Originally Posted by
mtbikerinpa
How true is the rim? You should be able to have plenty of pad clearance/travel at the lever and still feel right if the rim is centered and trued nicely. If the rim has any wave to it then that adjustment margin is eaten up.
It's as true as I could get it. I can adjust the brake so there's less than a mm of clearance on both sides without rubbing. The brake lever still squeezes all the way down to the hand grip. Within a few days, the pads will be rubbing again because the brakes don't stay centered.