Howard, maybe I'm exaggerating. The long tour I'm speaking of was over 30 years ago, and my memory may have faded or distorted. But I notice that many people who ride modern bikes try my bikes and nearly panic about how badly my brakes work, and this is on all of my bikes. My brakes work just fine. I'm accustomed to them, and I have strong hands. Dual pivot and V brakes require much, much less hand pressure, and when unsuspecting people expect to be able to touch the brakes lightly, it makes sense that they think there's something wrong with my brakes.