# Pedersen brakes



## stan4bikes (May 24, 2006)

I found these today while rummaging thru a box looking for something else. What era are they from and were they used by manufacturers or just aftermarket? The only info I found seemed to be negative, at least for front wheel usage. Any thoughts?


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## hollister (Sep 16, 2005)

http://www.blackbirdsf.org/brake_obscura/mtb.html


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## pinguwin (Aug 20, 2004)

They were also common (not common as in Shimano-common, but it wasn't unusual to see them) in the 90's also as well as the 80's as mentioned in the link above. Offhand, I can't recall them as anything but aftermarket.

I used them for many years and had no problems with them. Some people said they were too grabby for a front wheel, I did no endos. Maybe others did. They pretty powerful and a bit 'grabbier', but not overly so.

I put them on my first nice bike ('90 Attitude) as Grafton and Pedersen brakes were the only brakes that I found with a low-enough profile to avoid hitting your heel on them. The '90 Attitudes came with standard XT front and Dia-Compe 986's in the rear. Lower profile, but sometimes still hit my heel on the 986's.

Do remember to take them apart and lube the helical coils inside. They can get a little sticky over time if you don't do that.


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## KDXdog (Mar 15, 2007)

Scott-Pedersons: I used them both front and back, I also have a u-brake version. 

They were OE on one of the Scott Team I bought years ago. I also used to run them on my FAT. 

I stopped due to the extra maintenance they needed, they would stick if the internals got mucky. I found if you don't "over grease" them, they worked better. I used them with the Pederson-finned holders, orange pads, super brakes!

I have small hands, so these brakes along with small levers, like SS-7's worked nicely for me.

Check your canti's: I believe they are front and rear specific, due to the "screw" movement when applied. Those look like later versions. Originals were all black, and not low profile at all. 

Suntour had a licensed version too!


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## mechagouki (Nov 30, 2007)

I believe the Suntour versions were rear specific, the suggestion being that you ran 987s up front. The Suntour ones were all-black and part of the XC-Pro group if I recall correctly. One of the cooler looking mass produced cantis, but of course killed stone-dead by the almighty XTR V-brake.


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## pinguwin (Aug 20, 2004)

They are front/rear specific. As the brake arm rotates inward, it should also move slightly in the direction of the rim rotation, hence the self-energizing mechanism. It turns the forward momentum of the rim into a motion that reinforces the brakes being engaged.

The version that KDX shows are an earlier version. I had the lower profile version that were all black and have a single pair like Stan does. There was a later version of them, which I haven't seen in person but have seen sold on ebay (pictured).


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## Guest (Apr 24, 2008)

have never seen those silver ones in pingu's post before.
the suntours look much like the normal XC Pro/Comp etc. just with the huge bottom part. plenty of those for cheap on feebay


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

I used them for a couple of years. I had the original black cantis front and rear on my '88 MB-1 for a while, and then I moved them to my '89 MB-1 when I built it. Depending on how you set them up, they could be pretty low profile. I never had an endo because of them. I found they worked great with Kool-Stop pads. They have been languishing in my parts bin for years now. 

My daughter rides an old Yokota with Suntour XC Comp components and it has the Suntour version on the rear, with a set of standard Suntour cantis on the front. Both are marked only with Suntour XC. There is no Pro or Comp marking on them.


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## PepeVL (Sep 18, 2007)

Lately I have used a set offront Scott-Pedersen at the front and Suntour XC-Pro at the rear. 

I found them difficult to adjust and noticed the grabby feel some of you are talking about, but they worked. And I didn't notice any issue concerning modulation. Indeed, they proved easy to modulate, although in that sense they worked better with a pair of XTR pads instead of the stock pads or Kool stops.


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## grawbass (Aug 23, 2004)

stan4bikes said:


> I found these today while rummaging thru a box looking for something else. What era are they from and were they used by manufacturers or just aftermarket? The only info I found seemed to be negative, at least for front wheel usage. Any thoughts?


Stan, I have this same model on the front of my tandem. They're strong enough to do a nose wheelie on the old tandem. :eekster:

I'd rather use normal cantis on a single bike though.


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## duotone (Dec 31, 2006)

stan4bikes said:


> I found these today while rummaging thru a box looking for something else. What era are they from and were they used by manufacturers or just aftermarket? The only info I found seemed to be negative, at least for front wheel usage. Any thoughts?


I have these but I can't get the rear ones to get on to the brake bosses. What's up with that?


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## YETIFIED (May 4, 2005)

duotone said:


> I have these but I can't get the rear ones to get on to the brake bosses. What's up with that?


Your posts might be a little bit "mushroomed" on the ends.


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## duotone (Dec 31, 2006)

I'll post pics.... I can get my other brakes on but these I can't.

Thanks.


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## Piotr aka Cypis (Nov 22, 2010)

Digging this thread up from the abyss - 
has anyone seen front U-brake version of Pedersen brakes?

I'd like to try them, and my retro Miyata frame has U-brake mount, mounted below - 
so I'd need front U-brake version... anyone?


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## pinguwin (Aug 20, 2004)

Fishing for parts is best done in the "Trade only" thread which is currently 8th from the top of the VRC index.


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## Dougal (Jan 23, 2004)

I've got some later versions of the Pedersons. They are still attached to a late mag21 that I bought, so that would be maybe 1994.

They are cast with more upright arms than the pics in this thread. Painted gold and have "programmable self energising" printed on the sides.


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