RiddleOfSteel

Thanks. I sweated the Innicycle + threadless stem considerably, mostly in my Medici Pro-Strada build thread (via CAD work) and then a bit with this 620 (also in CAD). Thankfully, the visual bulk of the wheels/tires anchor the composition well. With the Medici, not only did I have to deal with thin (standard) tubing, but also a slender wheel (or rather, rim) and tire setup. No visual mass increase in the lower portion of that composition.

As for the bar tape, it will be no thicker than any other handlebar from 25.0 to 31.8mm clamp. The clamp diameter is 31.8mm, but since all brake levers and shifters employ the standard 23.8-24.2mm bar clamp diameter, the bar tape situation will be unchanged as many bars taper up to their clamp diameters pretty closely to the clamp area. Every company runs the taper differently, especially with modern, shaped carbon bars. That was something I had to take into consideration.

What brake types have you experienced apart from direct/post mounted center pulls (like on late-70s Centurion Pro-Tours)? And what makes them the best for you? Power? Modulation? Looks? Effort level? Setup ease? Center pulls, to me, are visually bulky/ungainly, and their aesthetic is dated--I am looking forward on this 1985 frameset (several years past the last lone use of center pulls by Trek in their 1982 728, before that was ~1977). One has to have both front and rear cable stops (like canti brakes) which often add cable friction due to routing that employs tight/tighter bends, especially with under-the-tape cable routing for the front brake. Return springs on center pulls (and pretty much every brake type back then) were/are strong, and to me that is completely unnecessary--modern quality brakes require much less effort. Center pulls are height-from-rim dependent, cantis and V-brakes are free from that--this all meaning I don't have to worry about tire or fender encroachment from above. The setup for center pulls, while not as much of a faff as cantis, are more than the other types, and if they're going to be a hassle they better look cool. Nothing says legit touring bike like proper wide-set cantis, certainly to me. The only rim brake system that employs horizontal cable movement (at the 'caliper') to enact horizontal pad movement is a V-brake ("direct pull"). That is as logical and efficient as it gets, and as a result, even cheap V-brakes (set up correctly) are absolute vices, and without having to squeeze very hard at all. The TRP CX 8.4s look incredible and work with modern road levers. They are also a breeze to set up. They also have phenomenal stopping power, and whether braking lightly or heavily, require the effort of a hydraulic disc brake lever user, which is to say, very light. I am a tall 200 lb rider who lives in an area with very active city traffic and steep hills (10-20% grades). I would greatly appreciate my braking system not resisting my efforts to employ it to slow or stop, especially if I have to slow or stop NOW.

This is a 1985 frame taking it, in a number of ways, to the 2021 bike crowd. Some direct engagement (aesthetics, braking, componentry, large tires, wider rims) to go along with some contrarian elements (DT shifters, 2x system, silver componentry in places, steel touring frameset). It takes a lot of great things--ok maybe just the killer frameset that pairs really well with me and my style of riding--and improves upon it in all areas, to a considerable degree.

If you haven't tried V-brakes, I'd give them a shot. They're on 8 million cheap and expensive hybrids and mountain bikes, and have even been on a number of CX bikes (hence these TRP's origins). They may not look better/cooler than cantis, or side pull calipers, but they work better than them all while not looking too bad while they're doing it.