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I installed the new Tiagra brakes (4600) to my Claud Butler bike following the accompanying instructions. I've also installed new Tiagra levers.

There is not enough adjustment in the brakes to allow the pads to sit on the wheel rim. On the front, the pads are half on the rim and the other on the tyre. The rear brakes don't extend to the rim at all. Are the brakes just not compatible with by bike?

The existing components were a mix of Sora and other bits (RPM crankset).

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2 Answers

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The measurement that is important here is the caliper reach. As always, there's a great article on Sheldon Brown's website

Reach is the effective length of the arms of a caliper brake. This is measured from the centerline of the center bolt diagonally down to the middle of the brake shoe. Reach is commonly expressed as a range (allowing for the fact that the brake shoes are adjustable, typically 10-15 mm.)

Reach dimensions can run anywhere from 39-108 mm. There has been a historical trend toward shorter-reach brakes, as newer bicycles, particularly racing-style road bikes, are designed for use with narrow tires and without clearance for fenders.

So it sounds like you've purchased brake calipers with the incorrect reach for your bike. You'll either need to put your old brakes back on, or purchase some calipers with the appropriate reach range for your bike.

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Spoken to the online retailer and they're going to swap out the brakes for more appropriate ones, they being: R451 (Tiagra level) or R650 (Ultegra level). Thanks for your help! – Naeem Sarfraz Jan 15 at 11:56
That's a good outcome. Glad it all worked out! – Mac Jan 15 at 23:18
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There is a good chance that the pad adjustment slots are not long enough. There have been pages posted on other sites that detail making them fit, however the ones I have seen require some fabrication skills. As brakes are pretty important I would tend to stay away from crude add-ons just to make them fit. You may get increased brake performance by reinstalling your Sora calipers with some performance (as in more costly), brake pads.

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