Fork fittings

Jon_H said:

I am having some dificulty on my old bike. The frame and forks were
originally designed for 27" wheels with ample mudguard clearance I have
fitted 700c sprint wheels with tubular tyres and a fixed wheel setup so I
only really require a front brake for the open road.

The trouble I have is the weinman side pull caliper is the only brake i can
find that has the necesarry drop to reach the rim and i cant stop it from
twisting in the forks every time i apply the brakes it seems to lock onto
the left hand edge of the rim.

I was thinking along the lines of changing the forks for a 700c version as i
have a nice shimano dual pivot short reach i could fit and as i only really
use the bike for time trials a downward slope wouldn't make that much
difference and I could raise the stem with a couple of spacers to match the
original height .

what do you reckon am I just throwing good money away or will it be better
all round in the long run.

cheers
Jon_H

Go to your LBS and ask them politely to rummage through their small part
junk box for a serrated washer for your brake. It will be thick, maybe
4mmm. Put it between the brake and the fork. Those old Weinmanns had a
serrated surface or embedded serrated nut, perhaps yours is worn down.

--
Bob Wheeler --- http://www.bobwheeler.com/
ECHIP, Inc. ---
Randomness comes in bunches.

Jon_H said:

I am having some dificulty on my old bike. The frame and forks were
originally designed for 27" wheels with ample mudguard clearance I have
fitted 700c sprint wheels with tubular tyres and a fixed wheel setup so I
only really require a front brake for the open road.

The trouble I have is the weinman side pull caliper is the only brake i can
find that has the necesarry drop to reach the rim and i cant stop it from
twisting in the forks every time i apply the brakes it seems to lock onto
the left hand edge of the rim.

You need one of these, which sadly I've just sold:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7161127768&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESO%3AIT&rd=1

It repositions the central axle of the brake (after you've done the rear
nut up tight) and works every time.

Zog The Undeniable said:

Quoted message said:

The trouble I have is the weinman side pull caliper is the only brake i can
find that has the necesarry drop to reach the rim and i cant stop it from
twisting in the forks every time i apply the brakes it seems to lock onto
the left hand edge of the rim.

You need to rotate the center bolt so that the natural rest position of
the brake is more-or-less centered. The fancy tool mentioned on another
reply would be nice, but hard to find, or you could just twist the whole
assembly around until you get it right.

Also, if you have aero brake levers, be careful to have a long enough
brake cable so that you don't twist the brake every time you use it, or it
will tend to pull the brake out of position. Since it's the left side of
the brake that rubs (and presuming that the caliper arms are on the left,
as old Weinmann brakes were), this seems not to be your problem. Or,
maybe your brake cable is too long? This is more likely to be a problem
with aero brake levers with brake cable under the bar tape, than with
old-fashioned levers with exposed cable.

Early Campanolo brakes solved this problem by having flats on the brake
pivot assembly, so you could use a 14mm cone wrench to center the brake.
New brakes have a much better way to solve the problem with that set-screw
which adjusts the spring tension. I wonder whether the center bolt from a
Campy brake would fit the Weinmann? Another alternative would be to see
whether one of these old Campy brakes would have enough reach. How much
reach do you need? I can measure my old brake to see if they are
long enough (sorry, though, mine isn't for sale).

--

David L. Johnson

__o | It is a scientifically proven fact that a mid life crisis can
_`\(,_ | only be cured by something racy and Italian. Bianchis and
(_)/ (_) | Colnagos are a lot cheaper than Maserattis and Ferraris. --
Glenn Davies

Zog The Undeniable said:

Jon_H said:

I am having some dificulty on my old bike. The frame and forks were
originally designed for 27" wheels with ample mudguard clearance I have
fitted 700c sprint wheels with tubular tyres and a fixed wheel setup so I
only really require a front brake for the open road.

The trouble I have is the weinman side pull caliper is the only brake
i can
find that has the necesarry drop to reach the rim and i cant stop it from
twisting in the forks every time i apply the brakes it seems to lock onto
the left hand edge of the rim.

You need one of these, which sadly I've just sold:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7161127768&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESO%3AIT&rd=1

It repositions the central axle of the brake (after you've done the rear
nut up tight) and works every time.

That is not the only way to adjust them. You can use a wooden dowel and
a hammer. Place one end of the dowel on the coil of the spring that is
high, and rap the other end of the dowel sharply with the hammer. You
cannot damage anything in spite of what you might think. This was a
commonly used procedure in the 70's, and not just for Weinmann brakes.

--
Bob Wheeler --- http://www.bobwheeler.com/
ECHIP, Inc. ---
Randomness comes in bunches.