# Brakes with more clearance?



## f3rg (May 11, 2008)

I put some 32c tires on my SS, and the frame and fork both have plenty of clearance. Problem is, the brakes (Cane Creek SCR-3L) rub the center of the tire. Long reach brakes don't help much, since the mounting holes for the brakes are no higher up than before...

I have some older, totally crap Alhonga brakes that have a much higher arch, and they actually have plenty of clearance all around the tire. Unfortunately, they're flexy, have terrible feel, and lack a quick release, which is sort of important with such wide tires; I don't want to have to deflate thme everytime I remove a wheel.

What I need is a brake with a higher arch, one that doesn't hang lower than the bottom of the fork crown (like the Alhongas), but with a quick release and better stiffness (like the Cane Creeks). What are my options?


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## Dereck (Jan 31, 2005)

Spousal Unit and I both have Gunnar 'Sport' frames with Shimano's deep clearance brakes. Looking through Shimano's tech website pages, I think the part number is 'Caliper Brake
BR-R450' and :

http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/t.../BR/EV-BR-R450-2736_v1_m56577569830625612.pdf

Will get you somewhere near their info online.

Hers clear 700 x 28 easily in riding useage, and should go around your 32s. Snag is, when I back off the brake release to remove a wheel, her 28 tyres still stick on the brake pads - your 32s will possibly require deflating some to get the wheel out. That's a factor of how far apart the pads go to when the release is operated and can't see any way out of getting out of it.

In terms of performance, they are but a little behind the regular Ultegra short clearance brakes I have on my other bike. That's down to the longer callipers, of course, but its not enough to cause us any concern.

Hope that helps

D


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## onespeedbiker (May 28, 2007)

Your Cane Creek brakes are an old style from Tektro. Tektro now has some newer brakes with a higher arc in the center. Checkout the web site below under "Road Bikes"; R-539 looks made to order for you.

TEKTRO BRAKE SYSTEMS


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## SilverStar (Jan 21, 2008)

onespeedbiker said:


> Your Cane Creek brakes are an old style from Tektro. Tektro now has some newer brakes with a higher arc in the center. Checkout the web site below under "Road Bikes"; R-539 looks made to order for you.
> 
> TEKTRO BRAKE SYSTEMS


Yes, exactly -- and the R539s have a revised "wide-throw" quick release that really opens 'em up for big tire clearance. I just sold a pair on Ebay and those suckers would get W-I-D-E when the q/r lever was thrown.


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## f3rg (May 11, 2008)

I found some R538s that seem to be about the same as the R539. I'll see how those do and go from there. Thanks for the suggestions.


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## 2:01 (May 10, 2010)

Just bumping this to see if you were able to get the R538's to work. I'm having the same issues with 700x32's. Nashbar long-reach calipers seem to have a bit more clearance than my current Tektro R530's, but still rub slightly in the center. I don't know if R539/540's will have any better clearance...


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## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

I have Shimano BR-R650 on my Black Mountain Cycles. Plenty of clearance. See my blog for photos, etc.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

GRAVELBIKE said:


> I have Shimano BR-R650 on my Black Mountain Cycles. Plenty of clearance. See my blog for photos, etc.


Didn't look at your blog, so this is just a general comment: tire-to-brake caliper arch clearance on front forks has a lot to do with fork design. So you having plenty of clearance may having nothing to do with the brake you're using. Just saying because the thread hasn't mentioned fork design much.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

wim said:


> Didn't look at your blog, so this is just a general comment: tire-to-brake caliper arch clearance on front forks has a lot to do with fork design. So you having plenty of clearance may having nothing to do with the brake you're using. Just saying because the thread hasn't mentioned fork design much.


The frame's designer spec'd clearance for 33mm tires (sans fenders).










The fork has similar clearance.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

GRAVELBIKE said:


> The fork has similar clearance.


Yes, that illustrates what I was trying to get across in my previous post. If the fork is not designed for a larger tire to clear the bottom of the crown *and* the brake caliper arch, there's not much point in looking for brakes with "more clearance." Nice-looking bike, I'm going to your blog now.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

wim said:


> Yes, that illustrates what I was trying to get across in my previous post. If the fork is not designed for a larger tire to clear the bottom of the crown *and* the brake caliper arch, there's not much point in looking for brakes with "more clearance." Nice-looking bike, I'm going to your blog now.


Yup, fork length, crown style, and brake reach all need to be taken into account.

Here's a 28mm Pasela with the 47-57mm BR-R650 brake:


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## Maximus_XXIV (Nov 10, 2008)

Very pretty brakes too.


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