What is the fundamental difference between "long pull" and "short pull" brake levers?
04-19-23, 04:24 PM
#26
BF's Resident Dumbass
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I bought a set of Shimano SORA levers to be used with center-pull brakes (so, short-pull). They were $16. When I received them, I noticed that they (like the levers in grizzly59's post ^^) were adjustable for either short or long pull.
Looking at my new levers, I find that this "Rule of Thumb" is spot-on.
A Shimano SORA brake lever.
A close-up of the SORA brake lever. The pivot is the black circle at the top. The cable attaches to the silver fitting, which can be moved farther from the pivot to the hole near the bottom of this image.
Looking at my new levers, I find that this "Rule of Thumb" is spot-on.
A Shimano SORA brake lever.
A close-up of the SORA brake lever. The pivot is the black circle at the top. The cable attaches to the silver fitting, which can be moved farther from the pivot to the hole near the bottom of this image.
04-19-23, 04:48 PM
#27
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Here's my experience with this long/short pull thing. I have one bike that runs long-pull V-brakes (110mm) on 20-inch wheels. Another bike of mine runs mini V-brakes (85mm) on 700c road wheels. Thing is, despite the fact that both bikes run identical brake levers - Avid FR5 - they feel very different in the braking department: While the 20-incher's braking experience feels a little more deliberate and progressive, the 700c bike's feels more positive with a greater sense of immediacy. As long as I mentally reprogram my modulation accordingbto which bike I'm on (which takes about 30 seconds and 100 feet or so,) either bike can stop as short as I need it to, and either one can send me flying over the handlebar if I'm being a moron.
With that being said, it's worth keeping in mind that the quality of the actual hardware being used (levers, cables, cable housings, V-brake arms and - most importantly - the type and quality of brake pads) is far more important than the mere cable pull ratios and brake arm lengths. Quality, pre-stretched cables; compressionless cable housings; stiff, forged V-brake arms; and quality pads that actually match the size abd curvature of the brake tracks on the rims (basically, just don't use long, straight MTB-style pads on smaller rims) are worthwhile investments. And then there's knowing how to set up and adjust everything - especially the brake pad positioning. I've found that self-toeing pads (with the little lips at the trailing edges) take a lot of the guesswork out of the process and save plenty of time and aggravation.
With that being said, it's worth keeping in mind that the quality of the actual hardware being used (levers, cables, cable housings, V-brake arms and - most importantly - the type and quality of brake pads) is far more important than the mere cable pull ratios and brake arm lengths. Quality, pre-stretched cables; compressionless cable housings; stiff, forged V-brake arms; and quality pads that actually match the size abd curvature of the brake tracks on the rims (basically, just don't use long, straight MTB-style pads on smaller rims) are worthwhile investments. And then there's knowing how to set up and adjust everything - especially the brake pad positioning. I've found that self-toeing pads (with the little lips at the trailing edges) take a lot of the guesswork out of the process and save plenty of time and aggravation.
