Originally Posted by
jimmie65
The frame has the hole for a dual pivot brake. So do I just buy the brake and the lever, and install? Anything else I need to do?
You'll need the brake, lever, cable, and housing. You don't need any additional mounting hardware or cable stops for a front brake.
As mentioned above, you'll need a brake caliper whose reach matches the distance between your brake mounting hole on the fork and the center of the rim's brake track. Sheldon Brown's site has a good explanation (with pictures)
HERE for measuring reach. If you're going to use a ruler, it's easier to do without the tire installed. If you have a caliper (of the measurement variety, not a brake), you can use that with the tire installed.
Also, you're not limited to a dual pivot brake. You can use any sidepull (single or dual pivot) or centerpull brake. That said, a dual pivot sidepull is probably your best option -- easy to set up and they tend to offer good braking power.
Originally Posted by
jimmie65
Distance from hole to rim? 2.25"
Sounds like you might be in the ballpark of a Tektro R559 caliper, whose reach ranges between 55-73 mm. (Roughly 2 1/8" to 2 7/8".) It's a decent dual-pivot caliper and will likely work a
lot better than inexpensive single-pivot BMX brakes.
If you need something with slightly longer reach than the R559, the Tektro 800a caliper (61-78 mm) is another inexpensive option. Modern Bike sells them for $22.99 a pair.
Regardless of which model caliper you choose, you'll need to know what kind of mounting bolt setup your fork takes: recessed or nutted. If the hole on the backside of your fork is bigger than the hole on the front of the fork, you'll want a recessed brake. If the holes are the same size, you'll need a classic-style nutted brake. This is all explained and illustrated on the same Sheldon Brown page I mentioned above.
Originally Posted by
jimmie65
I have some Origin8 bullhorn grips coming but I assume they're going to be an issue with the brake lever.
Not necessarily; it depends on what kind of lever you choose. Bar-end levers are one option for bullhorns, but they might not play nice with grips since the cable is typically routed under tape. Classic non-aero road levers are another possibility as pictured in posts 7 & 12 of
this thread. It looks like that setup should work pretty well. Guidonnet levers like the Dia Compe DC139 might work for you, too.