Canti brake hanger issue

[p nut]

I recently put on some Avid Ult brakes on my All City cross bike. Never noticed this on my last set of brakes, but it looks like the hanger is bowing out. The cable housing seems to be pushing the hanger out, which results in extra pull needed to engage the brakes. Any solution to this? Otherwise, this is my first experience with Avid Ultimates and they are pretty nice.

[Cicli]

The housing is too long.

[rustychisel]

Cable housing too long, interrupting the curve, or conversely, too short. Anyway, seems an odd angle for the housing to be exiting the top tube. Is it full length pushed through the frame?

[Dead Man]

Yea... you gotta take about an inch off that housing

[bicycletricycle]

Ya, housing length, also, a cable system like nokon has less spring and won't be as sensitive to lengths. Also a Paul funky monkey can be fixed in one position to prevent this sort of problem.

[p nut]

Thanks. Yes, it's full length housing. I've tried "shortening" it by pushing it back through the internally routed guides. Same effect.

I'll try out some other, more flexible, housing. Or maybe the funky monkey if that doesn't work.

[Ken Robb]

If you shorten the housing so it runs lower than the seat post binder I think you can lower the hanger so the housing and cable point directly at the transverse cable. It looks to me that may solve your problem.

[cmbicycles]

If that is fairly rigid housing then shortening will likely make it kick up/out more, I'd try a more flexible housing so it can enter the hanger at the same angle... a tad shorter on the new housing and possibly a fixed hanger. Since the housing just lays in the frame it's going to return to where it wants to go no matter how many times you push it back in.

[oldpotatoe]

I recently put on some Avid Ult brakes on my All City cross bike. Never noticed this on my last set of brakes, but it looks like the hanger is bowing out. The cable housing seems to be pushing the hanger out, which results in extra pull needed to engage the brakes. Any solution to this? Otherwise, this is my first experience with Avid Ultimates and they are pretty nice.

Get this..Paul components.

[Fatty]

If that is your first time setting up canti's you did ok but it could be better.
Consider the first time practice.
There is definitely an issue with the housing. Try shorting it so it runs under the seatclamp bolt.

[bicycletricycle]

oh ya. you camt really adjust the length of that loop because of the internal routing.

maybe you could put a small zip tie where the cable enters the top tube at the other end to keep it from sliding through

or just get the paul monkey thing

[MikeD]

Switch to mini v brakes.

[benb]

Looks exactly like my All City Space Horse when I got it after I took it back to the shop and asked for them to put the adjustable hanger on it. The stock hanger didn't have any adjustment at that time (2013) on the pre-built bikes. I ended up with the same one in your picture which at the time for some reason only came on Surly's. (They are all QBP bikes)

I would second the recommendation to just be done with it and go get some TRP CX9s or 8.4s on the odd chance you're running Cantis. I spent way too much time messing around with the stock Cantis and the mini-Vs are just way way better... the housing on my frame exits in the same place as yours and the cable bend is much more reasonable with the mini-Vs. All City's front hanger is a piece of trash too, if you are going to get the Paul rear hanger go ahead and get a fork crown mounted hanger for the front while you're at it as the AC fork isn't stiff enough and will shudder if you actually get the Cantis working well.

Only thing left on mine is no matter what I do the rear brake has noticeable friction compared to the front. Not bad but noticeable.

The only negative for me is the CX9s have ever so slightly less clearance for fenders than Cantis.. I get a teeny bit of rub with my SKS 45mm fenders + 38mm tires but it doesn't affect operation. I want to dedicate the bike to commuting & stuff at some point this year and so I'll end up staying with 35mm tires in the future and lower the fenders a little.

[p nut]

I actually really like these canti brakes and would prefer to keep them. I'm going to try out some of the suggestions here and hopefully that solves the issue. Thanks again for the inputs.

[Fatty]

maybe you could put a small zip tie where the cable enters the top tube at the other end to keep it from sliding through



Probably the best idea to start with.

[donevwil]

Compressionless housing may be your friend here. I've used Yokozuna Reaction which can be bent/formed to follow a specific path and holds shape, no straightening out. A pain in some applications, but an asset in others.

[p nut]

Just as an update, got it to work. A more flexible housing and the cable pulled back out to where it's below the seat collar did the trick. Thanks to all that helped out!