Touring bike brakes

[Joe]

I'm looking to build up a Surly Long Haul Trucker as a commuter/utility/touring bike to have alongside my road bike. Planning my first little tour too
I've got practically all of the parts sorted except for the brakes. I will be running Campag Mirage levers so I'm guessing my options are either cantilevers, or Vs with travel agents.
I had Shimano BR550's on my Crosscheck (which I had to sell as it didn't fit) and I didn't find they inspired much confidence! Is this a set up issue? If so, whats the key?
Would Vs with travel agents be any better?
I'm on a serious budget so my options are either some cheap canti's
http://www.parker-international.co....oogle/productID/5993/groupID/3/categoryID/162
or some travel agents to go with some cheap v brakes that came off my old Hardrock (Acera I think?).
What would you recommend? Any other option?

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Don't buy cheap modern cantis! I think travel agents would be a better bet than those.

There's all sorts of historical reasons why cantis have become rubbish over recent years including some liability issues on early mountainbikes that forced Shimano to make some changes. These helped their peace of mind but ruined them as brakes.

With drop bar levers, you need 'wide' cantis to get the braking effect and then set them up properly. For years the answer was either second hand models from the 80's (Dia Compte?) or reproductions (Frogs Legs).

Now Tektro have released a wide armed version called the CR520. Their rrp is about thirty quid a set.

So your choice is either travel agents and hope for the best, or about thirty quid an end.

 

[Joe]

Cheers Tim.
Those CR520's look pretty good, and not that much more than some travel agents. Do you know of anywhere online stocking them? Zepnat seems to be the only place and they are out of stock.

edit - What about the cr720s? They are much easier to find!

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

I dont even know what my brakes are..but I bought some new pads in germany 'cos the downhills were getting very scary!

 

[andrew_s]

edit - What about the cr720s? They are much easier to find!

The 720s are shinier, a little lighter, have cartridge pads instead of blocks, and cost a bit more. Otherwise the same.

 

[bonj2]

why not just normal road bike brakes?

 

[RedBike]

Avid Shorty and frogglegs were the only Canti brakes I found that actually worked, well just about worked. (There must be loads of others that work well). The worst I had were XTRs. In the wet I think the bike actually went quicker when I put them on.

Out of the two I would recommend the Shorty brakes because they take cartridge V-brake pads.

I've never seem anyone on a touring bike struggling. I suspect they either have a death like grip on the levers or there is a nack to setting the things up that I never found.

 

[User482]

The Tektro Froggleg copies are well thought of, on the CTC forum.

 

[Bokonon]

My tourer was originally equipped with Tektro Oryx which, with careful adjustment and decent pads, would work for all of one application the brakes before reverting to doing nothing/squealing/snatching/a combination of all these. Trying to use them to stop a heavy load on a downhill was not fun. I have since changed the front to an Avid Shorty 4 which is leagues ahead in giving progressive and assuring breaking.

 

[djb1971]

Avid shortys are spot on. They are easy to adjust and take v brake pads. Frogglegs have good stopping power but they are a little more tricky to set up for some people than avids . Some people even have them fouling their foot/heel on the rear, they must pedal like ducks!!

Travel agents are a PITA ! They work fine when new but tend to clog and the cable needs to installed correctly for them to work. Cantis will stop as good as v's with good pads and right setup. They also have better modulation, not just on or off.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Tektro Oryx

Yes the Oryx is a low profile design and quite unlike the Tektro 520 / 720s

 

[Joe]

Cheers all.
I've ordered a set of CR720's and will let you know how I get on!

 

[User482]

Cheers all.
I've ordered a set of CR720's and will let you know how I get on!

Please do - I thinking of getting a tourer later this year.

 

[ASC1951]

If I was building another tourer I would also consider a front disk.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

If I was building another tourer I would also consider a front disk.

But then your bikes are always heavily laden.