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I found it troublesome to commute on if I’m honest! The braking was very dependent on the condition of the rims and how true they were.
Yes, this is a big problem for these bikes. If there's anything wrong with the rims - dents, flats or just out of true, the braking will suffer. I started off with a pair of n.o.s. rims which I thought would make the project feasible. It is possible to repair some rim damage, but this requires skill and the right tools - I do know one person who has both these, but he is not young.
Chrome just compounds the problem - luckily my rims are (were) painted. There are a few little tricks to improve matters, but I can't claim the braking is better than 'adequate'. Part of the challenge of this project is to overcome the difficulty.
Photo of rear brake to follow.
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clubman
Great stuff Chris! I had a much later Triumph roadster a few years ago. I think it was actually a 60s or 70s bike but built identically to the earlier ones: with slack angles, Sturmey Archer and stirrup brakes. I figured there was still demand for that style bike even that late on.
I found it troublesome to commute on if I’m honest! The braking was very dependent on the condition of the rims and how true they were. The chrome on mine was a bit patchy and the joint in the rim wasn’t perfect, so the braking could be a bit grabby/snatchy as a result.