brakes

I have a Planet X Ti Sportive that I'm thinking of winterising 'properly' - I currently have an old Bontrager rear mudguard on it but nothing on the front as there are no mounts on the Planet X fork.

Firstly - Crud RoadRacer2s on the fork I have or proper guards and a new fork? I have Cruds on my commuter (2011 Langster) but they are very tight on that bike and rub constantly - worried that this is a 'feature' of the Cruds. This'd obviously be the cheapest option though...

So I took my wheels off my new bike yesterday for the first time since buying it - put them back on today and the brake calipers won't release properly now! Squeeze the brakes and they just stay on the rim. Brakes are 105 levers with Tektro dual pivot R540.

Dunno what I've done! Not like I've not taken wheels off 100's of times before...really strange.

Any help appreciated.

Due to ongoing frame issues with the bike my girlfriend was planning to ride in her imminent tri, we ended up getting her a brand new Allez sport yesterday.

Given that I broke the old bike, I felt bad, so have started tricking out the allez with Ultegra kit. So, there's some brand new stuff come straight off it. Not even been ridden round the carpark, just a straight wheel to the car, and then whipped off like a naughty girls bra.

Ambrosio deep drop dual pivot brakes Ambrosio DP brakes by cnarborough, on Flickr Well used, a bit tired.

Black Shimano 105 (5600) F&R brakes - £45
BNIB - Got these as part of a group set, but didn't need them, only removed from boxes for photos.

Price includes 1st class signed for postage in the UK.

Any questions. ted {dot} coultate {at} btinterent {dot} com

Tektro's R538 long drop callipers are aimed at big-tyred tourers and town bikes and they're a good quality unit with a couple of nice touches. The bolts get rusty quickly, and the pads are a bit scratchy, but they're pretty well-made for the money.

So having survived the wet ride home I noticed that my v-brakes weren't hugely effective.

Anyone got any specific tips on tweaking them to work a bit better? Should I just tighten them up as much as possible or is it more keeping them as dry and warm as possible while riding?

After some years in the wilderness, Miche are back with a bang and the Primato dual-pivot brake callipers combine inspiring design, superb performance with a price tag and build quality set to delight enthusiasts and worry the competition.