Worksman front drum brake ?

[MotoMagz]

I think it will work. You wont be able to lock up the brakes and skid. Worksman Drum Brakes will never stop like a modern M/C.
Worksman says not to sand the glaze off the shoes. They work better with age that's what I've noticed. I did not sand the Glaze off the shoes but I sanded the inside of the drum once when it was new. Keep your cable housings like new. That thin Bicycle Cable housing likes to flex with age. Cables have to work smooth for Worksman Drum brakes to work any good
I never tried A heavy M/C cable that might be all's you need. The cable Worksman sells for their Drum Brakes is thick like a M/C cable.

I’ve done it before..basically Sanding the high spots down and cleaning hub . I’ve got good housing ..but! It may not be good for my set up.

 

[MotoMagz]

So installing the Travel agent wheel like the photo above.(instead of Sturmey archer wheel) it helps alot. But I’m ditching my loved Worksman brake...sux cus I like the look . Now I’m going to 203 disc. Reason my bike is very heavy and built up motor.. which means I need real brakes... I will be going thru the swap in the Antique bike thread Taylar Excelsior tribute. Still waiting for parts!

 

[Wrench]

That's too bad they won't work for ya.
Another thing I noticed about the Worksman Brakes. The brake arm for either the front or rear Cant have any side pressure when mounting to brake arm clamp (NO Catiwampers) Brake arms must align perfectly straight to brake arm clamps or the brake shoes will not contact evenly. Also lube all pivot points. Must have new cable housings and oil the cable.
That's the only other thing I can think of that might be preventing the brakes from working right
It's been 14 years since I've put my Worksman Wheels on. But I do remember them giving me some trouble like your having.
After I burned them in for a while they work great now. Just wear new tennis shoes and drag your feet.
Best to go like you said with Disc brakes. Your bike has a higher top speed.
I hope you will share with us what wheels and brakes you finally go with. Good Luck
BTW your Bike is Beautiful.

 

[Wrench]

@MotoMagz Have you tried a heavy M/C cable yet? I know for a fact that the Worksman Brakes don't like long bicycle cables they flex too much and will give soft braking. You hand brake pull might be hard, but if the cable is flexing your loosing force.
Dose you front brake kinda work OK ? If it dose your bike should stop OK when you correct the rear brake.
Worksman Brakes F/R need to be used together to stop at speeds over 20 MPH

EDIT: I use bicycle cables with the Inline travel agents on my Worksman Drum Brakes.
I feel the bicycle cables work OK for me is because I have zip tied down the cables and I put the Travel Agents 3/4 the way down the on cable kinda making 2 shorter cables out of one. This has greatly reduced any cable flex.

Last suggestion - Call Worksman Cycles and tell them your not happy with their wheels. I bet you get a refund
Their a USA company and very helpful

 

[MotoMagz]

I will say I believe a front and back 90mm Sturmey Archer drums will work better than Worksman..for how long? But I’m done with drum brakes On this bike...I tried 2mm cables and everything else! I just need good brakes in case I have to come to a stop quickly. I would still recommend Worksman for that vintage look on a normal build. But custom builds adds a ton off weight and a built motor adds speed. I hope what I have in store for my new set up stops good keeps my bike lookin good.

 

[FNTPuck]

I would not run bicycle cables with large drum brake setups. They are too weak for the force needed on a drum brake and prone to stretch or even snap over time.

Hit up Treatland and you can get moped levers with longer, more powerful pull and thicker gauge moped brake cable. If you have a soldering iron and get some cheap removable knarps, you can just run the thicker moped brake cable with bicycle sized knarp ends and keep your current lever. I always like to fray and solder the end for some free insurance even when using blue loctite on the knarp set bolts.

 

[FNTPuck]

FWIW I found relatively small 80mm Motobecane moped drum brakes to be way more powerful than I expected when used with the proper lever. Honestly was just as good as my generic ebay disc brake but with much better modulation and control thanks to the longer pull. While disc brakes are definitely superior to drum brakes, when we are factoring in what they are made for a heavy duty workman/sturmy archer/moped drum brake can perform better than a no-name ebay disc brake even though it is an "inferior" technology. When properly adjusted with the right hardware they will stop a bicycle just as good as a disc - both can lock up a narrow little bicycle wheel. The disc is for sure the more advanced technology, but the drum is not as bad as people say for our use. Especially if you go big like a 100mm+ drum setup.

If you ride in bad weather like rain or snow, the drum can actually perform better than a disc brake. Also if you are in a dusty/sandy area it won't cause rim damage over time like a rim brake and you won't have to worry about accelerated disc wear like with a bicycle rotor that sees sand/beach riding. Most bicycle disc rotor manufacturers recommend replacement of the rotor after only .3mm of wear, which for someone on a 40+mph bike near the beach probably wouldn't take too long!

 

[Wrench]

On the same Worksman Drum Brake Shoes and Wheels after 14 years and 37,500 miles.
My average speed is 40 to 45 mph

 

[MotoMagz]

So I’m not done with these Worksman yet...reason they are getting another go is because of my new wheels.Wheels were built by a guy in Russia I’ve dealt with before.shipped on March 16th.. got a email saying I should file a claim.Wtf. So talked to my guy in Russia he said sometimes it can take 2 months. so Back to Worksman!

 

[FNTPuck]

So I’m not done with these Worksman yet...reason they are getting another go is because of my new wheels.Wheels were built by a guy in Russia I’ve dealt with before.shipped on March 16th.. got a email saying I should file a claim.Wtf. So talked to my guy in Russia he said sometimes it can take 2 months. so Back to Worksman!

If you didn't say you worked with him before I would say he's trying to scam ya. After a certain amount of time, which happens to be 45 days - you can no longer file an Item "Not Received" claim. Thats 1 1/2 months which is 2 weeks shy of his "up to 2 months" time frame which would make you SOL if he never sends them.

Happened to me with $400 computer part and Paypal wouldn't do anything even though it was paid for as Goods and he never provided a tracking number.