A worthy rival for Paul Neo-Retros?
 

New Tektro wide-profile canti brake:

http://tektro.com/02products/images/pro/cr520.gif

not as spiffy lookin' as the neo-retro, but who cares if it does the job. Will it do the job?

I also have no idea where to get them. Came up empty at J&B and QBP.

those are the 520s at 139 grams

these are the 720s at 121 grams:

http://www.tektro.com/02products/images/pro/cr720.gif

If you found them on the Tektro website it might take a little while until they are in shops.

720s are at Jenson

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1180/...4fdd922eac.jpg

I think the origin8 cantis are much sexier... wholesale on these is less than $30 a set, too.

i'll report once i get a set.

the origin 8s look like spooky/empella clones.

the tektros look more user friendly to me (cup and cone pads, tension screws).

currently unavailable at jenson's and their image is from QBP. Guess I'll have to be patient.

There are some stores in Germany that have. Try Cross Laden. If you can read German, there are threads on these over at tour-magazin (great mag too). I think Velo Orange have them too.

QBP is waiting on shipment of the tektros--they should be out soon.

but, oo oo!

the kore brakes are damn hot:

http://www.kore-usa.com/image/produc...lver_brake.jpg

anyone had a chance to compare them, price and performance-wise?

they are stock on the jamis supernova this year, and maybe the kona major jake.

Now I really don't know how to decide if they are anywhere near the same pricepoint. Probably the Kores as they are pretty sexy.

New Brakes
 

I have the Pauls on My Ridley and love them. I have the Oryx brakes on My Soma Doublecross set up as A Single Speed. I wanted to upgrade, but couldn't afford another set of Pauls. I just bought the Textro 720's at My local Portland Bike Store Cycle Path. They had one in the box and did a take off of the other from a bike in the store. The brakes looked great on the display bikes and had a great saddle. I haven't had a chance to install them yet. I'm hopping to do it Saturday as there is a race on Sunday.

I test rode the new Jamis SuperNova with the kore brakes, and uh, I'm now sad. Great modulation, but no power. at all. They looked to be set up okay--pretty darn low straddle, plenty of cable left to pull.

My Avid Shorty 4s with koolstop mtb pads are choppy, but they stop fast (when they aren't busy vibrating the fork).

What gives? I guess it could be the stock pads, but besides better mud clearance, I always thought high-profile cantis gave you better stopping power. Maybe I should revisit my high-profile canti lust---or is there something I'm missing?

R+E Cycles is putting there new "Big Squeeze" on their bikes. Our new tandem has a set on it.

http://www.rodcycle.com/articles/bigsqueeze.jpg

I don't get the design.

and cheap they are not ($125/pair)

Looks like the cable pulls the bottom half of the brake out and pushes the top part in, unless that's some kind of hinge on the top of both arms. Weird. Paul brakes FTW.

Those "Big Squeeze" look like the old WTB cantilevers I used to have on a Stumpjumper. Those brakes stopped & looked awesome - these new models look nice.

Since the transverse cable is fixed at the bottom of the arms, when pulled upwards it squeezes the arms together rather than pulling up on them. The arms don't pivot, they are fixed but adjustable.

Yes, they are not cheap; they are made in a small shop right here in the U. S. of A.

They work great
 

I went from using the Nashbar Canti's that worked good, to the Tektros 720's I got them from QPB in August so they weren't sold out yet. They were cheap, and they are the easiest Canti's i have ever used. They really kick some A over the old Post mount stuff. The braking seems fine, I have ridden them on some easy single track, and in the local cross race. The only issue that I have which is a weird one is that I sometimes do some Monster Cross where I do fireroads that then have steep downhills that you have to ride with your inline levers, and your butt way back, when like that my legs hit the brakes cause they stick out from the frame so much. A side note, I found that Mini-V on my tandem with Travel Agents rocked! made the brakes tight like a road bike should be.

-Darren

Check out Tektro RL520 levers. A new road lever for long-pull brakes. Cool stuff.

Of course I do not trust tektro levers at the moment seeing that it was the failure of two lowly tektro cinch bands that caused me to borrow a bike with near slicks for a race on wet grass which resulted in me injuring my shoulder and missing the racing season...

Darren--you mean you're catching your legs on the rear brakes?

The 720s are currently available from Velo Orange. http://www.velo-orange.com/tecrcacr.html . $27 per pair.

I ordered a couple of pairs; they're not as nice as the picture. Typical Tektro "pot metal" finish and appearance. And they're also typical Tektro fit on the posts; ie. they rattle. I haven't used them yet, but I assume they perform like other Tektro products: adequately, but nothing more.

the Eurox and Origin8 brakes have no toe-in adjustment (unless you bend the posts), right?

And as far as rear brake/front brake clearance, I know a few folks who run Paul Neo-Retro up front and Paul Touring in the back. And the back is spongy, according to what I have heard. I have not had any issues with Neos front and rear