V brakes and sti levers?

[matata]

just building a bike from bits. I have nice Deore V brakes. Dont think they're the mini V. Can I use ordinary STI levers with them? Will the cable leverage /pull be right? Ta Bog

[Brucey]

not really, not if they are STI's for dropped bars; you can use the V brakes if you buy 'travel agents' or similar, but TBH unless you need the extra mudguard clearance of the long brake arms, mini-vs are cheaper than travel agents.

cheers

[mercalia]

My Dawes 1-Down came with RSX STI and standard V brakes and use one of the travel agents. They work very well


http://postimg.org/image/jmkd5gsdp/

[matata]

For the sake of simplicity would I be better off putting on mini V brake arms instead. Would that work better/simpler with STI levers? Thanks so much so far!!! BOG

[Brucey]

it will work OK like that; plenty of people run that setup.

The brake will be powerful, may feel a little spongy, and will need to be set close to the rim. If you get a chance to, try another bike with that setup.

cheers

[pete75]

These work very well with STI levers give plenty of clearance for mudguards and big tyres, cost less than a pair of travel agents and about the same as mini V brakes.

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/BCT ... ver_brakes

[531colin]

These work very well with STI levers give plenty of clearance for mudguards and big tyres, cost less than a pair of travel agents and about the same as mini V brakes.

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/BCT ... ver_brakes

I would put one of those on the back, where lost motion in the cable means the better rim clearance is useful, and a mini-Vee on the front, where the greater mechanical advantage gives better stopping. You need a barrel adjuster with a mini Vee in order to release it.

[coast 2 coast]

CR720s used to rock the world, they were one of the best canti brakes, for the money, available. The moment Mini Vs, appeared, cantis were rendered obsolete in a flash. Now, I wouldn't bother considering the CR720 at all, unless your into some kind of retro look. You see how Planet X have got CR720s on at half price? That is because nobody wants them any longer. Mini Vs are simpler, easier to set, up, cheaper and more powerfull. Why would you want to complicate things needlessly? Check these out. http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php ... 0s101p2386

I think Mini Vs have a slightly spongier feel than cantis and a little more modulation than the on/off feel of normal Vs. But the stopping power of MinVs in comparison with Cantis is impressive. And it is the stopping power you want, when your trundeling down a hill, on a fully loaded tourer, in the wet.

I would look for noodles that have a barrel adjuster incorporated, they are neater and a lot simpler than inline versions. http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tektro-tektr ... prod18060/

[531colin]

............. The moment Mini Vs, appeared, cantis were rendered obsolete in a flash. .............

There were actually 2 nails in the cantis coffin.
One was the dual pivot sidepull, which is now the universal racing brake, which requires a longer cable pull than the single pivot sidepull that it replaced.....so all drop bar levers now pull too much cable for a wide-profile canti.
The other was that nobody thought it was worth producing a mid-profile canti. as soon as MTBs all went over to low-profile cantis, then Vee brakes.

[pete75]

You see how Planet X have got CR720s on at half price? That is because nobody wants them any longer.

They've got V brakes on at quarter price. That must mean people want them even less http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/BCT ... 15_v_brake

[mgronow]

You see how Planet X have got CR720s on at half price? That is because nobody wants them any longer.

They've got V brakes on at quarter price. That must mean people want them even less http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/BCT ... 15_v_brake

Hi

I'm looking to replace the suntour cantis on my partners thorn...any idea if the M15s linked above are mini enough to be ok with drop levers (they're actually 15mm longer than mini "minis" -if you see what I mean...)


thanks
martin

[Edwards]

You see how Planet X have got CR720s on at half price? That is because nobody wants them any longer.

They've got V brakes on at quarter price. That must mean people want them even less http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/BCT ... 15_v_brake

Hi

I'm looking to replace the suntour cantis on my partners thorn...any idea if the M15s linked above are mini enough to be ok with drop levers (they're actually 15mm longer than mini "minis" -if you see what I mean...)


thanks

martin

These are quite long for Road bike brake levers as opposed to the ones 15mm shorter. The shorter the arm the better for this type of brake lever.
One way of getting the clearance to remove the wheel is to use Campag Ergos or any other lever with a release function built in.

[CJ]

CR720s used to rock the world, they were one of the best canti brakes, for the money, available. The moment Mini Vs, appeared, cantis were rendered obsolete in a flash. Now, I wouldn't bother considering the CR720 at all, unless your into some kind of retro look.

Incorrect, mini-Vs have been on the market longer than Tektro CR720, and neither has ever rocked the world. But a lot of us don't want and can't use mini-vees, because they give less mudguard clearance, which matters if you tour on tracks and don't like the faff of stopping to poke with a stick, or ride cyclo-cross - which is what the CR720 was actually made for.

I think Mini Vs have a slightly spongier feel than cantis and a little more modulation than the on/off feel of normal Vs. But the stopping power of MinVs in comparison with Cantis is impressive. And it is the stopping power you want, when your trundeling down a hill, on a fully loaded tourer, in the wet.

Indeed they are spongey and don't allow much clearance from the rim - or else you find your levers hard up agains the handlebars and still not stopping! That's not something you want either, and has never been a problem for me, not ever, with my sticking-out cantilevers, downhill in the rain on a fully loaded tourer. And as a 10-stone weakling who struggles to do a couple of pull-ups, I don't think it's because I've got unusually strong hands!

The OP has PROPER V-brakes already. So: the best thing for him is a pair of Tektro RL520 brake levers, designed for proper V-brakes. Oh sorry, is lack of STI a deal-breaker? Okay then: get Revoshift's version of this lever, with shifters attached.

This gives almost all the same convenience of STI - plus a few extra advantages, such as no indexing of the front shift, so MTB mechs and chainsets can be used, and a friction fall-back on the rear shift too, and the possibility of replacing just the shifter should that fail, and easier replacement of cables, and upgrading/simplifying to more/fewer speeds as more or less 'developed' touring may demand.

What's not to like? The cables need to be quite long to keep out the way of a bar-bag, but that's not a problem. And you won't find them in shops, so the only way to get them in UK without paying exorbitant customs charges is from Revoshift's German agent's website - and we Brits just don't do languages do we? Fortunately Google does.

[coast 2 coast]

By available, I meant for a few years Mini Vs seamed to be hard to find in UK shops. Over the last couple of years, they seem to have become more common.

In the context of touring bike, I am asuming a standard setup with something like a 32mm tyre and a 42mm mud guard. If that is the case, Mini Vs provide ample clearance. I use a pair with Campag Ergo shifters and adjustable noodles. The release mechanism on the levers is perfectly operational, without the need for more slackening off, of cable. I converted to Mini Vs from CR720s, with all other parts remaining the same. The levers do pull closer to the bars but the difference in braking power is undeniable. Mini Vs are outstanding in comparison.

Everyone I know with canti brakes, who has had a ride on my bike to test these brakes, has converted to Mini Vs. Not only that, I have absolutely no doubt, the braking performance of the bike you yourself ride, the Spa Cycles Tourer, would be greatly improved, if you too, were to switch to Mini Vs.

Those revoshift things are bog ugly and have nothing like the comfort and intuitive convenience of STIs. You may as well stick with bar end shifters and save yourself a bunch of money.

[CJ]

I have absolutely no doubt, the braking performance of the bike you yourself ride, the Spa Cycles Tourer, would be greatly improved, if you too, were to switch to Mini Vs.

Not possible, I like to run 37mm tyres - with the mudgaurds far enough away to see daylight, which ensures I am never bothered by the mud on so-called cycling facilities. This amount of clearance is permitted by the frame and I don't want to diminish the clearance of this frame by my choice of brake.

Those revoshift things are bog ugly

Eye of the beholder my friend, eye of the beholder

and have nothing like the comfort and intuitive convenience of STIs.

Have you tried them? I have and also have STI on one bike. I can assure you that whilst STI is certainly more ergonomic, there's not a lot in it.

You may as well stick with bar end shifters and save yourself a bunch of money.

I also assure you that Revoshifts are much more convenient than leaving those shifters on the bar-end. To test Revoshifts, I fitted them to my tandem and then rode from Manche to Med all the way across France. And when you need to shift gears on a loaded tandem you REALLY need to shift and cannot afford to take a hand off the bars to do it - especially when it's a slim-tubed 1970s frame that develops a low-speed wobble when you load it up!