Brakes for Homer

[Kesler Roberts]

Hi from Massachusetts - New here but have been following/buying parts from Rivendell since near the beginning.  I finally decided it was time to for an actual bike and have a Homer Hilsen on the way.  I am planning to run Yokozuma calipers but am wondering whether the Paul Racers will be better in terms of braking power/modulation.    I ride a good bit of chunky class 4 rds with fast descents and need as much brake as I can get.  Any input is appreciated.

[Russell Duncan]

Paul makes really good brakes. I have a pair of their racers and mini-motos. The Mini-motos are amazing brakes. The racers are good too and easier to dial in than old school MAFAC racers. I have coupled the mini-motos with Campagnolo 11-speed brifters on my Surly cross x check, which work great together. The price point of Yokozuna products, however, can’t be beat with labor costs in the USA. I use Yokozuna brake cables and housing on all of my bicycles from old school to new school. They are not cheap but they are very well made. I buy their cables in lots when they’re on sale. For me, I’d go with Paul but perhaps you can use Yokozuna just to get your Homer on the road.

Russell Duncan

Connecticut River Valley, Massachusetts 

[Bob]

I had Paul Racers on my Waterford-era Homer (which I regret selling), and was impressed. Power was good; modulation was excellent. By "good" I don't mean that I found the power lacking; only that the power was suitable for what was essentially a road bike, with "road" meaning anything from pavement to grass doubletrack and unmaintained farm tracks known in Iowa as "B roads."

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Bob

On Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 11:35:53 PM UTC-6 kesro...@gmail.com wrote:

[Kesler Roberts]

Thanks for the feed back.  I have decided to go with the Paul brakes - looking forward to it!

[Dan]

Bob, your commentary on the long-reach Racers matches my experiences exactly.

They aren't as strong as the V brakes on my Appaloosa, but very 'good' for a road bike. The modulation is fantastic.