Recommended Cantilever Brakes

[AMMoffat]

With apologies for piggy-backing on this thread. I need to replace the cantilever brakes on my 1990s Raleigh Royal as the pivots on the original Shimanos are shot. The levers are Weinmann drop bar. I was thinking Suntour SEs on the rear, which SJS are still selling for £4.99. For the front, which is the best option, Avid Shorty, Tektro CR710 or Tektro CR720, all of which have been mentioned on this thread?

[profpointy]

My Thorn tourer came with Avid Shorty cantilever and they were great.

I did "upgrade" some time later with the Suntour ones (self-energising on the back) when SJcycles were knocking these out extremely cheap, but can't say they are any better than the avids - they would have been a costly upgrade had I bought them with the bike.

The cantis are every bit as good as the modern shimano side pulls on my Condor, and are much better than the Weinmans on my older bike

[9494arnold]

If your Canti's don't work that well, google "Setting Up Cantilever brakes"

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-geometry.html

I have seen many many Cantilever Brakes set up incorrectly ,
The MA (mechanical advantage) factor (relationship between the Straddle Bridge and the Cable Going to the Brake Lever ) being entirely wrong .

(The Comment about where the Cantilever Posts are in relation to the Fork Blades is relevant too. )

I'm a trikie so Cantilever Brake on the front is only real means of stopping the beast.

I have some MAFAC Solo (and Tandem) Canti's , Weinman (which are a Copy of the MAFAC's pretty much) and a set of Dia Compe on Bikes/Trikes but I think they are all now obsolete so won't help you in your quest.

[bgnukem]

Why might v-brakes be better?

They're not. They both have they're issues. Setting up canti's is easy, and once done they function every bit as nicely as any other rim brakes. Don't take advice from people that reckon they're awkward to set up - they've just admitted they don't know what they are doing, so why should you then take their guidance on the subject?

Setting up old style cantis with post-type pads (not v-type threaded posts) is a nightmare though, with the angle/height and reach adjustment all moving as soon as the pad is slackened off.

Cantis with V-type pads are pretty much as easy to set up as a V-brake, unless they have an adjustable cable hanger.

[MikeDee]

V brakes can be a cure for fork judder, if you have that problem.

[Sweep]

Why might v-brakes be better?

They're not. They both have they're issues. Setting up canti's is easy, and once done they function every bit as nicely as any other rim brakes. Don't take advice from people that reckon they're awkward to set up - they've just admitted they don't know what they are doing, so why should you then take their guidance on the subject?

Well I don't know what I am doing but have nevertheless installed three sets of V brakes from scratch.

That also gives me the confidence that I could sort any issue on the road, even if it necessitated buying a brand new brake unit and installing that.

They are also of course very easily available.

My Hewitt had cantis put on it and while it is true that they seem better than the humble shimano cantis on my first hybrid (pretty much refused to stop it going down a lancashire hill when fully loaded) I still wish I had been asked which sort of brakes I wanted when I bought/specced it. For now, if I had given it any thought, I would have specced V brakes.

[gregoryoftours]

How are those suntour se rear brakes? Are they noticeably grabby or anything? I have a feeling I might still have a set squirreled away somewhere. Sjs have been offloading cheap for years.

[Brucey]

Setting up old style cantis with post-type pads (not v-type threaded posts) is a nightmare though, with the angle/height and reach adjustment all moving as soon as the pad is slackened off. ..

good post-mount brakes can come with

- a wave washer in the assembly so that the brake block position is held so that it won't move under its own weight when being adjusted and/or
- toe adjustment that is fixed or that is separately adjustable.

thus post-mount adjustment doesn't have to be such a big deal. Cantis using post-mount blocks also have the major advantage that they can be set to work with almost any combination of boss spacing and rim width, whereas ones using more conventional brake blocks only work over a small range.

The exception to this is the shimano BR-CX50/70 brake; this is supplied with different width spacers and brake block bolts, and is one the few modern brakes that allows the brake to be easily set up on a wide range of framesets.

V brakes can be a cure for fork judder, if you have that problem.

FWIW an uphanger can fix this too, with no requirement to replace the brakes.

cheers

[frank9755]

which is the best option, Avid Shorty, Tektro CR710 or Tektro CR720

Not used Avids but have just fitted a set of CR710s and been very impressed with stopping power. Seem significantly better than CR720s, which I have on two other bikes.

[nsew]

Brucey - a font of real world bicycle knowledge. 1” headsets, 7 speed, cup & cone, 26ers, canti’s, square tapered bb’s, drop bars, steel frames .... legend!

[MikeDee]

How are those suntour se rear brakes? Are they noticeably grabby or anything? I have a feeling I might still have a set squirreled away somewhere. Sjs have been offloading cheap for years.

I used to use them on my old mountain bike, along with a Scott SE brake for the front. I switched to Diacompe cantis when Jobst Brandt said SE brakes are non linear, and thus can suffer from unintended lockup. Didn't notice much difference in braking power or modulation that I can remember though. A brake booster made a difference for flexing seatstays.

[The utility cyclist]

What would you recommend as replacement cantilever brakes.
Are Tektro CR720 Cyclocross Cantilever Brakes any good?
My old ones (cheap Shimano) need replacing and are 20 years old.

Thanks

Unfortunately, cantilever performance is not just the brakes,
it has a lot to do with post width and vertical position vis a vis the rims.
Squeal is also affected by post & brake slop and where the hanger is.
So one mans good cantilever is anothers death trap.

That aside.
The bones of thousands of tourist adorn the bottom of mountain
passes all over Europe, due to cantilever brakes.
You need the hand strength of Hercules and and the geometrical
ability of Pythagoras to successfully employ cantilever brakes.

Stick with drum & coaster brakes.

And yet a skinny little kid won the 2017 world junior cross Country and UK national cross country using cantilevers

[gregoryoftours]

And yet a skinny little kid won the 2017 world junior cross Country and UK national cross country using cantilevers

That's the sort of cool story I like! It's not always about the gear, and once something's been superceded people can't imagine how anyone survived without the latest tech. Especially true for the off-road community and mountain bikers.

[Brucey]

the brakes look like Avid Shorty Ultimate cantis to me. These brakes are neither cheap nor obsolete; they are lightweight and efficient brakes, designed specifically for CX use. Why anyone would want to use disc brakes in a really muddy CX race is a mystery to me.

cheers

[PH]

And yet a skinny little kid won the 2017 world junior cross Country and UK national cross country using cantilevers

Great photo, didn't really need an excuse to post it.
The main requirement of cross brakes is that they don't clog up and slow you down when not applied, it's not something that troubles me on many rides.