reader :)

I am interested in putting lighter weight breaks on my brommie (M model from this year) and really like the look of the Tektro R741 brakes... Because they're red & white and look MEAN. However, I think the bolt that attaches them to the bike will be too short.

Does anyone know how I can get around this? I have seen it done before here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/small_wheel/7221806370

...But unfortunately you can't see the rear of that fork!

Any info very welcome. Thanks!

The bolt aside as the comment states the cable routing will be problematic when it comes to front luggage.

I think most caliper brakes come in recessed and standard nut types, so if you can get a standard nut version that'd fit. Otherwise perhaps some people drill/ream out one side of the bolt holes to fit a recessed nut?

Luckily, I don't use front luggage - it's all on the back via a seat pillar bracket :)

I'd be more concerned that about how it affects the folding "stop" at the rear. But it's still something I'm interested in!

Interesting! Thanks for the info chagzuki. I will definitely be investigating this more. Thanks!

If you are going to go thru the effort , folks have had bosses brazed on for V brakes..

then if not the Ti extremities ,you get the powder-coat, or cleat lacquer redone..
or if shiny is all you seek .. put in the labor to polish thru the anodizing layer on the regular brakes

they will water spot, corrode a bit, and need Re polishing , again and again..
the reason the anodizing is done , is to bypass a lot of maintenance of a polished finish..

I wonder if there's any performance increase with other caliper brakes over the Brompton's. Cycling in the wet the other day, once again I had the feeling the Brompton brakes really aren't good enough. In the dry they're acceptable or thereabouts.

You still using the stock Fibrax pads? you can fit Kool Stop Salmon compound inserts in the same holder.

[I fit some on my old single pivot CLB brakes on my Mk 2, worked well,
and I live on a hill, Town is right on Oregon Coast.. no water shortage..

Yeah - still got the stock pads. I will definitely replace these if I can't fit my pretty brakes.

I think in terms of brompton brake performance is it not a case that with such small wheels you have less surface area touching the road and therefore that's more of an issue?

Currently, I start to skid before I feel the brakes are not strong enough!

I don't know the exact weight of the stock brakes, but the Tektros are 150g... They feel a LOT lighter to hold than the Brommies. However I could just be hypnotized by the way they look :love:

You aren't skidding the front wheel, only the rear, so your technique needs improving, not the brakes. Brake harder on the front and weaker on the rear.

I upgraded a mark 1 brompton(?) with single pivot to modern standard dual pivots (ie non Brompton brakes),by going to an old bike shop to get the bits to invert cable pull direction.
Once I did this.
The front brake went on as standard.
I had to carefully bend the non brompton rear brake axle to 45 decrees' to get it to fit through the frame mount . Not easy at all in my experience !!! I would not recommend this option over getting the rear Brompton brake for the effort.

It saved a lot of money over the £70 ish that I would have had to buy for original Brompton dual pivot brakes. It might have been the merc rather than the Brompton I did this to, its been a while.................

Any ideas regarding what to use to invert cable pull?

I will have a look in my bits box and post a photo at a later date to show what I used.... (if I have any left)..........I have been to bed since I did the invert mod.

I might get a Brompton tomorrow from my local banjo playing barber who is also looking to sell a classic steel frame track tandem!

Interesting!

I have had some replies from Brompton modders and they have suggest drilling out the rear of the fork (!!!) to complete this. However, this DEFINITELY doesn't solve how to get these on the rear.

My thoughts now is that the best route for this might be to get two custom made bolts as this really is the only perfect way of accomplishing this well. I don't suppose anyone knows of any good places to get these drawn up and machined? (London area preferable but anywhere acceptable).

Hopefully this won't cost £££ :cry:

Hi I bought a Brompton the other day see "name your bike thread".
Having looked at my spares box what I did was this to reverse cable pull direction ( as far as I can remember);

1/ Swop the Bromptom adjusters for the cable grip bolt on the new brakes.
2/ Then I uesd two cable clamp bolts to stop the cable being pulled through this is the bit you need from a bike shop.
Bit of a bodge but it worked fine.

Hope this makes sence. Sorry, I dont have any photos

well horse-shoe adapters, made to bolt on BMX frames
may let you fit V brakes, on.

My favorite Magura's HS33, V mount but a Hydraulic Rim Brake.

yes nice I have some on my Onzo trials bikes.
But expensive......V mount needs brazing, folding hydraulic cables sounds like a night mare to me ,, these brakes are diffcult to service, and many bike shops won't touch them.

I am looking to replace a cracked bromptom lever.

Any one tried an old shimano one finger DX lever??

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-DX...=item19d25e687

I took off my Brompton levers and put on a 2 finger sort of cantilever pull MTB lever.
would resell the Brompton ones ..

Got a different setup to go with the Ergon grip/bar end combo on my M3L