V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
fatboy
Posts: 3477
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 1:32pm
Location: North Hertfordshire

V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by fatboy »

My hack tourer uses non-aero levers and oryx cantis. On the front I'm using an up hanger which doesn't play nicely with my dynamo lamp bracket. I acquired a V brake in a swap for a mini v (which never really fitted the bike) and was wondering if this would work with a travel agent and non-aero brake levers? I thought about going v-brakes all round but the rear one would foul the rear rack.

Thoughts welcome.

Cheers

Chris
"Marriage is a wonderful invention; but then again so is the bicycle puncture repair kit." - Billy Connolly
User avatar
531colin
Posts: 16083
Joined: 4 Dec 2009, 6:56pm
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by 531colin »

In what way did the mini-vee "not fit"..?
If for example the bosses are too close together (ie a lot less than 80mm) then you need to be lucky or skilful to get "modern" brakes of any sort to fit, but that probably includes Oryx anyway.
My first step would be to offer up the Vee brake....if it will go on, then its worth thinking further.....however, my approach would be to use (at least one) drop bar brake lever designed for full-size Vee brakes, this is probably both cheaper and more efficient than a hybrid setup using a lever with insufficient cable pull and then gearing it up with a travel agent, which robs mechanical advantage, whilst using a high-tension/low travel cable for the bit inside the outer....which is exactly where low-tension/high travel is beneficial due to reduced friction losses.
If the rack bosses are not ideally placed, there are work-arounds.....

Image
fatboy
Posts: 3477
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 1:32pm
Location: North Hertfordshire

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by fatboy »

Mini vees fouled the mudguard which I couldn't set any lower and longer mini vees were too close to the rims. Mini vees work a treat on my Spa tourer.
"Marriage is a wonderful invention; but then again so is the bicycle puncture repair kit." - Billy Connolly
User avatar
531colin
Posts: 16083
Joined: 4 Dec 2009, 6:56pm
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by 531colin »

Yeah, the boss placement on the Spa bikes is designed to facilitate mini-vees.
.....although we still find that Tektro RX6 mini vees with longer arms are best....the long arms give 'guard clearance, and there is less "lost motion" because the arms are stiff, so you get better rim clearance, which is the reverse of what you might expect with longer arms/greater mechanical advantage
fatboy
Posts: 3477
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 1:32pm
Location: North Hertfordshire

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by fatboy »

Just offered the brake at the back and it just scrapes the rack (it's a Shimano 107mm one). I could get one the same and bend the rack or get a shorter armed v brake. Tektro say that some of there's are 102mm. Or a bit of both! Any other 100mm long v brakes out there?
"Marriage is a wonderful invention; but then again so is the bicycle puncture repair kit." - Billy Connolly
fatboy
Posts: 3477
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 1:32pm
Location: North Hertfordshire

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by fatboy »

Back to the original question looking at earlier threads the MA of 4 for the non aero lever and v brkae levers being 2 I reckon that it'd work even if not the best solution.

I will ponder.
"Marriage is a wonderful invention; but then again so is the bicycle puncture repair kit." - Billy Connolly
User avatar
531colin
Posts: 16083
Joined: 4 Dec 2009, 6:56pm
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by 531colin »

fatboy wrote:Back to the original question looking at earlier threads the MA of 4 for the non aero lever and v brkae levers being 2 I reckon that it'd work even if not the best solution.

I will ponder.


Be careful with this. If the numbers are right, you are trying a lever with double the MA, half the travel of the "design" lever. If the (old) lever has enough travel to get the pads to the rim, you will be applying a brake with double the MA of a full-size Vee brake, already the most powerful cable rim brake.......
fatboy
Posts: 3477
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 1:32pm
Location: North Hertfordshire

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by fatboy »

Sorry I meant that with the travel agent which divides the MA by 2!
"Marriage is a wonderful invention; but then again so is the bicycle puncture repair kit." - Billy Connolly
fatboy
Posts: 3477
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 1:32pm
Location: North Hertfordshire

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by fatboy »

Just bought a right hand v brake brake lever off eBay. Will keep the rear as canti for now, may try and pick up an aero lh lever for aesthetic reasons!
"Marriage is a wonderful invention; but then again so is the bicycle puncture repair kit." - Billy Connolly
Drake
Posts: 1016
Joined: 19 Apr 2012, 9:01am

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by Drake »

Just to clear up something for the uninitiated (me). What constitutes a full size V brake against a Mini type. Assuming it has something to do with the length of the arms.
If so, the measurements are from where to where.
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by Brucey »

the measurement is from the boss to where the cable mounts. Full Vs are about 110mm and anything under ~95mm is often called a mini-V.

The situation is complicated in that if you use 'road' STIs the more recent models have 'new super SLR' cable pull and these a probably a better match for longer mini-Vs than older brake levers/STIs are.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Drake
Posts: 1016
Joined: 19 Apr 2012, 9:01am

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by Drake »

Brucey wrote:the measurement is from the boss to where the cable mounts. Full Vs are about 110mm and anything under ~95mm is often called a mini-V.

The situation is complicated in that if you use 'road' STIs the more recent models have 'new super SLR' cable pull and these a probably a better match for longer mini-Vs than older brake levers/STIs are.

cheers

Many thanks for that.
fatboy
Posts: 3477
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 1:32pm
Location: North Hertfordshire

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by fatboy »

fatboy wrote:Just bought a right hand v brake brake lever off eBay. Will keep the rear as canti for now, may try and pick up an aero lh lever for aesthetic reasons!


Installed an old dia competition (bought off here) LH and a RH tektro v-brake lever. It works brilliantly. Am chuffed!
"Marriage is a wonderful invention; but then again so is the bicycle puncture repair kit." - Billy Connolly
User avatar
andrew_s
Posts: 5795
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 9:29pm
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: V-brakes, travel agents and non-aero levers

Post by andrew_s »

fatboy wrote:Any other 100mm long v brakes out there?

Decide what length you want, and take your pick

Tektro 857AL: 110 mm
Tektro C310: 110mm
Tektro M730: 102 mm
Tektro M530: 102 mm
Tektro BX25: 95 mm
Tektro 930AL: 95 mm
Tektro RX6: 90 mm
Tektro RX5: 85 mm
Tektro BX3v: 85 mm
Tektro 926AL: 80 mm
Post Reply