Brakes

[DustBowlRefugee]

Next silly question for my build. Brakes? V-Brakes or cantilever?

Thanks
Mark

 

[RedBike]

Standard V-brakes wont work with sti drop bar levers. STI levers don't pull enough cable.

Canitlevers in gerneral are rubbish. Stick with either frogglegs or Avid shorty, these actually work (sort of).

You can get mini-v's (Yet to try a set myself).

 

[Otto]

Mini v brakes work Ok if you set them properly but you'll have trouble with mud, as the previous post says frog legs or Avid shorties, Although haveing said that I've got Shimano Cantis on my Viner Supercross and they work fine

 

[P.H]

Tektro now make some wide profile cantis like the Frogglegs, CR520 and CR720. They use cartridge V brake pads which are easier to adjust and have a better choice of replacemants pads.

They've been discussed before;
http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=17812&highlight=tektro+cr

 

[papercorn2000]

Could you use a travel agent (cam device) to make standard Vs work with STIs?

Or you could just go for discs!

 

[RedBike]

Could you use a travel agent (cam device) to make standard Vs work with STIs?

You could; but I've never seen anyone using one. I suppose if it's muddy enough to stop the mini-v's it's probably muddy enough to clog a travel agent.

 

[domtyler]

Could you use a travel agent (cam device) to make standard Vs work with STIs?

Or you could just go for discs!

Have you actually used one? If not I highly recomend them, it just so happens that mine is for sale too!

 

[papercorn2000]

No, it was just a thought. Anyway, I don't have canti posts on the frame or the fork.

 

[jpembroke]

I've tried Mini-Vs and they lasted all of one ride before I ditched them. You have to run them so close to rim that you can't release the cable from the straddle thingy in order to get the wheel out. Very frustrating. I have never used travel agents so can't comment on them. I think I'll stick to my trusty Tektro Oryx (I swapped stock straddle cable for old school yoke and wire for improved mechanical advantage (thanks Sheldon)).

 

[DustBowlRefugee]

I've tried Mini-Vs and they lasted all of one ride before I ditched them. You have to run them so close to rim that you can't release the cable from the straddle thingy in order to get the wheel out. Very frustrating. I have never used travel agents so can't comment on them. I think I'll stick to my trusty Tektro Oryx (I swapped stock straddle cable for old school yoke and wire for improved mechanical advantage (thanks Sheldon)).

You've got me worried now! I've invested in the Frogglegs, does this mean that I can't just pull the wheel out like I can by lifting the little levers on my road bike? Please don't tell me I'll need a tool kit to take the front wheel off....

 

[jpembroke]

Eh? No! Froglegs are fine. Loads of clearance. It's Mini Vs that are the problem. Different brake. Don't panic!

 

[DustBowlRefugee]

Time for the next stupid question!!!!

I've just had a look at putting the Frogglegs on and whilst attaching them to the frame is easy enough, I cannot understand what the little screws are for on the yoke bit. By this I mean the triangular bit where the single cable from the STI attaches. On my MTB it's just a piece of metal which hold the cables which attach to the brakes themselves but on the Frogglegs the channel where I would imagine the cable would sit is blocked at either end of the triangle (on one end by a little allen screw and the other by the another little allen screw on one side and by a phillips screw on the other) What are these for? Does the cable route on top of these? It looks to me that if I unscrewed them and threw them away the cable would sit fine.

Hope someone out there understands what I'm on about. If not, please let me know and I'll post a photo.

Thanks
Mark

 

[rjeffroy]

There is a good picture here (click on it for a large view)
The straddle cable (which runs between the brake arms) is held in place by the little screws so that the triangular yoke cannot move on the cable. The cable routes underneath them.

 

[DustBowlRefugee]

There is a good picture here (click on it for a large view)
The straddle cable (which runs between the brake arms) is held in place by the little screws so that the triangular yoke cannot move on the cable. The cable routes underneath them.

Cheers for that. It didn't look as though there was enough room to fit the cable but I guess there must be.

How on earth did you know that there was such a good photo kicking around?

 

[rjeffroy]

I googled it when I fitted mine after spending half an hour trying to work out how the bits fitted together - the froggleg kit is a bit light on instructions.