Originally Posted by
Sir_Name
Looking really good! Man, that machine’s going to crank out the fun. You’ve got me wondering if those brakes will fit under the post-mounted racks on my Raleigh… Better braking is the low hanging fruit of improvement there.
Looking forward to seeing this back from paint. Satin black is a nice choice and one that would be at the top of my list for my next bike given the choice.
Enjoy!
Thanks! I have always thought the concept of linear/V-brakes is an extremely logical one as they answer the question of "What is the best way to make brake pads, that need to move horizontally for stopping, do so in the most efficient manner?" They work great on run-of-the-mill hybrids and MTBs before (and during) them. I am thankful that the 620 and me are a great match and thus, in a market like this, with a one-bike goal (ok, the 510 gets to stay, too...), it's a bike/frame worth spending some money on and modernizing for the next several decades.
I don't know of the Raleigh you're talking about, but like anything, the post width/spacing, post height (or is it drop?) relative to the centerline of the rim brake track, and rim width all play a part in the matter. I am a fan of being able to stop, and stop NOW, when needed. I'm also a fan of the braking system not resisting my efforts to try and stop. I find many a vintage setup to be considerably less than adequate, and one can forget about emergency stopping. Though, in a humorous twist, I've been using single pivot brake calipers (Dura-Ace 7402 short reach, and Dia-Compe G standard reach) with the same Koolstop pads, against MA2 rims (same wheelset), with modern levers, and the braking is quite strong. Well into the satisfactory range and good for emergency stops or steep hills--and this compared to dual pivot calipers, which I am very fond of. Sometimes it's the combination of things that just works, disproving honestly-obtained knowledge and resulting theories. And the Dia-Compe brakes aren't even flexy!
On the "casually" weight weenie front, with a much lighter crankset situation (for not much effort at all) and lighter wheels (that I don't have any more), I could be well into the 22.x lb range. For several reasons, I'll just switch to a double crankset I already have, and bump the cassette to a 32T low (from 28T) and run a simplified system (3x to 2x). [Crankset Q-factor and color/finish matching the derailleurs are the main drivers, plus I already own it/don't have to buy it] That will get me to 23.2 lbs and that's a good enough laugh for all of us to have. Of course, my nearly-as-long Trek 510 (25.5" size as well) weighs 23.1 lbs with zero weight weenie effort put into it--just decent used components and 33mm tires. That is the power of being spotted 353g in frame/fork/headset weight as it would otherwise be just under 24 lbs, which is what the 620 was, prior to mounting 42mm tires and much heavier inner tubes.