You have an old vintage Raleigh, Roberts, Dawes, or Peugeot steel frame with 27-inch wheels. It has semi-horizontal dropouts, and you decide to re-purpose the frame into a single-speed or fixed gear. You want to run 700c wheels, since there are way more choices in 700c rims, tires, and pre-built wheelsets. However, when you put the 700c wheel (smaller) in a road frame made for 27-inch wheels (larger), the brake on the 27-inch geometry frame don't reach the 700c rim braking surface. Suggestion: Spend the money on a center-pull, long-reach Paul Racer brake. And you can reward your faithful old steel bike with a nice piece of modern bike component jewelry.
Yes, the Racer brakes are pricey. But you can then keep that old and still-good bike, which you used to ride around town in cut-off jeans and tube socks, out of the landfill. (I know lady cats, you didn't wear tube socks, but you did you did sew the legs shut on your old cut-offs and make purses out of them.) The cost of the brake is about the cost of a BART ticket for a month. The Racer brake is available in braze on or center mount models. So you can buy a model that fits on 26" mountain "V" brake-style frame brazeons or 27-inch and 700c center mount road frames. The Racer brake also allows you to put 650B wheels on a frame made
for 700c wheels. But according to the tech spec from Paul, it "will not fit on cantilever brake studs." Click here for the tech spec. (Jump for more details.)
(Photos taken by Wheelgirl.)
We have a Racer brake in the shop if you want to take a look at it. It
comes with a set of good brake pads and the straddle cable. It will work on
converting 27-inch-to-700c road geometry as well as straight up 700c
wheel geometry. It also allows you to put 650B wheels on a frame made
for 700c wheels. So, even though it costs some coin, you are getting an
excellent manufacturing and engineering quality, and you have the
option of moving the Racer to another bike in the future.
If your fork
and rear mounting set up is an older style that isn't drilled to accept recessed nuts, make sure to pay a bit extra, and get the longer
bolts. The brakes works in the range from 59mm-73mm, and the center
mount model weighs 157 grams per brake. It is 78mm wide, so you can fit a wide tire and fenders.The brake we have in the case is
anodized silver, but Racers are available in anodized black or silver, and
silver high-polish finishes. Stop by the shop, or go to the Wheelgirl store and order one.
