Fixie Brakes

dave milne
dave milne Posts: 703
edited October 2010 in Workshop
Hi,

I've got bull bars and a time trial brake fitted on my fixed out of the end of the bar.

This hasn't worked and the brake cable has snapped due to the angle it gets pulled at. I need a new brake but ideally want to have it on the bar end or on that extension and not on the bit near the stem. I'm not sure what to get

Any suggestions?

cheers

Comments

  • Butterd2
    Butterd2 Posts: 937
    Where has it snapped? I have the same set up on mine and it works fine.
    Scott CR-1 (FCN 4)
    Pace RC200 FG Conversion (FCN 5)
    Giant Trance X

    My collection of Cols
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    The stopper at the end of the brake cable has popped off.

    It's the 3rd time it's happened. First time I out it down to bad luck, second time I took it to the bike shop and they told me it was due to the upwards curve on the bull bars and letting the brake pads wear out without tightening the cable thus pulling the cable at a bit of an angle.

    So I religiously tightend the brake cable every week so there is next to no pulling at an angle and it has gone again. I am extremely lucky this hasn't resulted in an accident so no more!
  • Butterd2
    Butterd2 Posts: 937
    Do you mean the stopper at the brake lever end? Have you got the cable internally routed through the bars or externally?

    My cable is external at the lever but then runs through the bars through the bend where your hands would normally go. This seems to keep the cable in a good line. Alternatively try a lever with internal routing so the cable is inside the bar al the way to the lever
    Scott CR-1 (FCN 4)
    Pace RC200 FG Conversion (FCN 5)
    Giant Trance X

    My collection of Cols
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Are your brake levers like these:

    27938-1.jpg

    If so I don't really understand what the problem is.
    More problems but still living....
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    exactly like that. the cable is routed under the bar tape.

    when the lever gets pulled it seems to pull the cable at a bit of an angle instead of straight and the stopper eventually comes off
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    By 'stopper' I assume you mean the 'nipple'. If so are you using the right one. Most levers of that type use a 'barrel' nis different to the pear on normal STIs etc. This enables the nipple to turn in the lever as it is pulled. If the wrong nipple or a siezed one is used then the flex will break the cable.
    My Fleet.
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    John.T wrote:
    By 'stopper' I assume you mean the 'nipple'. If so are you using the right one. Most levers of that type use a 'barrel' nis different to the pear on normal STIs etc. This enables the nipple to turn in the lever as it is pulled. If the wrong nipple or a siezed one is used then the flex will break the cable.

    Yeah I think so. The bit at the end of cable that the lever pulls on when you brake. So a different cable might ifx this for me? That would be an ideal solution!
  • Butterd2
    Butterd2 Posts: 937
    That is exactly the same set up as I have, and it should be fine. I would just try a new cable and retape the bars.
    Scott CR-1 (FCN 4)
    Pace RC200 FG Conversion (FCN 5)
    Giant Trance X

    My collection of Cols
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    Butterd2 wrote:
    That is exactly the same set up as I have, and it should be fine. I would just try a new cable and retape the bars.

    I've now snapped 3 cables, I'm not just doing the same thing again until I know what's causing the problem!
  • gethmetal
    gethmetal Posts: 208
    Sounds like poor quality cables to me, I've never seen it happen before.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    Photo of the cable end nipple you are using required. Then we can give more positive advice.
    My Fleet.
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Which of the top two have you been using?

    2198662968_67be8373d4_o.jpg
    More problems but still living....
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    amaferanga wrote:
    Which of the top two have you been using?

    2198662968_67be8373d4_o.jpg

    It's the bottom one of those 3
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    That is a gear cable. You should be using the top one. Many brake cables come with this on one end and the middle one on the other. You just cut off the one you do not need. The middle one is for most normal road levers.
    My Fleet.
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    :oops:

    what about the top one as I have seen it advertised for time trial levers?
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    dave milne wrote:
    :oops:

    what about the top one as I have seen it advertised for time trial levers?
    Those and some MTB ones.
    My Fleet.
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    thanks for all the advice
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    So not only is the nipple the wrong shape, but the cable's thinner. That would likely explain your three breakages. Doesn't explain the advice you got from the bike shop though!
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    I'm curious as to how you made it work at all with the gear cable end!
    More problems but still living....
  • dave milne
    dave milne Posts: 703
    It seems I didn't.

    I just bought a mountain bike brake cable but it won't fit as the stopper is the wrong shape for the tt lever. I checked the old cable and it was the same thickness as the cable I was trying to fit so I probably did have a proper brake cable in there I just had a different picture in my head as to what it looked like.

    So still not sure why I have had 3 failures when other people's seem to work fine.

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