Strangely, I rather like using a friction material that doesnt require massive pressures before it does anything.
Call me strange, but I think of it as a friendly thing when I dont want something to move, that it works with me, not ignores me until its almost on fire.
They didnt bother with brakes on the front that did anything much back in the day because the roads wernt anything much either, so 'trials rules' were the order of the day, and your back brake was king. I dont know about you, but I dont get much opportunity to go trialling on my 1913 2.75
(GoE excepted, as there are a couple of roads there that dont have much surface left ;) )
I also like to fit things that are designed to work in that application, unlike the vmcc brake material, which is designed for an application that does not work very well, ie a 'trailing' rim brake. In that direction its fine. However, they dont advertise it like that, so you can also try and use it in a 'leading' application too, where it will grab so hard with little effort that it stops the wheel turning. I had to convert my 1913 2.75s rear from leading to trailing to get a brake that gave me some control.
I certainly wouldnt want to ponce around carving some of that into the pokey little shapes that fit into stirrup blocks when you can get some blocks that are spookily made to do the job.
If anyone knows where i can get some of the harder resin brake material, I'd like to carve myself a new block and go back to a leading application, as it definitely helps when you are trying to lock everything up when arriving at a junction too fast.
Modern traffic does not understand veteran machines, and takes no prisoners, so we have to adapt or get bent !
I'd rather you all adapted and didnt get your nice machines bent, so they survive for another generation to enjoy. Wood is for things like furniture, sheds and fires, not brakes.
