OK, so the brakes are pretty good but the lever reach adjusting push rod and barrel are made of some special sort of soft cheese which strips threads when brakes are applied, leaving you with the lever on the bars and no brakes.

OK, methinks, I’ll replace them. Except no-one seems to have them in stock, and this seems to have been the case for at least 6 months according to threads found on google.

Anyone know of a shop that hold stack, or is it a case of ordering them via LBS and wait (probably for months on end)?

It’s these bits:-

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=22474

UKbikestore had them in. Same happened to my k24s. I waited 3 months for them to get them in stock though so had to do a bodge repair. drilled a 2.5mm hole through the rod and put a split pin through it which then pushed the plunger, not pretty bu did the job.

Cheers Chipbutty, unfortunately out of stock there too.

Think I’ll order them from LBS, but some second hand Hopes, then sell the K18’s once the spares arrive.

you could try the UK formula distributor http://www.propelbike.com/. Although phone them (well, him really) rather than email; perhaps they have a really picky junk mail filter because my 2 emails to them in last couple of months went unanswered.

Cheers julianwilson,

Unfortunately just went to the Propel site to find they ended Formula support as of 3 weeks ago.

Assume this will make getting spares even more difficult.

Pretty sure we have them in the drawer. Call the shop tomorrow and tell Brad what you need.

I managed to get a formula bleed kit from that website people were linking to a while ago selling cheap formula breaks (a search should find the thread). Think it came direct from formula in Italy. Might be able to find what you need there

Thanks a lot guys, Mark – will call Brad tomorrow.