Cycling UK Forum

Has anyone tried reversing a front brake mounting? That is mounting it at the rear of the fork rather than on the front? I was wondering what the pros and cons were of the rear position?

According to Pace's blurb for cantis/Vs it's meant to make braking better as the brake is pushed toward the fork rather than pulled from it, or some such. Never noticed any difference myself.

If it's an allen key fitting then you might find that it won't work that way around.

And on some of my road bikes such a change would mean the brake (or at least the cable coming into it and the adjuster) hitting the down tube.

Although I must admit to seeing the odd large, budget bike retailer (you know who I mean) fitting the whole fork backwards on kid's bike to get this effect!

The Thorn Raven Sport and Nomad bikes have the brakes bosses for V or canti brakes on the back of the front fork but I don't know what difference it makes. Thorn claim putting the brakes on the back reduced brake squeal.

My Thorn Raven Sport has the front Vee brake mounted at the back of the forks.
Thorn say that this stops squeal, and yes, mine is squeal free.
However it has created a problem in that when the fork is turned to full lock the tops of the vee brake arms scratch the paint off the underside of the down tube.
The Thorn front braking is good, but no better than my other conventionally vee braked bike that has the same Shimano Deore brakes.

For me its just from the asthetics point of view, I rarely use the front brake. And I have no brake squeal issues. Mine is a nutted dual pivot.

peterbayliss wrote:The Thorn Raven Sport and Nomad bikes have the brakes bosses for V or canti brakes on the back of the front fork but I don't know what difference it makes. Thorn claim putting the brakes on the back reduced brake squeal.

Must admit the braking "seems" sharper, but that could simply be the compound and rims!

The raven tandems have this arrangement as well, and it doesn't foul the downtube on mine, Longstaff build tandems with two sets of Vs on the back wheel !!