Brake upgrade advice

[Andy2]

I am possibly about to purchase a carrera tanneri cx bike to keep me out over winter the bike comes with cantilever brakes I am wondering if it's possible to replace them with a set of v brakes instead that I have in my shed any one know if the frame is compatible ?

 

[fossyant]

The frame will be compatible, but the lever pull may be different from canti to v-brake.

 

[S-Express]

I am possibly about to purchase a carrera tanneri cx bike to keep me out over winter the bike comes with cantilever brakes I am wondering if it's possible to replace them with a set of v brakes instead that I have in my shed any one know if the frame is compatible ?

Have you actually tried the cantis yet? Either way they use the same mounts. Lever pull will not really make much difference, IMO.

 

[Cycleops]

If you find they're below par you'll likely get better braking by changing the pads. Its only a hundred quid bike so you'll have a bit scope to experiment.

 

[fossyant]

Kool stop salmons - really, they make a big difference - brake pads...

 

[carcharodon]

Brake pads make a huge difference. I was planning on replacing my Tektro Oryx cantilevers with Tektro mini V's. Instead, I bought some Clark's inserts and now will leave my brakes *as is*...for now. Loads better. Still a knack to setting up cantilevers though. And a pain sometimes!
The original blocks sounded and felt like bits of wood!
There is a simple device that mounts on the cable IF you do swap from cantilever to Vs (that enables V's to work with non V levers), but the name escapes me right now.

 

[PaulSecteur]

There is a simple device that mounts on the cable IF you do swap from cantilever to Vs (that enables V's to work with non V levers), but the name escapes me right now.

Travel agents, from problem solvers?

 

[carcharodon]

Ah yes! Travel agents...thank you Paul Secteur.
Have heard they don't work so well, and are expensive. Any opinions?

 

[Vantage]

They're about 20 quid each. Then you have the postage to pay.
From what I've heard (and to me at least it makes a fair bit of sense) the pulley that the cable has to go around is quite small. It's been said that the radius that the cable must go around can over time cause the cable to deteriorate and break.
It's not so much a problem with gear cables as they are thinner and so more flexible. Brake cables are thicker and don't take kindly to being bent at stupid angles.

 

[John the Monkey]

Have you actually tried the cantis yet? Either way they use the same mounts. Lever pull will not really make much difference, IMO.

It will, unless the v-brakes are mini vs, @Andy2 .

"Brake Levers for Direct-pull Cantilevers (i.e. V Brakes)
Direct-pull cantilevers have double the mechanical advantage compared with traditional brakes, so they require special brake levers. Direct-pull brake levers pull the cable twice as far, half as hard. The lower mechanical advantage of the lever compensates for the higher mechanical advantage. of the cantilever. It is not generally safe to mix and match levers/cables between direct-pull and other types for this reason.

• Conventional brake levers used with direct-pull cantilevers will usually not pull enough cable to stop in wet conditions without bottoming out against the handlebars. In dry conditions, they either won't work, or will grab too suddenly.
• Direct-pull brake levers used with any other type of brakes will feel nice and solid when you squeeze them, but due to their lower mechanical advantage you'll need to squeeze twice as hard to stop as you should, so unless you are a lightweight rider with gorilla-like paws, this combination isn't safe either.

Drop-bar Levers
To make a brake lever with low enough mechanical advantage for direct-pull cantilevers, the cable must run twice as far from the lever's pivot point. This is easy enough to do with levers for straight/upright handlebars. Levers for drop handlebars are harder to configure for direct-pull brakes, and currently, there are only a couple of drop-bar levers made that are compatible, the Dia Compe 287V and the Cane Creek SCR-5V "Æro" levers.
Most newer drop bar bikes are have Ergo or STI brake/shifter units as original equipment. Direct-pull cantis are not compatible with these. Other types of shifters may of course be used, along with the special brake levers. In any case many cyclists prefer bar-end shifters. These are simpler and less expensive than brake-lever shifters, and give an indication of what sprocket is in use: brake-lever shifters return to the same position after every shift."

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/canti-direct.html

 

[carcharodon]

I do not understand the beginning of this information:

*Brake levers for direct-pull cantilevers (i.e. V-brakes)*

This heading suggests direct pull cantilevers ARE V-brakes...when they are NOT.

They are two different types of brakes each with specific (differing) lever requirements.


Seems contradictory.

Am thinking "travel agents" are a compromise, and pricey too.

 

[John the Monkey]

This heading suggests direct pull cantilevers ARE V-brakes...when they are NOT.

They are two different types of brakes each with specific (differing) lever requirements.

Quoting the same site's description;

"Traditional cantilever brakes used two cables, a main cable running down the centerline of the bike, and a second, "transverse" cable connecting the cantilever units on each side of the wheel. The main cable would pull upward on the middle of the transverse cable, causing the cantilever units to rotate inward.

The "direct pull" cantilever, also commonly known under its Shimano trademark name "V-Brake" is a simpler design, using only a single cable. The cable housing connects to one arm, and the inner cable runs across the top of the tire to the opposite arm. When the brake is applied, the housing pushes on one cantilever while the inner cable pulls the other."

Other sites also use the term as a generic to refer to "V Brakes". What type of brake do you know as a "Direct Pull Cantilever" ?