View Full Version : can you splain why choose canti or Vbrakes?
eddief
11-03-2009, 10:10 AM
I have Vbrakes on my recumbent and a Bike Friday. They seem to stop great, set up easily, etc. Can you provide a little info on the situations in which each of these make more sense; one over the other?
goonster
11-03-2009, 10:20 AM
Cantis: harder to set up, better modulation, more clearance for tires+fenders
v-brakes: easy set up, don't need cable stops, more cable pull, poor modulation
palincss
11-03-2009, 04:39 PM
And V brakes aren't compatible with brifters or ordinary road brake levers (unless you use additional devices to alter the cable pull).
rwsaunders
11-03-2009, 05:24 PM
Big discussion across the hall recently, regarding the same subject matter. I think that Mike Z started the thread, as the brakes apply to cross rigs.
goonster
11-03-2009, 10:20 PM
I struggled with cantis for years. Years. Cheap old Dia-Compes that came on used bikes, mostly. They squealed and dragged.
Then I sprung for Pauls with salmon pads. Now I am a man at peace. ;)
Canti's require some thought to set up per personal preference. Bloke who founded Avid wrote an excellent article many years ago. Required paper for anyone interested in Bike Tech.
V brakes require little thought.
Pads are important regardless of brake type.
Based on my experience, v brakes brake best. Ceramic rims are a must for wet conditions.
eddief
11-04-2009, 10:07 AM
seems I'm not the first to consider Vbrakes as an alternative or substitute to cantis. I like em.
Volant
11-04-2009, 10:45 AM
v-brakes: poor modulation
I never had a problem with modulation with v-brakes. My favorites were Avid Mags mated to Altek levers (good luck finding a pair of those levers these days!!!!!!). I've never had a good experience with cantis - primarily due to them having too much modulation I guess. A lot of lever pull to get them to stop the wheels.
goonster
11-04-2009, 11:13 AM
A lot of lever pull to get them to stop the wheels.
That can be modified by adjusting straddle cable length and angle. With v-brakes, the pull can't be adjusted (without resorting to a roller or cam).
Some cantis really are a nightmare to set up, especially the ones where the pads have smooth posts. You're fiddling with two 10 mm wrenches, and when you try to tighten down the pad rotates. Maybe I'm just a klutz, but my blood pressure is rising just thinking about it . . . :crap:
I bet the only reason anyone uses Cantis in cross is:
a) Rules (UCI) and Tradition
b) Incompatibility with road levers
c) Possible issues with cross frames/forks not being stiff enough?
MTBs & their levers got designed to work well with V-brakes and V-brakes pretty much killed Cantis until Discs came along...
Given a frame & shifters that supported them I can't see any reason not to want V-brakes.
They were not all created equal but certainly some had awesome stopping power and great modulation. I had several sets of Avids that were great and I had a set of the Shimano XT ones that had a parallelogram linkage.. the Shimanos had the best power & modulation since they kept the pad parallel to the rim.. but they wore out too fast for my taste due to the extra pivot points.
I bet if the rules & or equipment available started changing to make it easier V-brakes would sweep through cross pretty quickly... cyclists love to follow the crowd.
My first MTB that had V-brakes had a cheap set of Vs from Tektro or something.. once I put either the Avids or the Shimanos on the brakes had enough power to significantly bend the frame. And that was an incredibly heavy duty aluminum frame. It was never a problem with forks since MTB forks are so huge & stiff.
Most of the non-low profile cantilevers offer more mud clearance than v's. The arms on a v brake are closer to the tire and tend to pick up and pack up with mud quicker than the older style cantilevers.
palincss
11-04-2009, 02:04 PM
Ceramic rims are a must for wet conditions.
A "must"? Are you saying you can't ride in wet conditions on anything other than ceramic rims? That would be rather preposterous. People have been riding in wet conditions for a hundred years before ceramic rims were first produced, and continue to do so today.
You and I ride at opposite ends of the spectrum. If your cruising around at 16mph anything will work, even steel rims. My first bike had steel rims but I learned mighty quick that stopping distance is a bit long.
So, back to point, to maximize ones performace, ceramic rims are a "must".
palincss
11-04-2009, 03:45 PM
You and I ride at opposite ends of the spectrum. If your cruising around at 16mph anything will work, even steel rims. My first bike had steel rims but I learned mighty quick that stopping distance is a bit long.
So, back to point, to maximize ones performace, ceramic rims are a "must".
If your only point of comparison is steel rims vs ceramic, I can understand why you feel that way; otherwise, no, sorry, you exaggerate. Good brake pads, now they're a "must". Learning how to brake in the wet, a "must" also. Ceramic rims? Maybe nice to have, but certainly not essential.
You and Eddy Merckx rode at opposite ends of the spectrum. He rode on aluminum rims, not ceramic, and I'll bet he rode plenty in the rain...
Most of the non-low profile cantilevers offer more mud clearance than v's. The arms on a v brake are closer to the tire and tend to pick up and pack up with mud quicker than the older style cantilevers.
Is this a factor having something to do with cross frames and/or tires? Cause this was certainly not a factor on MTBs, which are used in the mud quite often.
Still nothing beats a disc...
snipped
Still nothing beats a disc...
except v-brakes with ceramic rims :D
"Is this a factor having something to do with cross frames and/or tires? Cause this was certainly not a factor on MTBs, which are used in the mud quite often."
V's attract more mud than cantis on both cross and mtb frames. Cross frames have more clearance between the stays and tires than mtbs so it might be less of a problem.
I'm not knocking v's, I've had them on my mtbs since they came out, but the mud build-up is a big problem on our local trails which turn into sticky clay when wet.
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?postid=429370#poststop
Joellogicman
11-05-2009, 08:11 AM
I struggled with cantis for years. Years. Cheap old Dia-Compes that came on used bikes, mostly. They squealed and dragged.
Then I sprung for Pauls with salmon pads. Now I am a man at peace. ;)
My touring bike has the Paul's with Cane Creek Drop Bar V Levers. Initial set up was not the easiest in the world. Once set up, adjustments have been easy, however. Pauls have good modulation and excellent stopping power.
I chose Motolites over Cantis not because I dislike Cantis, but rather there were difficulties getting the stradle holder in the right place with my racks and handle bar bag, and the hope that field adjustments would be easier.
So far, I am very happy with my choice.
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