Slinky coil spring v-brakes?

[sidmarx]

Another sweet idea i didn't think of... A mountain bike parked in my bldg. with a long coil spring around the brake cable between the v-brake arms.

This must push the brake levers apart and increase hand grip resistance, but why? Does it help center the brakes over the wheel rim?

Also wondering if anyone out there knows what these puppies are called, as i wouldn't mind trying them out.

[nameused]

A friend of mine has those on his mountain bike with his shimano xtr v brakes. They work great, from me trying them it helps to keep the brakes from completely locking up as it is always wanting to push outwards.
I don't know the exact reason for it, but it works pretty well.

[sidmarx]

(03-13-2011, 02:34 PM)nameused Wrote:  A friend of mine has those on his mountain bike with his shimano xtr v brakes. They work great, from me trying them it helps to keep the brakes from completely locking up as it is always wanting to push outwards.
I don't know the exact reason for it, but it works pretty well.

Today i said the hell with it and bought a length of spring in a hardware store, then cut off a piece long enough to push the brake arms apart. It seems to counteract the friction caused by the longer cable lead to the rear brake, making the return action faster. The front grip is so responsive anyway that it's not needed. (it'll be interesting to see if that can prolong the life of v-brakes after the return springs lose their punch.)