At 7:55 PM +0200 8/27/04, Toni Theilmeier wrote:
>I worked on two classic British bikes today, and
>both made me question either my own or their
>builders´ (or their customers´) sanity as far as
>positioning of cable stops is concerned.
>
>Let´s start with Ron Cooper who made my Gillott
>TT Fleur de Lys in 1954. Why oh why did he put
>the brake cable stops right underneath the top
>tube, dead in the six o´clock position? A slight
>offset would have vastly helped cable routing,
>and also braking power, of course.
Ahh, but which side would you offset it to? There's the rub! Some folks like the front brake on the right (usual in England, also my own preference) while others like the front brake on the left. Symmetrical placement allows either cable routing to work equally well.
Also, back in the day, side pull brake calipers sometimes were "left handed" and others were "right handed."
I generally prefer the cables on the top of the tube, but for folks who fit with tight standover clearance (as used to be fashionable) this can present difficulties as well.
Sheldon "http://sheldonbrown.com/brakturn" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
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| It were not best that we should all think alike; |
| it is difference of opinion that makes horse-races. |
| -- Mark Twain |
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