Rear V Brake with cable joiner for S&S frame

[julk]

Not sure this is the right section but,

I replaced my rear v-brake pads today and ran into a real and potential problem.
The new Koolstop Salmon pads turned out to be thicker than the original Shimanos, I had to loosen some cable out of the end clamp to get the brake back together.

I went out for a ride, but the new pads felt useless, however hard I pulled on the rear brake lever.
Eventually I worked out what was happening  - I have an S&S coupled frame and the rear brake cable uncouples at an SJS cable joiner between the arms of the rear brake i.e. between the rear noodle and the end of the cable. I had set the cable up so that the joiner was too near the noodle.
Pulling on the brake was bringing the joiner up against the noodle before the brake pads hit the rim hard enough to stop me.

Thinking about it I could have got the same problem later, needing to pull more cable, as the rear pads wore down...

So beware all you S&S coupled frame owners.
If you adjust the rear brake cable and have a cable joiner in between the rear brake arms, watch for it hitting the noodle as you put the brake on.
Don't repeat my mistake!

[stutho]

(Not really a reply but more of an observation.) 

If I had an S&S coupled frame I would be tempted to use continuous cable runs.  Then when the time came for splitting the frame I would remove the entire rear Brake arms still attached to the brake cables (& the hub cables for non EX hubs) .  Doing so shouldn't add much time and would allows the cables runs to be unbroken.  I don't like cable splitter, especially on brakes.

Stutho

PS I moved the topic to the technical section 



 

[julk]

Stutho,

Thanks for moving the post to the correct section.

I find the brake cable splitter really easy to use. The gear cables thumbscrew off from the ex-box and unhook from the rear frame leaving the rear brake cable the only one in the way of splitting the frame. The SJS splitter works easily, it is just that I have one from 2006 and I have now discovered it is a bit long to go safely in between the v-brake arms.

I am buying a short 'v-brake' SJS splitter (not available when my bike was produced) and will fit that so that there is more cable available to the rear brake at the noodle.

Julian.

PS
If anyone wants an old long SJS brake cable splitter let me know and I will post it.