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Tektro CR720 too close to rims? Solutions?

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Tektro CR720 too close to rims? Solutions?

Old 12-15-19, 07:22 PM
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Bikedued
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Tektro CR720 too close to rims? Solutions?

I have run into a few bikes that CR720's have issues on. The latest is a 1994 Nishiki. The problem is that with the stock setup, the leverage point happens past the point where the shoes hit the rims. The brake arms are angled too far out, so I am having to angle the shoes downward to contact the rim flat. Shoe angle adjustment isn't the problem however. Where the mounting posts are on the frame, they sit too far inward, so it throws the angle off and leverage to stop effectively is not "there" yet by the time the shoes have already hit the rims.

SO... It seems I have a minimal amount of options.

Switch to V brakes and use travel agents for the Tiagra road levers. Don't want to do that though. I'm a huge canti fan besides. I still might have the same issue... The arms may sit too far out.

Find thinner brake shoes? Do they even still make thinline brake shoes? I've been out of the game for a while.

Somehow find thinner angle adjusting washers? Not sure if that would even give enough room anyway. It's already super tight with the skinny ones on the shoe side.
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Old 12-15-19, 07:29 PM
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I guess thinner rims would work too, but the cost of rims would be the last thing I'd want to deal with. Too expensive an option, and the rims are stock on the bike. Theory says they should work... The tires also fit the rims perfectly, narrower rims might put the whole bead out of whack. Continental 32c's cyclocross knobbies.
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Old 12-15-19, 07:50 PM
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Kool Stop has thinline brake pads. Just this past week I mounted them on my Lemond Poprad, Avid shorty 4 cantilever. I had already installed a fork mounted cable guide to stop the fork shudder. The new KS salmon thinline pads stopped the squealing. Better braking also. I purchased them from www.Jensonusa.com., $10.95 per pair so 21.90. That was the best price I found, and I recommend them. Get the order to $50 and get free shipping.
They also come with numerous washers/spacers just for the purpose of distance set up.

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Old 12-15-19, 08:01 PM
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What is your cable setup? I run CR-720s on 3 different bikes and use Problem Solvers Wide cable carriers with straddle cables, in lieu of the link wire system, on 19mm rims, and am quite satisfied.. The straddle cables allow a wide range of adjustment. https://www.jensonusa.com/Problem-So...e-Cable-Hanger Fork crown mounted cable stops and Kool Stop salmon compound pads on all.
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Old 12-15-19, 09:34 PM
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Take a look at this diagram from a Tektro PDF. Mine looks nothing like this. Imagine the mounting posts further inward, and the arms opened further, and you will get what I am talking about. I have to tilt the shoes down almost to the limit of the adjustment, to get the shoes to hit square against the rim. The brake shoes are probably designed for more modern narrower rims, as are the brakes themselves. They seem to show the straddle in a very close position to where mine is right now, so the thickness of the shoes and the width of the rims may be the main problems. With a narrower rim, the thickness of the shoe and angle adjusting washers combined would be pretty much a non issue.
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Old 12-15-19, 11:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Bikedued
Take a look at this diagram from a Tektro PDF. Mine looks nothing like this. Imagine the mounting posts further inward, and the arms opened further, and you will get what I am talking about. I have to tilt the shoes down almost to the limit of the adjustment, to get the shoes to hit square against the rim. The brake shoes are probably designed for more modern narrower rims, as are the brakes themselves. They seem to show the straddle in a very close position to where mine is right now, so the thickness of the shoes and the width of the rims may be the main problems. With a narrower rim, the thickness of the shoe and angle adjusting washers combined would be pretty much a non issue.
You are running into a generational issue. In the early '80's the brake mounting studs were closer together since cantilever-equipped bikes generally didn't have fat tires. With the coming of mountain bikes the studs moved farther apart to accommodate fat tires and wide rims. The Tektro CR-720 brakes aren't suited for your frame- I would be shopping for cantilever brakes from the late '80's such as Shimano Deore or Deore XT.
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Old 12-16-19, 05:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Jeff Wills
You are running into a generational issue. In the early '80's the brake mounting studs were closer together since cantilever-equipped bikes generally didn't have fat tires. With the coming of mountain bikes the studs moved farther apart to accommodate fat tires and wide rims. The Tektro CR-720 brakes aren't suited for your frame- I would be shopping for cantilever brakes from the late '80's such as Shimano Deore or Deore XT.
This.

The solution is old-school cantilevers or using them with Koolstop thinline pads.
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Old 12-16-19, 07:00 AM
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Originally Posted by Jeff Wills
You are running into a generational issue. In the early '80's the brake mounting studs were closer together since cantilever-equipped bikes generally didn't have fat tires. With the coming of mountain bikes the studs moved farther apart to accommodate fat tires and wide rims. The Tektro CR-720 brakes aren't suited for your frame- I would be shopping for cantilever brakes from the late '80's such as Shimano Deore or Deore XT.

Nah I am more clever than that. What I took OFF, was Shimano canti's with the plastic spring cases. Those were junk from the word go. Pretty certain they were Deore LX. Thinner shoes will make it work.
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Old 12-16-19, 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Bikedued
Nah I am more clever than that. What I took OFF, was Shimano canti's with the plastic spring cases. Those were junk from the word go. Pretty certain they were Deore LX. Thinner shoes will make it work.
The wider cable carriers I suggested will get you a better cable angle with such a setup.
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Old 12-16-19, 07:32 PM
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Straddle cable angle or width, has nothing whatsoever to do with what I am talking about, and after this I give up and will no longer respond about straddle cables or straddles. It's a lost cause trying to say any different I suppose. The shoes are plain too thick. That's it, and that's all. Some bikes have the posts mounted closer together, and certain brakes just will not adjust for it. The brake arm cannot get to the optimal power position because the arms are rotated outwards too far. The shoes hit the rim before any real power is transferred into squeezing them. THESE, will solve the problem instantly. THEN, I will be able to play with straddle length and see what works best. They "work" now, but don't "WORK".


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Old 12-16-19, 08:48 PM
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Bikedued, I never thanked you for this frame and you kindly found me a seat post. I love it, and while it has been a long time since I worried about flex in a BB I love this bike and it is in my daily ride rotation with some very nice bikes.
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Old 12-16-19, 09:23 PM
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Wow! Been a while! It's looking good! It was JUST under my size range. Your welcome. It took me a couple of seconds to remember it actually. The graphics would have popped it back in my head quicker, hehe.
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