Canti recommendations for road use

[sgmidf]

I'm going to build up a 2002 Litespeed Appalachian as a foul weather/light touring frame. I plan to use a Campy ergo triple setup. It calls for cantilever brakes and I really know very little about them for road use. I've seen the Paul "Touring" recommended for 'cross use, but wasn't sure if that was best for the road. I do have access to some old XTR canti's if they would work.
TIA.

[Marburg]

There are many in this world who think the XTR cantis are the most perfect brakes ever made. I think they're really hard to setup, meself.

The low-profile Pauls (the Tourings?) are a great all-around brake. For a bit less money, I also think the new Shimano cantilevers are sweet.

There's some extended discussion that should probably go here about high-profile cantis (Paul Neo-Retro) vs low-profile cantis (Pauls Touring), but I'm too knackered to start that flame war. For a road-going bike, I think I'd go with low-profile.

[Ken Robb]

since you already have the Shimanos and they can be dandy when properly set up I think it would be silly not to give them a try. Sheldon Brown has some great info on how-to-do cantilever brakes on his site. I have old XTs on my Riv Allrounder, Paul's Neo-Retros on my Hampsten, and original Deores on my 1989 MB3. They all work fine. The Pauls are easier to set up because they offer fewer adjustments (fewer things to mis-adjust). One thing I think helps fight squeal on Shimanos is to keep the post from the pad holder to the brake arm set as short as possible. This reduces vibration in that part and vibration= squealing.

The extra adjustments would seem to allow the same brake to be set perfectly for almost any rim width/size whereas the newer style using V-brake pads with fewer adjustments might be incompatible with some wheels/rims.

[72gmc]

The only thing I'll add is that I went behind the wall at the LBS and peeked into a box of Campagnolo Veloce 'linear pull cantilever brakes.' Seems they have to use all of those words because the other company patented 'V-brake.' Anyway, they're quite nice looking and a pretty good deal.

But if you're comfortable with XTRs, you already have a good solution.

[gdw]

http://www.campagnolo.com/groupsets.php?gid=4&cid=10&pid=224

They look like standard V's so they might not work with Ergo levers.

[Ginger]

I'd run the XTRs for starters.

If you go with the Paul's run a Neo-retro in the front and a Touring in the back.

Why? Because the Neo retros stick way out and if you're wearing boots on flat pedals and you snag one side of your rear brake with the heel of your boot bad things happen. (If you're an ok bike handler you can recover from that...just think fast and pedal backwards...).

Or I guess you could run the touring cantis front and back...but what's the fun in that.

[dreadpiratetim]

I run Paul Tourings (low-profile) with Campy Ergo levers on one of my bikes - no problems with compatibility, great stopping power and easy to adjust. I just couldn't put Shimano parts on my bike... (How's that for starting a flame war? Just kidding! Peace to all, just ride!)

[RPS]

http://www.campagnolo.com/groupsets.php?gid=4&cid=10&pid=224

They look like standard V's so they might not work with Ergo levers.The specifications show them as 85 MM long, which is a little shorter than most standard V-brakes and similar to Tektro Mini-Vs. Depending on the location of the bosses on the frame and fork relative to the rim they "might" work OK.

I tried Tektro Mini-V's on my Cannondale tandem with Shimano road levers and IMO one worked much better than the other because of differences where the bosses were located relative to the wheels. The mechanical advantage of the brake is affected by the location of the bosses, making the brakes feel differently. On one wheel I'd almost bottom out the lever but not the other.

[sg8357]

IRD make a knock off of the Paul Touring, called the CAFAM.
About half the price of the Pauls. For style points use Mafac cable hangers.
The Pauls work well and are easy to tune.


Scott G.

[sspielman]

You could go onto EBAY and get a set of genuine Mafacs.....You could gain permanent entrance to the cool kid's lunch table if you braved the Japanese collectors and went for a set of the "Driver" model.....I love those things!

[pdxmech13]

I would do what Fred Flinstone did :D

[MRB]

Avid makes a great cantilever called the Short (Shorty 4 or Shorty 5) for the money (less than $30 per set)

HTH,

JA

[cpg]

You could go onto EBAY and get a set of genuine Mafacs.....You could gain permanent entrance to the cool kid's lunch table if you braved the Japanese collectors and went for a set of the "Driver" model.....I love those things!


Do you mean these? This pair cost the customer $500 on ebay. Yikes! I'm an XTR guy myself.

Curt

[mtflycaster]

XTR with red Koolstops

[dirtdigger88]

If you go with the Paul's run a Neo-retro in the front and a Touring in the back.

Why? Because the Neo retros stick way out and if you're wearing boots on flat pedals and you snag one side of your rear brake with the heel of your boot bad things happen. (If you're an ok bike handler you can recover from that...just think fast and pedal backwards...).



personally I wish I would have gone with Neo Retros out back on my Kirk-

the whole heel thing- is not a factor on my 61cm bike- I couldnt hit my heel on my brake arms if I tried- I know because I have-

I think the Neos are a better brake than the Touring-

Jason

[cpg]

Why do you think the neos are better than the tour? I'm not arguing. I just askin'. Really.

Curt

[dirtdigger88]

Why do you think the neos are better than the tour? I'm not arguing. I just askin'. Really.

Curt

for me

its all in the set up - I will assume you are well versed in setting up cantis- and how important the angle of the straddle wire is to the feel of the brake-

in the Neos I can run the arms farther away from the rims and retain the desired angle of the wire to the arm- yet still keep the "feel" in the levers that I want-

Neos pull more cable- hows that for a short answer :p

My tourning brakes (and most other people's that Ive seen) have the pads set up close to the rim- like on dual pivot brakes-

I like to change rims on my bike often- Open Pros- DTs - Heliums- Arrowheads- all have different widths- with the Neos- I dont have to adjust the cable to tighten or loosen the brakes based on rim width- with the Touring ones I do-

I also dont even have to undo the staddle wire to take off a rim with a 28c tire with the Neos- I have to undo the wire to remove a 23c tire with the Touring ones-

Jason

[93legendti]

Avid makes a great cantilever called the Short (Shorty 4 or Shorty 5) for the money (less than $30 per set)

HTH,

JA
The Shorty 4's are nice--I put them on my Fierte CX. I have the Cane Creeks SC-5 (?) on my Poprad and they are also very nice for not much more money.

[cpg]

for me

its all in the set up - I will assume you are well versed in setting up cantis- and how important the angle of the straddle wire is to the feel of the brake-

in the Neos I can run the arms farther away from the rims and retain the desired angle of the wire to the arm- yet still keep the "feel" in the levers that I want-

Neos pull more cable- hows that for a short answer :p

My tourning brakes (and most other people's that Ive seen) have the pads set up close to the rim- like on dual pivot brakes-

I like to change rims on my bike often- Open Pros- DTs - Heliums- Arrowheads- all have different widths- with the Neos- I dont have to adjust the cable to tighten or loosen the brakes based on rim width- with the Touring ones I do-

I also dont even have to undo the staddle wire to take off a rim with a 28c tire with the Neos- I have to undo the wire to remove a 23c tire with the Touring ones-

Jason


Ah! Makes sense to me. Thanks.

Curt