Brake woes

Hello.

I'm trying to put a brake on my bike as it's killing me on the downhills and my nerves can't take it anymore :)

So I managed to find a real short reach Dia Compe that will just about get the pads on the rim and not the spokes, with a lot of fannying about with nylocs and spacers I managed to get it to fit (nyloc inside the steerer tube cos it's not a bolt through brake).

Anyway it's on and now the bugger rubs. I've got a cheapo Vitoria rally on there at the moment which is far from round and not the thinnest tub in the world.

Clearances are fucking tight anyway, so should I switch to a 20mm tub, file some of the brake off or both?

This is how tight it is without a brake (this is a 23mm clincher)

Years ago you could buy a Drop Bolt.

It converted short reach brakes into long reach by lowering the caliper a bit.

I've seen them reversed, long to short, raising the caliper.

That might work for you.

The trick is finding one.

Although there is probably a more modern solution now available.

Cheers I saw Sheldon's page on drop bolts and it seemed like a solution.

I think I've got a narrow tub somewhere, I'll see if I can find it.

19mm tub fixed it.

Cheers

Or a clamp on.
Those forks look like they shouldn't be drilled.

they're fine. plenty of meat on there.

Todd I did think about it. The forks were already drilled when I got them and are still alive.