Replacing just one canti-brake with v-brake, no lever change?

[Tai]

I found some very inexpensive v-brakes on sale, which fits in with my
(now) very inexpensive non-suspension Gary Fisher mtn bikes from the
'90s.

Would replacing just the front canti-brake with a v-brake, while
leaving the rear canti and the levers canti, be reasonable?

Searching the bike forums there seems to be a lot of disagreements
about whether v-brakes are better than cantis but I'm hoping there's
some concensus now.

Thanks
jt

 

[David Damerell]

Tai <[email protected]> wrote:
>Would replacing just the front canti-brake with a v-brake, while
>leaving the rear canti and the levers canti, be reasonable?

Well, a V-brake won't work well with the old levers, which pull the wrong
amount of cable, and is there something wrong with your existing front
brake?
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Kill the tomato!

 

[daveornee]

Tai wrote:
> I found some very inexpensive v-brakes on sale, which fits in with
> my (now) very inexpensive non-suspension Gary Fisher mtn bikes
> from the '90s.
> Would replacing just the front canti-brake with a v-brake, while leaving
> the rear canti and the levers canti, be reasonable?
> Searching the bike forums there seems to be a lot of disagreements about
> whether v-brakes are better than cantis but I'm hoping there's some
> concensus now.
> Thanks jt



Probably won't work with your current brake lever, unless the lever has
adjustable mechanical advantage adjustment. You need to pull quite a bit
more cable.... have lower mechanical advantage for a V-brake.

See Sheldon Brown's article on Cantilever Geometry:

<http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-geometry.html>



--

 

[SDMike]

"daveornee" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Tai wrote:
> > I found some very inexpensive v-brakes on sale, which fits in with
> > my (now) very inexpensive non-suspension Gary Fisher mtn bikes
> > from the '90s.
> > Would replacing just the front canti-brake with a v-brake, while leaving
> > the rear canti and the levers canti, be reasonable?
> > Searching the bike forums there seems to be a lot of disagreements about
> > whether v-brakes are better than cantis but I'm hoping there's some
> > concensus now.
> > Thanks jt
>
>
>
> Probably won't work with your current brake lever, unless the lever has
> adjustable mechanical advantage adjustment. You need to pull quite a bit
> more cable.... have lower mechanical advantage for a V-brake.
>
> See Sheldon Brown's article on Cantilever Geometry:
>
> <http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-geometry.html>
>
It'll work BUT ya gotta be VERY, very careful not to grab a handfull of brake if
you do.

The old levers with new Vs are very spongy-feeling. They're also very touchy.

I had no choice for bit. I had some XT canti r-fires on V-brakes till I found
some 9sp shifters and V-brake compatible levers.

V-brakes work best with V-brake levers.

M

 

[Benjamin Lewis]

[email protected] wrote:

> I found some very inexpensive v-brakes on sale, which fits in with my
> (now) very inexpensive non-suspension Gary Fisher mtn bikes from the
> '90s.
>
> Would replacing just the front canti-brake with a v-brake, while
> leaving the rear canti and the levers canti, be reasonable?
>
> Searching the bike forums there seems to be a lot of disagreements
> about whether v-brakes are better than cantis but I'm hoping there's
> some concensus now.

I have a bike with v-brakes and 2 with cantis. The main differences that I
notice:

- it was harder for me to get my fenders to fit with v-brakes
- a bit less hand force required with the v-brakes

I can easily apply enough braking force to lift my rear wheel with either
brake. I find it slightly easier to control this with the cantilevers; I'm
not sure if this is due to the difference in mechanical advantage, or some
other factor such as the non-linear nature of cantis. It's quite possible
it's just because I'm more used to the cantis.

As others have pointed out, you'll probably need new levers for the
v-brakes (although the levers on my v-brake bike has settings for both).

I doubt you'll find much of a consensus here . . .

--
Benjamin Lewis

Seeing is deceiving. It's eating that's believing.
-- James Thurber

 

[Weisse Luft]

Tai wrote:
> I found some very inexpensive v-brakes on sale, which fits in with
> my (now) very inexpensive non-suspension Gary Fisher mtn bikes
> from the '90s.
> Would replacing just the front canti-brake with a v-brake, while leaving
> the rear canti and the levers canti, be reasonable?
> Searching the bike forums there seems to be a lot of disagreements about
> whether v-brakes are better than cantis but I'm hoping there's some
> concensus now.
> Thanks jt



You can get a pulley adaptor which decreases the mechanical advantage
AND puts a 90 degree bend in the cable line. I believe Colorado Cyclist
has them. With this gizmo, using linear pull brakes with canti levers
is possible.



--

 

[Zog The Undeniable]

Tai wrote:

> I found some very inexpensive v-brakes on sale, which fits in with my
> (now) very inexpensive non-suspension Gary Fisher mtn bikes from the
> '90s.
>
> Would replacing just the front canti-brake with a v-brake, while
> leaving the rear canti and the levers canti, be reasonable?
>
> Searching the bike forums there seems to be a lot of disagreements
> about whether v-brakes are better than cantis but I'm hoping there's
> some concensus now.

If your brake levers are the old 2-finger DX type which pull 20mm or so
of cable, they are OK with V brakes. Personally I'd go for it, having
swapped all the Cannondale Force 40 gubbins for V's because my bike has
no conventional cable hangers. I wish I'd done it years ago - the feel
and power are both much better and V's are trivial to set up.

 

[Mark Hickey]

[email protected] (Tai) wrote:

>I found some very inexpensive v-brakes on sale, which fits in with my
>(now) very inexpensive non-suspension Gary Fisher mtn bikes from the
>'90s.
>
>Would replacing just the front canti-brake with a v-brake, while
>leaving the rear canti and the levers canti, be reasonable?
>
>Searching the bike forums there seems to be a lot of disagreements
>about whether v-brakes are better than cantis but I'm hoping there's
>some concensus now.

FWIW, I still run rear cantis and a front linear (aka "V") brake.
However, it works because I have SRAM levers with very adjustable
mechanical advantage - I set one on "V brake" and the other on "Canti"
and I have the best of both worlds (lots of brake up front, and lots
of modulation in back). Lighter and cheaper too! ;-)

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

 

[[email protected]]

On Fri, 25 Jun 2004 17:45:11 GMT, Weisse Luft
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Tai wrote:
> > I found some very inexpensive v-brakes on sale, which fits in with
> > my (now) very inexpensive non-suspension Gary Fisher mtn bikes
> > from the '90s.
> > Would replacing just the front canti-brake with a v-brake, while leaving
> > the rear canti and the levers canti, be reasonable?
> > Searching the bike forums there seems to be a lot of disagreements about
> > whether v-brakes are better than cantis but I'm hoping there's some
> > concensus now.
> > Thanks jt
>
>
>
>You can get a pulley adaptor which decreases the mechanical advantage
>AND puts a 90 degree bend in the cable line. I believe Colorado Cyclist
>has them. With this gizmo, using linear pull brakes with canti levers
>is possible.

Dear Weisse,

Loose Screws sells the gizmo:

http://www.loosescrews.com/index.cgi?c=Cable/Casing&sc=Travel Pulley&id=102735530643

"Price: $14.95 Item #LS-0030RB: Allows use of any standard,
non linear pull brake lever with any linear pull ("V")
brake. Doubles cable travel."

The picture looks as if the gizmo makes the 90-degree bend
that you have in mind.

Carl Fogel

 

[Tai]

David Damerell <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<Arr*[email protected]>...

> Well, a V-brake won't work well with the old levers, which pull the wrong
> amount of cable, and is there something wrong with your existing front
> brake?

Nothing wrong with my existing brakes. Just thought they may be
inferior to v-brakes since v-brakes are now standard.

 

[James Thomson]

"Weisse Luft" wrote:

> You can get a pulley adaptor which decreases the mechanical
> advantage AND puts a 90 degree bend in the cable line. I believe
> Colorado Cyclist has them. With this gizmo, using linear pull
> brakes with canti levers is possible.

That's true, but in this case an inexpensive V-brake lever would be a
neater and cheaper solution.

James Thomson

 

[David Damerell]

Tai <[email protected]> wrote:
>David Damerell <[email protected]> wrote:
>>Well, a V-brake won't work well with the old levers, which pull the wrong
>>amount of cable, and is there something wrong with your existing front
>>brake?
>Nothing wrong with my existing brakes. Just thought they may be
>inferior to v-brakes since v-brakes are now standard.

If your existing brake will lift the rear wheel, you cannot have more
braking than that. If not, it is incorrectly designed or adjusted.
Correcting that might be easier than changing a lever and a brake.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> flcl?