Brake upgrade for tourer

My Edinburgh Country has served me well for four years, but
I've never been a great fan of the anonymous cantilever
brakes. New Koolstop pads improved them slightly, but it
still takes a lot of effort to stop the bike when it's
laden. I have a carpel tunnel problem, and find this a
painful process.

Is there an alternative brake I can use to improve stopping
and reduce the effort required, whilst not interfering with
the mudguards?

All advice gratefully received.

Richard

 

Have you looked into whether or not you could fit disc brakes?

 

Greetings,

Quite a few potential upgrades can be found on the St. Johns
site, on the page http://www.sjscycles.com/store/vIndex.htm

I used the LX cantis for many trouble free years, but when
they finally wore I was sad that no more were available.

T.T.F.N.

SPENNY

All should be compatible with the Sora levers that I seem to
remember you get on the Country. "Richard Lucas"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My Edinburgh Country has served me well for four years,
> but I've never been a great fan of the anonymous
> cantilever brakes. New Koolstop pads improved them
> slightly, but it still takes a lot of effort to stop the
> bike when it's laden. I have a carpel tunnel problem, and
> find this a painful process.
>
> Is there an alternative brake I can use to improve
> stopping and reduce the effort required, whilst not
> interfering with the mudguards?
>
> All advice gratefully received.
>
> Richard

 

Richard Lucas wrote:

> My Edinburgh Country has served me well for four years,
> but I've never been a great fan of the anonymous
> cantilever brakes. New Koolstop pads improved them
> slightly, but it still takes a lot of effort to stop the
> bike when it's laden. I have a carpel tunnel problem, and
> find this a painful process.
>
> Is there an alternative brake I can use to improve
> stopping and reduce the effort required, whilst not
> interfering with the mudguards?

Will V brakes fit? They are rather good, even if they were
invented for all the wrong "don't sue us" reasons. Dia-Compe
287V brake levers will work if you have drop bars.

 

"Richard Lucas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My Edinburgh Country has served me well for four years,
> but I've never been a great fan of the anonymous
> cantilever brakes. New Koolstop pads improved them
> slightly, but it still takes a lot of effort to stop the
> bike when it's laden. I have a carpel tunnel problem, and
> find this a painful process.
>
> Is there an alternative brake I can use to improve
> stopping and reduce the effort required, whilst not
> interfering with the mudguards?
>
> All advice gratefully received.
>
> Richard

======================
Consider a hub brake for the front. A hub brake is better in
the wet apart from any other improvement in performance.
Available form www.sjscycles.com

Cic.

 

in message <[email protected]>, Richard Lucas
('[email protected]') wrote:

> My Edinburgh Country has served me well for four years,
> but I've
never
> been a great fan of the anonymous cantilever brakes. New
> Koolstop pads improved them slightly, but it still takes a
> lot of effort to stop the bike when it's laden. I have a
> carpel tunnel problem, and find this a painful process.
>
> Is there an alternative brake I can use to improve
> stopping and
reduce
> the effort required, whilst not interfering with the
> mudguards?

Does the bike have fittings for disk brakes? I know it's
total overkill on a commuter bike, but hydraulic disk brakes
are extremely powerful and reliable and take very little
effort at the lever.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke)
http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; making jokes about dyslexia isn't big, it isn't
clever and ;; it isn't furry.

 

On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 17:51:23 +0000, Richard Lucas
<[email protected]> wrote in message
<[email protected]>:

>Is there an alternative brake I can use to improve stopping
>and reduce the effort required, whilst not interfering with
>the mudguards?

Avid Shorties, SunTour XC (?) cantis (wot I have but the
bike is in the shed), or Magura hydraulic rim brakes would
all be likely to fit, I think.

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

 

On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 17:51:23 +0000, Richard Lucas
<[email protected]> wrote:

>My Edinburgh Country has served me well for four years, but
>I've never been a great fan of the anonymous cantilever
>brakes. New Koolstop pads improved them slightly, but it
>still takes a lot of effort to stop the bike when it's
>laden. I have a carpel tunnel problem, and find this a
>painful process.
>
>Is there an alternative brake I can use to improve stopping
>and reduce the effort required, whilst not interfering with
>the mudguards?
>
>All advice gratefully received.
>
>Richard

Magura HS66 hydrolic rim brakes. The Dogs B*ll*cks. Mine
clear mudgaurds no problem. Expensive at £140 + £20 for
boosters (Settle Cycles?) but worth every penny.

Chris

 

Cicero wrote:

> Consider a hub brake for the front. A hub brake is better
> in the wet apart from any other improvement in
> performance. Available form www.sjscycles.com

Only if the fork is designed for it. Hub brakes put the
reaction force on the fork right at the end, where it's
thinnest. Rim brakes put the reaction force on the
comparatively massive crown. And don't even consider a
radial front wheel with a hub brake!

 

[email protected] schreef ...

> Does the bike have fittings for disk brakes? I know it's
> total overkill on a commuter bike, but hydraulic disk
> brakes are extremely powerful and reliable and take very
> little effort at the lever.

But alas quite a lot in the maintenance department. Contrary
to the HS- 33 or HS-66.

--
Regards, Marten

 

On Sat, 06 Mar 2004, Zog The Undeniable <[email protected]> wrote:
> Cicero wrote:
>
> > Consider a hub brake for the front. A hub brake is
> > better in the wet apart from any other improvement in
> > performance. Available form www.sjscycles.com
>
> Only if the fork is designed for it. Hub brakes put the
> reaction force on the fork right at the end, where it's
> thinnest. Rim brakes put the reaction force on the
> comparatively massive crown.

Unless teh hub brake has a long reaction arm, in which case
it will put the force well away from teh end. (Plus, I can't
imaging any hub brake that actually puts the force right at
the end - it's always some way up teh blade, surely?)

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

 

Ian Smith wrote:

> (Plus, I can't imaging any hub brake that actually puts
> the force right at the end - it's always some way up teh
> blade, surely?)

Well, it's a moment, innit, so there is always a force
right at the tip, and another force an arbitrary distance
up the blade...

Congratulations on spelling "the" correctly twice in that
sentence, BTW

James

 

Marten Hoffmann wrote:
> [email protected] schreef ...
>
>> Does the bike have fittings for disk brakes? I know it's
>> total overkill on a commuter bike, but hydraulic disk
>> brakes are extremely powerful and reliable and take very
>> little effort at the lever.
>
> But alas quite a lot in the maintenance department.
> Contrary to the HS- 33 or HS-66.

Funny, I've not had to touch my disk brakes in four years
apart from replacing the pads. Never managed that little
maintenance with cantis and Vs

Tony

 

On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 20:21:43 +0000, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 17:51:23 +0000, Richard Lucas
><[email protected]> wrote in message
><[email protected]>:
>
>>Is there an alternative brake I can use to improve
>>stopping and reduce the effort required, whilst not
>>interfering with the mudguards?
>
>Avid Shorties, SunTour XC (?) cantis (wot I have but the
>bike is in the shed), or Magura hydraulic rim brakes would
>all be likely to fit, I think.

I replaced my crappy original cantis with Avid Shorty 4's -
very happy. The stopping power feels just about as good as
on my mountain bike with centrepulls. They fit over full
mudguards and 30mm tyres. Some people have complained about
those brakes being noisy, but I haven't had that problem.

 

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Marten Hoffmann wrote:
> > [email protected] schreef ...
> >
> >> Does the bike have fittings for disk brakes? I know
> >> it's total overkill on a commuter bike, but hydraulic
> >> disk brakes are extremely powerful and reliable and
> >> take very little effort at the lever.
> >
> > But alas quite a lot in the maintenance department.
> > Contrary to the HS- 33 or HS-66.
>
> Funny, I've not had to touch my disk brakes in four years
> apart from
replacing
> the pads. Never managed that little maintenance with
> cantis and Vs
>
> Tony
>
>

My MTB which is now a commuter has been running Magura rim
brakes for 5 years now; only had to change the pads and once
do a slight readjustment when I changed the fork. It seems
the 5 year cable and seal guarantee is a genuine deal! Plus
the "Tomac" red is very pretty, albeit rather scratched now!

T.T.F.N.

SPENNY

 

James Annan wrote:

> Congratulations on spelling "the" correctly twice in that
> sentence, BTW

It's very common in l33t-5p3ak!

 

On Sun, 07 Mar 2004, James Annan <[email protected]> wrote:
> Ian Smith wrote:
>
>
> > (Plus, I can't imaging any hub brake that actually puts
> > the force right at the end - it's always some way up
> > teh blade, surely?)
>
> Well, it's a moment, innit,

I'd have described it as a couple which causes a moment in
the fork blade (or possibly blades).

I've thought of an arrangement that _does_ put the reaction
moment right at the end - you'd have a cross-piece at the
end of teh fork blade, and mount the brake calliper
(assuming a typical current disc brake) on teh cross-piece.
The couple would then be effectively beyond the tip of teh
blade, and therefore there'd be the full brake-induced
moment the full length of teh blade.

> Congratulations on spelling "the" correctly twice in that
> sentence, BTW

Gosh. Still, at least it was teh customary spelling for teh
third one.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

 

Zog The Undeniable wrote:
> James Annan wrote:
>
>> Congratulations on spelling "the" correctly twice in that
>> sentence, BTW
>
>
> It's very common in l33t-5p3ak!

I do it myslef often enouhg. Ian seems to have turned it
itno an art fomr thouhg.

James

 

On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 20:21:43 +0000, "Just zis Guy, you know?"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sat, 06 Mar 2004 17:51:23 +0000, Richard Lucas
><[email protected]> wrote in message
><[email protected]>:
>
>>Is there an alternative brake I can use to improve
>>stopping and reduce the effort required, whilst not
>>interfering with the mudguards?
>
>Avid Shorties, SunTour XC (?) cantis (wot I have but the
>bike is in the shed), or Magura hydraulic rim brakes would
>all be likely to fit, I think.

Thanks for all the replies. I've chosen this message to
reply to as it summarizes my shortlist rather neatly. The
Avid Shorties look like the lowest cost option, and were my
first thought, but I'm very tempted by the hydraulics. Now,
what's a good choice of adjustable brake lever for a drop
bar tourer?

 

On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 00:26:20 GMT, Andrew Reddaway
<[email protected]> wrote in message
<[email protected]>:

>Some people have complained about those brakes being noisy,
>but I haven't had that problem.

Noise is usually down to pads, IME. Unless the securing
bolts are loose, in which case the noise is the least of
your problems...

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University