Anyone know the scoop on these? They are a new release from Kore and were displayed earlier this year at Sea Otter . I know Todd Wells will be using them this fall. Anyone see significant differences from the Mafac or Paul's brakes?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/tech/features/sea_otter_507/Kore_cantilever_brake.jpg

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/tech/features/sea_otter_507/Kore_cantilever_brake_offset.jpg

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/tech/features/sea_otter_507/Kore_cyclocross_cockpit.jpg

i can see one major difference between these and the Paul's and that's how you center and adjust the tension. as you well know, the pauls spring does not attach to the canti mount. these look far more like the pain in the ass mafac cantis

i'm pretty sure you adjust the tension with the lil screw that's pointing socket down, around 2/3 the way from the pivot to the cable clamp.

a much better design than paul's, imho.

Well, the arms look beefier. I have the Frogleggs, which I like. But they bend relatively easily if you happen to give them an accidental kick when mounting or dismounting.

These look like they'd really hold up, (assuming they're a good-quality metal) have the same wide stance and use canti pads. Not bad.

I like the looks of these a bit more than the Tektros. They look 'healthier', in terms of resisting flex. Call it burly, call it heavy, but in the case of brakes, and my being well over the 200lb barrier, that's for the better. I'll have to try and dig them up for the back up bike/SS.

i'm pretty sure you adjust the tension with the lil screw that's pointing socket down, around 2/3 the way from the pivot to the cable clamp.

a much better design than paul's, imho.

that little screw adjusts the distance that the pad sits from the rim like a V-Brake. my experiece is that particular set-up doesn't offer a very wide range of adjustment. Where as the pauls can be pulled far away from the rim (or set close to) the rime with an open end wrench, but we shall see. Kore's real probelm is distribution.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/tech/features/sea_otter_507/Kore_cantilever_brake_offset.jpg

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/tech/features/sea_otter_507/Kore_cyclocross_cockpit.jpg

That brake looks like it's probably fine, but just who's bike is this any way? Maybe time to adjust the brake pads so they don't rub the tire and lose those ridiculous hybrid bike grips on the tops...

Little screws are also prone to stripping, especially cheap little screws.

That brake looks like it's probably fine, but just who's bike is this any way? Maybe time to adjust the brake pads so they don't rub the tire and lose those ridiculous hybrid bike grips on the tops...

The bike belongs to my buddy Wick (used to be co-owner of Control Tech). He's Kore's sales agent for the Americas, Asia and the South Pacific. Also runs the Wednesday Night World Championship mtb/cross races we have up here in Seattle along with the cross training sessions at Marymoor Park. Good guy. Those goofy grips are a Kore product as well but yeah, they're goofy looking. I saw these brakes on his bike a few months ago & one thing I noticed was how the brake arm itself sits further out from the Pauls (see side view) & with the shorter pad you have the option to open the brake up completely without the pads hitting the inside of the fork or seat stay. As far as pad tangent alignment, I will give him crap about that. :)

DP

I must be a dork because I think the combination of those cross levers with those grips looks cool.

I must be a dork because I think the combination of those cross levers with those grips looks cool.

I don't know, maybe I've been reading http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/ a bit much lately, but that setup (in fact all auxilliary brake lever setups) offend my delicate cross sensibilities. I'm actually the dork for even having delicate sensibilities regarding a brake lever, but anyways...

I've tried those little levers and I found that trying to ride on the tops really put my weight over the wrong part of the bike. When I watch other people trying to ride on the tops while cornering, descending or actually doing anything other than cruising to the grocery store, they look like they could be faster if they would get on the hoods. I see people trying to ride out of the saddle on the tops sometimes and it just looks horribly awkward.

I know that lots of people love these things, or just have trouble riding the hoods. There are a few really fast riders that use these things and crush. I don't want to make people feel like they're doing something wrong, so I should probably just shut up about this kind of thing.

But.... I'm sorry, but I hate those little levers on racing bikes and those grips make me cringe.

I don't know, maybe I've been reading http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/ a bit much lately, but that setup (in fact all auxilliary brake lever setups) offend my delicate cross sensibilities. I'm actually the dork for even having delicate sensibilities regarding a brake lever, but anyways...

I've tried those little levers and I found that trying to ride on the tops really put my weight over the wrong part of the bike. When I watch other people trying to ride on the tops while cornering, descending or actually doing anything other than cruising to the grocery store, they look like they could be faster if they would get on the hoods. I see people trying to ride out of the saddle on the tops sometimes and it just looks horribly awkward.

I know that lots of people love these things, or just have trouble riding the hoods. There are a few really fast riders that use these things and crush. I don't want to make people feel like they're doing something wrong, so I should probably just shut up about this kind of thing.

But.... I'm sorry, but I hate those little levers on racing bikes and those grips make me cringe.

OMG it was so worth my posting to get you to post that link. I love it. I freely admit that I am a geek and am attracted to stange things on occasion. I've actually never ridden a bike with cross levers. I can see your point. I'm always riding on the hoods with my now dead road bike. The thought I most often had when imagining using cross levers was "that seems like an awefully narrow way to grip the handlebars. I guess its the mountain biker in my that likes the look of it.

OMG it was so worth my posting to get you to post that link. I love it. I freely admit that I am a geek and am attracted to stange things on occasion. I've actually never ridden a bike with cross levers. I can see your point. I'm always riding on the hoods with my now dead road bike. The thought I most often had when imagining using cross levers was "that seems like an awefully narrow way to grip the handlebars. I guess its the mountain biker in my that likes the look of it.

Well, then I don't feel like that much of a dick afterall if I've saved you from having to go through the painful experience of riding a cross bike made to feel like a mountain bike with 10" wide handlebars (it's actually much worse than that because of the bike's geometry, but I digress...).

The bikesnob of NYC is the best thing on the whole internet.

I've tried those little levers and I found that trying to ride on the tops really put my weight over the wrong part of the bike. When I watch other people trying to ride on the tops while cornering, descending or actually doing anything other than cruising to the grocery store, they look like they could be faster if they would get on the hoods. I see people trying to ride out of the saddle on the tops sometimes and it just looks horribly awkward.

I know that lots of people love these things, or just have trouble riding the hoods. There are a few really fast riders that use these things and crush. I don't want to make people feel like they're doing something wrong, so I should probably just shut up about this kind of thing.

i'm with you. i have these levers on my cross, but never used them on the trail. the only time my fingers touch em is for the post ride drink run.

Little screws are also prone to stripping, especially cheap little screws.

Yep. I dated one of those in college.