Improved braking on 1983 Fuji road bicycle

[Monarkman]

I could use some advice and suggestions regarding improving the braking power on my 1983 Fuji “ Team Fuji” road bike.

Rims are clean, brakes pads are newer and adjusted right.

It still has the original Dia Compe brakes.

Is there a more powerful, more modern brake set that I could put on that will make me stop better?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions, I appreciate y’all very much!

 

[juvela]

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caliper is the DiaCompe authorized version of the Weinmann model 500

most bang for the buck improvement would be to go with a set of Koolstop brake pads

Caution!

tyre is kaput


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[Monarkman]

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caliper is the DiaCompe authorized version of the Weinmann model 500

most bang for the buck improvement would be to go with a set of Koolstop brake pads

Caution!

tyre is kaput


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Thank you! Why the caution? Will the Koolstop affect the tire?

 

[Fritz Katzenjammer]

I put an old roadbike back on the road with rotted tires like that recently. Not surprisingly they both failed in about 2 kilometers. I knew they were bad but wanted to assess the bike before I started putting money into it.

 

[Monarkman]

I put an old roadbike back on the road with rotted tires like that recently. Not surprisingly they both failed in about 2 kilometers. I knew they were bad but wanted to assess the bike before I started putting money into it.

I’ve had real good luck with Continental tires.

 

[J-wagon]

I did a double take until realized tires Contis with transparent, natural sidewall. Otherwise looks rubber worn thru thread baring rotted sidewall from pic quality.

 

[Schwinn Sales West]

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caliper is the DiaCompe authorized version of the Weinmann model 500

most bang for the buck improvement would be to go with a set of Koolstop brake pads

Caution!

tyre is kaput


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Good advice on the 500 and brake pads. LOL, the tire looks shot to me in "that picture".

Maybe just exchange the brake pads with a different set, as a test. It's combination of rim surface coating and pad material friction.

It's best to never overlook the cable installation when chasing for better performance. You want to transfer all the braking movement (the feel) from the lever to the caliper without a spongy feeling. You can use the better-quality cable wires that have less stretch, but the casings are just coiled wire springs, and they compress. There's an improvement in better quality casing that has less compression.

Even if you use the lower cost cables and casings it's a good practice after you cut the casing length to the correct size, walk over to the bench grinder and "square up" both "cut ends" on the grinder wheel before you re-install the inner wires back into the casings. This will make the casing sit square into the ferrule and cut down on casing compression (sponginess).

John

 

[buickmike]

Boy, I had that down to a science, going as far as to provide small metal barrels to enclosed the cables- then placing them into brake connection. Where I went wrong was upgrading to aero cables that run under bar tape. At speed + expecting to lock pads up, both they and me failed miserably.. They merely sliding Without clamping force and me thrown up on hood of car. At least I didn't hit the van blocking my path

 

[Schwinny]

Brake pads to start with.
And since there is no issue with originality id step away from the old style blocks and go modern.
Surface area of the pads and compounds have come along way. Kool Stops are ok but are still blocks with less surface area. Decreasing that even further are the nubs and one extra row of nubs on the longer blocks doesn't matter much.
A full set of jagwires or Clarks are easy, much cheaper than koolstops and will stop you on a dime.
If that still doesn't do it, a set of side pull dual pivot calipers (with modern pads) are the best calipers going. The first time I hit the front too hard on the dual pivots, the rear wheel came up and I was nearly thrown off the bike.

 

[fattyre]

Araya rims? Anodized silver? Most likely no scoring or wear marks on the rim sidewalls?

If so those are like glass. New pads and optimal brake adjustment is about all you can do unless you want to get into replacing rims that have a machined sidewall.

I had an 80’s Fuji that was super nice, nearly NOS with silver anodized Araya rims and the brakes were terrible in spite of perfectly adjusted brakes and new pads.