Will this calliper /lever combination work?

[Salty Seadog]

Hi, I have a single speed with appalling braking. I have changed all cables, put serious stop pads on, cleaned the rims too within an inch of their life but still rubbish.

It has bull bars with ITM levers that plug into the bar ends and Tektro callipers.

Would these levers work with a set of 105 callipers?

The only two changes I haven't made are new callipers and new levers.

Cheers.

[Brucey]

the calipers you have at present appear to have the brake blocks fitted in the bottom of the slots. This reduces the mechanical advantage (MA) of the caliper. Probably you would be better off with a longer reach caliper but with the brake blocks in the middle or the upper half of the slots. Beyond that it is difficult to help you because

ITM make different brake levers
tektro make very many different calipers (which have different reach and MA values)
Shimano have made many different flavours of 105 calipers (which again vary in reach and MA value).

Although you have fitted new cables you don't say if you prepped the housings carefully, what kind of cables they are, or if/how you lubricated them. All these things make a difference too.

Note that with those bars/brake levers you are in danger of leaving your strongest fingers over the wrong end of the lever. Try moving your hands backwards and using just your two strongest fingers near the end of the brake lever; you will get more leverage that way.

cheers

[Salty Seadog]

Thanks Brucey.

The cables are shimano as is the outer. No lube used.
Would you say these are short drop callipers looking at the picture? These are my only rim brakes, all the other bikes are on discs so my experience is limited.
If they are short drop would long drop have the adjustable range to fit? I get what you say about mechanical advantage.
A for lever pull I can have both levers back to the bar.

[Brucey]

these tektro R359 brakes have a deep drop and (I think) have the higher MA that comes with NSSLR cable pull



so ought to give more powerful braking than the calipers that you have at present, if they are what I suspect they are.

However they are nutted not AK fit.

Older model DP calipers have a lower MA; you may be losing out thrice over; once with the lower caliper MA, again with the calipers being flexy (*), and a third time with the brake blocks in the bottom of the slots.

(*) if the arms/bushings flex, the brake block doesn't present square to the rim any more under heavy braking; this loses you power because brake blocks don't work properly when a smaller part of their surface is bearing against the rim.

There are very few cable sets that work Ok when they are not lubricated. You could easily be losing half or more of your effort in the cables.

cheers

[Salty Seadog]

Thanks Brucey, I see I can also get the Tektro 539 for similar money, would they be much better in your opinion?
Thanks for the time taken.

[Brucey]

Thanks Brucey, I see I can also get the Tektro 539 for similar money, would they be much better in your opinion?
Thanks for the time taken.

I think they have a similar MA to the 359 model. Whether either would be an improvement depends on which model you have at present.

The first thing I'd do would be to lubricate the cables.

cheers

[Salty Seadog]

Some chain oil or GT85 down the outers?

[gregoryoftours]

Some chain oil or GT85 down the outers?

I have often wondered what lube is best for cables, mostly in terms of what will or won't cause the plastic liners to chemically break down. I presume stuff like wax lube/ silicone grease would be ok but might not be the best lubes, but would various greases/oils/spray lubes be ok? I haven't managed to get hold of any info either way really.

[Brucey]

Some chain oil or GT85 down the outers?

IME unless you have a hydraulic oiler you have to take the inner cable out and add lubricant that way, else it won't be along the full length.

cheers