Correct levers with low profile cantilever brakes????

[Robert]

I want to install some low profile cantilevers on a roadbike frame.
Brazing the pivots on is not a problem. Have access to some low
profile Dia-Compe brakes that are very reasonable. Now , the problem
is what brake levers to use. I have several sets of older style
Dia-Compe drop bar levers. From reading the Sheldon Brown site info,
it appears that using older style levers will not work without adding
some bolt on gizmo .

How do you recognize what levers will work when looking at them? With
upright bar levers for low profile brakes, it seems most have a
stirrup that the cable goes into. Is this the case for the correct
drop bar levers?

Are there any other low bucks routes to getting the brakes to work?

Thanks
Robert

 

[Sheldon Brown]

Robert wrote:

> I want to install some low profile cantilevers on a roadbike frame.
> Brazing the pivots on is not a problem. Have access to some low
> profile Dia-Compe brakes that are very reasonable. Now , the problem
> is what brake levers to use. I have several sets of older style
> Dia-Compe drop bar levers. From reading the Sheldon Brown site info,
> it appears that using older style levers will not work without adding
> some bolt on gizmo .

Not so. The bolt-on gizmo is only needed for "direct-pull" (side pull)
cantilevers, such as Shimano V Brakes.

Center-pull cantilevers, whether wide, medium or narrow profile all work
with conventional levers.

The low profile ones are generally the worst performing, but there's not
much you can do about that aside from setting them up carefully, as I
describe at http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-adjustment
>
> How do you recognize what levers will work when looking at them?

All drop-bar brake levers will work, with the single exception of the
DiaCompe 287V, which is for direct-pull cantis only.

Sheldon "Not A Low Profle Fan" Brown
+-------------------------------------------+
| I millihelen = the amount of |
| beauty required to launch one ship. |
| --Peter Shickele |
+-------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[daveornee]

Sheldon Brown wrote:
> Robert wrote:
> > I want to install some low profile cantilevers on a roadbike frame.
> > Brazing the pivots on is not a problem. Have access to some low
> > profile Dia-Compe brakes that are very reasonable. Now , the problem
> > is what brake levers to use. I have several sets of older style Dia-
> > Compe drop bar levers. From reading the Sheldon Brown site info, it
> > appears that using older style levers will not work without adding
> > some bolt on gizmo .
> Not so. The bolt-on gizmo is only needed for "direct-pull" (side pull)
> cantilevers, such as Shimano V Brakes.
> Center-pull cantilevers, whether wide, medium or narrow profile all work
> with conventional levers.
> The low profile ones are generally the worst performing, but there's not
> much you can do about that aside from setting them up carefully, as I
> describe at http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-
> adjustment
> >
> > How do you recognize what levers will work when looking at them?
> All drop-bar brake levers will work, with the single exception of the
> DiaCompe 287V, which is for direct-pull cantis only.
> Sheldon "Not A Low Profle Fan" Brown +-------------------------------------------
> +
> | I millihelen = the amount of | beauty required to launch one ship.
> | | --Peter Shickele |
> +-------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West
> Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
> http://harriscyclery.com/http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts
> shipped Worldwide http://captainbike.com/http://captainbike.com
> http://sheldonbrown.com/http://sheldonbrown.com



You will require cable hangers to terminate the housings in the front
and rear. It is advisable to have cable adjusters as well. Some cable
hangers come with adjusters or at least have provisions for them. There
are also Inline Cable Adjusters that can be positioned almost anywhere
the housings run.



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