Are some cantis easier to adjust?

[Mark Hickey]

Tim McNamara <[email protected]> wrote:

>The DiaCompe 986 is about the easiest-to-adjust cantilever brake ever made.

I agree. I run the Ritchey cantis on a couple bikes (they're almost identical to the DiaCompe 986
cantis). Everyone complains so much about cantis, and I only miss them on the front of my own MTB
(had to go with a V brake when I swapped shocks).

Many of the Shimano cantis were much more difficult to adjust though - especially with the fixed
straddles they came with.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame

 

[Bluto]

Tim McNamara <[email protected]> wrote:

> The DiaCompe 986 is about the easiest-to-adjust cantilever brake ever made.

That's contrary to my long experience with them. I found that of toe-in, pad height, and pad tilt, I
could have any two. (That was typical of most canti brakes of the day, though.)

Add to that that they flexed and twisted enough to neuter any heavy braking they might otherwise
have been capable of, and I was none too pleased with them. For economy's sake I tolerated them on
the rear of my bike for far too long.

Good brakes from the same era included Scott Pedersen SE cantilevers as well as The old Deore XT
wide-profile cantis (provided they were fitted with decent pads). Also every U-brake or rollercam I
ever used completely outperformed the Dia Compe 986 on stopping power.

Chalo Colina

 

[Jay Beattie]

"Bluto" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tim McNamara <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > The DiaCompe 986 is about the easiest-to-adjust cantilever brake
ever
> > made.
>
> That's contrary to my long experience with them. I found that of toe-in, pad height, and pad tilt,
> I could have any two. (That was typical of most canti brakes of the day, though.)
>
> Add to that that they flexed and twisted enough to neuter any heavy braking they might otherwise
> have been capable of, and I was none too pleased with them. For economy's sake I tolerated them on
> the rear of my bike for far too long.
>
> Good brakes from the same era included Scott Pedersen SE cantilevers as well as The old Deore XT
> wide-profile cantis (provided they were fitted with decent pads). Also every U-brake or rollercam
> I ever used completely outperformed the Dia Compe 986 on stopping power.

The problem I have on my touring bike is using cantis with STI levers. Neither the Scott nor the old
Deore work all that well with STI levers in the rain or under a heavy load (even with the legendary
Salmon Kool-Stop pads). I would just as soon use some long-reach side pulls. This would be a fashion
faux pas, however, because I would have naked canti studs. -- Jay Beattie.

 

[Andy Dingley]

On Tue, 27 May 2003 16:25:50 GMT, Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote:

>Many of the Shimano cantis were much more difficult to adjust though - especially with the fixed
>straddles they came with.

The "M wire" with one fixed-length leg ? Now those go _straight_ into the bin !

 

[Robin Hubert]

"Jay Beattie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> "Bluto" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Tim McNamara <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> > > The DiaCompe 986 is about the easiest-to-adjust cantilever brake
> ever
> > > made.
> >
> > That's contrary to my long experience with them. I found that of toe-in, pad height, and pad
> > tilt, I could have any two. (That was typical of most canti brakes of the day, though.)
> >
> > Add to that that they flexed and twisted enough to neuter any heavy braking they might otherwise
> > have been capable of, and I was none too pleased with them. For economy's sake I tolerated them
> > on the rear of my bike for far too long.
> >
> > Good brakes from the same era included Scott Pedersen SE cantilevers as well as The old Deore XT
> > wide-profile cantis (provided they were fitted with decent pads). Also every U-brake or
> > rollercam I ever used completely outperformed the Dia Compe 986 on stopping power.
>
> The problem I have on my touring bike is using cantis with STI levers. Neither the Scott nor the
> old Deore work all that well with STI levers in the rain or under a heavy load (even with the
> legendary Salmon Kool-Stop pads). I would just as soon use some long-reach side pulls. This would
> be a fashion faux pas, however, because I would have naked canti studs. -- Jay Beattie.

Blame setup and possibly pads. Stock Shimano pads of that era were awful.

--
Robin Hubert <[email protected]

 

[Mark Hickey]

Andy Dingley <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Tue, 27 May 2003 16:25:50 GMT, Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Many of the Shimano cantis were much more difficult to adjust though - especially with the fixed
>>straddles they came with.
>
>The "M wire" with one fixed-length leg ? Now those go _straight_ into the bin !

Yep - spending a couple bucks on a DiaCompe "traditional straddle" made Shimano cantis work well.
Putting a set of Kool Stop brake pads on them made them work wonderfully. Riding them as delivered
drove people to V-brakes.

Mark Hickey Habanero Cycles http://www.habcycles.com Home of the $695 ti frame