Originally Posted by
Chombi1
I'm surprised nobody had mentioned yet, CLB' way of putting the icing on their weenie Professionel sidepull brakes by using their brake cable set with Dural wound casings.I did it on my weight weenie Vitus Carbone Plus 7 weenie project bike. It contributed quite a bit to getting the bike to 16 pounds..... but the cable casings were so compressible and squishy that it feels like I lost over one third of the braking power than if I went with conventional wound steel casings. I really wonder how CLB would sell such things with any concience, especially if the lives of the cyclists they sold these to, depended on it.......... C'est la vie!!??
I had them on my road-race bike for a few years. Not as bad as some make them out IMHO. Braking power is not reduced one iota if your brakes are adjusted right. Yes there is a spongy feel at the lever, but unless it causes the lever to bottom out on the handlebar, you can still get the same braking "power". Assuming we all agree there's no point in more braking than your tire traction can use. I could still skid the tires: QED. Plus I liked the fact that you can modulate the brakes more by how
far you pull the lever than by force input. It works out to the same thing, but I just felt like I could tell more precisely how far I pulled the lever than how hard I pulled. Or I got better feedback... or something. Anyway I liked the feel. I only replaced them due to them getting damaged somehow (don't remember); it's true they aren't as strong/durable. But they lasted a couple seasons at least, good value all things considered, no regrets
My wife's light road bike still has the CLB housing. Mostly because it came in a cool color she liked, but as an ex-racer who can do all her own mechanicking (most anything short of wheelbuilding or framebuilding), she knows what she likes and God help you if you try to tell her that she's got the "wrong" parts on her bike.
Mark B