Is this a mudguard mount or can I mount a center-pull rim brake here?
Pretty sure they’re for mudguards, but I was hoping to fit modern brakes to my dad’s old frame
by Similar_Anywhere_654
Is this a mudguard mount or can I mount a center-pull rim brake here?
Pretty sure they’re for mudguards, but I was hoping to fit modern brakes to my dad’s old frame
by Similar_Anywhere_654
12 Comments
There might be some ancient, incredibly long-reaching centerpull brake that one could juryrig to work there, but that is indeed for mounting fenders.
The hole may be in the right location for a brake caliper, or it might not. It’s not important because any new brakes should go on the cantilever bosses where the current brakes sit.
You can go with modern versions of the cantilever brakes or you can go to a linear-pull v-brake style (if you do this, you’ll want to change the levers as well).
The hole may be in the right location for a brake caliper, or it might not. It’s not important because any new brakes should go on the cantilever bosses where the current brakes sit.
You can go with modern versions of the cantilever brakes or you can go to a linear-pull v-brake style (if you do this, you’ll want to change the levers as well).
V-brakes are much easier for beginners to install and have been the dominant rim brake for a few years now.
Yes, those are for mudguards.
Yes, you can upgrade your brakes, but not with that hole. You can pretty easily upgrade from center pull to v brakes. They’re still rim brakes, but I prefer these to center pull. If you wanted disk brakes, you’re out of luck.
People are saying you can mount v-brakes and they are wrong. Cantilever bosses of that era were too closely spaced and too close to the rim for V-brakes and even most modern cantis. Best best is cantilevers with smooth post pads like what are currently fitted
Upgrade to V-brakes. You’ll get a lot better stopping power than from any center pull brake.
Mudguard
I don’t know if you can mount new brakes there or not, but if those cantilevers aren’t working well for you, you should try lowering the yoke. The closer you get the yoke to the wheel, the more mechanical advantage you get from the brake levers. Yours looks set really high to me. A lot of the force you put in at the levers will go to pulling up on the posts; if you lower the yoke, it’ll go more towards pulling the pads into the wheel.
It is also where , in the USA, the CPSC required a bracket there to stop the straddle cable from hitting the front tire should your brake cable break or become detached. Most of the time that bracket had a reflector on it to kill 2 requirements in 1! You can also mount a luggage rack to that hole if touring/commuting.
You may need long reach calipers to make it work
You can’t talk about any hole on a frame of a bike without goring somebody’s ox. God, I love this industry.
I can’t imagine why you would want to mount caliper brakes to this, either stick with cantilevers, or try to fit Vee brakes.