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Shimano Nexave V-Brakes - 1

Shimano Nexave V-Brakes - 2

I came across some images of v-brakes with some kind for red boxes on the brake arms with screw adjustments, and it seems they are from Shimano model range called Nexave.

The only reason I can think of their purpose is to adjust how far the pads will retract from the rims when the brake levers are released, which for me is a good idea if that is what they actually do.

Am I right about that?

Any idea how they work?

PS. Should there be a tag for v-brake, or have I got the spelling wrong?

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The red part's purpose is to limit braking power by flexing when the rider pulls brake level too hard. They are claimed to improve safety by preventing accidentally locking the wheel, but in practice they prevent hard braking when you need it. Shimano has now replaced them with "power modulator" that has the benefit that it can be replaced with normal brake noodle to restore braking power.

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    I have some of these on my hybrid. There's no advantage, but they're not as bad as you might imagine. There's an adjustment bolt which I've set to maximum and I can still lock the wheels if I try.
    – James Bradbury
    Commented Oct 31, 2023 at 12:06
  • I have only tried out a new bike that had these and it was quite scary. It could be that it was adjusted to be too loose or maybe not adjusted at all.
    – ojs
    Commented Nov 1, 2023 at 7:58

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