weird v brakes

its an old bike, the problem is that i can get the pads aligned perfect but when i use them the feel
really spongy, the lever goes to the bars, i can get the rear to lock up, but it doesnt feel solid
like regular v brakes. I pull the lever and the pads only move about 3/8 inch each, then then im at
about half way ont he lever and the rest feels wasted.

(TJ Poseno) said:

I got some new bikes with V-Brakes, the problem is that the pads will both be touching the rims,
and ill put on the brakes, and they will goto the bars with horible braking,

V-brakes require specific levers that pull more cable for a given amount of lever travel. Get a pair
of those and you'll be all set.

Chalo

"Chalo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

(TJ Poseno) said:

I got some new bikes with V-Brakes, the problem is that the pads will both be touching the rims,
and ill put on the brakes, and they will goto the bars with horible braking,

V-brakes require specific levers that pull more cable for a given amount of lever travel. Get a
pair of those and you'll be all set.

Chalo

I'm guessing that the problem we have here is non v-brake levers being used with v-brakes. Sounds
like what was going with one of my setups.

Mike

That may be it! Its a huffy, so no thought went into the bike, and I didnt pay for it. The LEvers
are aluminum and the clamps are plastic, so whe you pull on them, the bend anyway. Pathetic...

(TJ Poseno) said:

its an old bike, the problem is that i can get the pads aligned

Then why did you say it's a new one?

Quoted message said:

perfect but when i use them the feel really spongy, the lever goes to the bars, i can get the rear
to lock up, but it doesnt feel solid like regular v brakes. I pull the lever and the pads only move
about 3/8 inch each, then then im at about half way ont he lever and the rest feels wasted.

Brake cable housing, would be my guess. Are you really sure it's a v-brake, and not a regular
cantilever brake or brake calipers? V-brakes are IIRC fairly new (some 7 or 8 years), so a *really*
old bike wouldn't have them.

Jasper