I’m struggling to find a caliper brake (side pull) with a long enough reach for the Airfoil rim on my Coker. Does anyone in the UK know where to buy one? If you happen to have one fitted, then what is the make and model?
Steve
Steve,
I just took the Coker into a general LBS, we then looked at what they had. Bacause of the size they got their main service guy out of the workshop to see me. If I remember correctly the rear brake has longer arms and therefore that is what they sold me.
I tried a LBS that sold expensive mountain bikes . first but they didn’t have any of this old fashioned hardware, although they looked in their junk boxes for me.
Keith
I bought mine from a LBS, like Keith, and they had a box full of different sized ones. I took my uni in and got one to fit with a lever and cable for I think a tenner. The brake has a Raleigh badge on it and the lever is a Shimano, a good deal I thought.
The guy in the LBS said they came with the shop when he bought it and he was going to throw them out. He said he doesn’t sell many and only for old classic type bikes, until I came along that is. I wonder how many Coker size ones he’s got left?
mine came from an old fashioned bike shop with loads of junk lying around. I tried talking to some other shops but I think there’s a maximum IQ level for staff in the ones I tried.
Try a BMX shop. mine’s an old Dia Compe MX, for a BMX. I had a look online where there’s a marginally wider choice but of course there’s no way of telling if it will fit…
Thanks for the advice guys. Went for a ride last with 500 metres of ascent/descent and decided I’ve got to get this brake thing sorted soon, before my knee’s seize up totally.
Steve
i got mine off a b*ke i found at a junk yard.
the brake block has to be all the way to the bottom of the hole but its fine
Okay, I gotta ask - why lay out the 150$ for a Magura when you can just put one of these on your uni? what’s the 140$ advantage? 
Personally I have a side pull calliper type on my Coker and a hydraulic Magura on my Muni. I chose the calliper for the Coker because it pivots with the flex of the bigger wheel, it’s easy to fit and it’s cheaper. I chose the Magura because I find it more powerful, more precise and I had one in lying around my shed 
(though in total it was still more expensive)
Some people like the Magura on a Coker with the airfoil rim as the wheel flexes less than the standard steel one, which I have. Also you can use the Magura as a normal and a drag brake by adjusting the lever whereas it’s not as easy with a calliper brake as you need to choose which lever is the best compromise (normal or drag type).
It also depends on your riding location and style. For instance I don’t go down anything near as steep or technical on my Coker as I do on my Muni.
And some people don’t want/need brakes at all as they are too fit/stubborn (delete as applicable) 
I’ll just add mine for confidence - I think the answer has been concluded.
I bought a pair of normal ‘BMX Caliper brakes’ from eBay, chosen for the red annodised colour.
Very simple to fit - with a hand drill you can put a hole through the saddle tube. Try to get it in the middle as far as possible, but it’s not vital - mine’s not perfect but works fine.
The reach of the calipers was ample on both Big Apple 2.35" and Coker 2 1/4". I had to bend one side of the arching spring out to stop it leaning to one side, but it sits straight now.
The power isn’t great, which is great. I don’t want too much friction all at once - it’s easy to apply on a hill without worrying about loosing control. I have been Cokering down 25% hills with 125s quite happily, pulling fairly hard on the brake lever.
The standard steel coker/quax rim works fine for me - very slightly uneven, but perfectly functional.
Go and brake things 
Sam
(400/1000 miles…)
