Short or Deep?

ted-on-tour
ted-on-tour Posts: 225
edited August 2013 in The workshop
What drop breaks are the ones for me? Deep or, well, shallow I suppose.

I'm clueless.

Someone talk me through it perhaps?

Regards.
Pain is a momentary lapse of character.

Comments

  • What bike do you have?
  • Its a self build, using a Carrera Vanquish frame/fork, so didn't come with brakes. Suppose this thread should be in Road section but hey ho, I'll be using it for commuting.
    Pain is a momentary lapse of character.
  • Get normal brakes mate.
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    Long drops are for cyclo-cross or touring bikes where the crown of the fork will be a fair distance above the tyre to allow for mud/mudguard clearance. A normal road bike has much less clearance between the tyre and the fork crown. Assuming its a standard road bike, get the normal brakes as SS says.
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • But if I'm planning on attaching full mud guards get long drop for them to fit?
    Pain is a momentary lapse of character.
  • bails87
    bails87 Posts: 12,998
    But if I'm planning on attaching full mud guards get long drop for them to fit?
    No.

    AFAIK the brake mount is fixed, so the distance from brake pivot bolt to rim is always going to be the same.

    Some bikes (like the CX or tourer, mentioned above) have the brake pivot bolt further away from the rim, so you need a longer drop brake arm.

    The pivot bolt doesn't move if you add/remove mudguards, so you most probably need normal drop brakes.
    MTB/CX

    "As I said last time, it won't happen again."
  • gbsahne001
    gbsahne001 Posts: 1,973
    I have a set of black 105s for sale, bought last year in error as I needed long and ordered short £60 for the pair.
  • Okie coke, normal drop brakes it is. Cheers folks.

    £60 is a bit too much for this bargain basement build im on, thanks for the offer though.
    Pain is a momentary lapse of character.
  • pdw
    pdw Posts: 315
    Measure it.

    Measure from the centre of the brake mount to the centre of the braking surface on the rim, and buy brakes with a drop that matches that distance.
  • bikaholic
    bikaholic Posts: 350
    pdw wrote:
    Measure it.

    Measure from the centre of the brake mount to the centre of the braking surface on the rim, and buy brakes with a drop that matches that distance.

    The above is the best solution.

    A quick way to clock whether you might need deep drop brake calipers is to check the frame and the forks for mudguard eyelets (which take M5 threaded bolts).
  • I needed long drops.....

    D'OH!!!
    Pain is a momentary lapse of character.