Cantilever link wire

[Bensons]

Can anyone tell us where we can buy these easily please, traditional looking silver jobs with a silver button to replace those on my old bike. We have checked Spa and SJS, haven't phoned either yet but can do that.

[gaz]

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[Bensons]

Thank you, mine are like those half way down this page:

http://sheldonbrown.com/canti-trad.html

[Bensons]

Must add that it is my 95 Galaxy that my husband is restoring for me and whist he would build entirely for function and not worry too much about replacing what was there, I want to replicate the original look as much as I can.

[Brucey]

If you mean shimano M-system link wires these are now difficult to find.

You can just about find the Avid ones (SJS have them) but these don't look quite the same and there are occasional reports of them breaking.

So it might be a case of replacing the unit link with a conventional straddle cable and yoke. Just be sure to run with a 'catcher' if you use knobbly tyres and no mudguards; otherwise a broken brake cable can drop the straddle into the tyre and throw you over the bars.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/cantilever-brake-straddle-wire-with-quick-release-nipple-350-mm-long-prod20495/
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brake-spares-other-dept356/


cheers

[Bensons]

Thank you, I don't like the Avid ones and my husband suggested what you did.

I might phone Spa, they seem to have 'a box' to look in for things sometimes if you phone them up.

[gaz]

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[kylecycler]

I was looking for the same for my Raleigh Pioneer Trail. Couldn't find them from the usual suspects but they're on ebay - this gives you a choice of lengths A,B,C & D - the length will be stamped somewhere on the old link wires:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/sis.html?_nkw ... 1330854804

Front and rear might have the same length link wires but the Pioneer had D / 93 at the front and A / 73 at the rear - both original AFAIK - the bike had hardly been ridden since new. Apparently this arrangement wasn't that uncommon - maybe it was intended to balance out the effort on the levers?

I still haven't built the Pioneer up yet, but I'll definitely run it with mudguards so I'll probably just use conventional straddle cables and yokes, which I already have, but I can understand you just wanting to stick with the original setup - it saves you having to set the heights yourself, or even understand the weird and wonderful mysteries of 'mechanical advantage', which I don't. I guess I'll just set the heights the same as the original link wires and see how it goes. Or stops.

[Bensons]

Thank you, I found some at bankrupt bike parts and have ordered them. We needed new ones because we had changed the brakes and the old ones were too short (good use of 'we' there).

My husband said my bling over function search was a success then, but, if you saw his new bike you wouldn't think it was me in search of bling!

http://bankruptbikeparts.co.uk/index.ph ... ct_id=2407

[Bensons]

I didn't see your reply kyle, thank you. Yes mine had A on the front and B at the back, measuring, it looks like D is it for both.

[Bensons]

I just remembered that the Dawes Twin we bought recently (and returned in the end) had these link cables. That was a 2013 year model bike so perhaps they are available somewhere. They were the same as my old Galaxy with an A on the front and a B on the back.

[Brucey]

the BR-CX50 and BR-CX70 brakes come with 'unit link' wires which are basically the same thing as M-system ones, but with a differently shaped centre knuckle.

I didn't suggest these before because shimano (in their moneygubbing wisdom) originally priced them at £12 a go or something ridiculous like that. However you can buy them

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/shimano-cyclocross-br-cx70-unit-link-8k4-9802-prod30074/

and to my surprise they are now a more tolerable £4.99 a pop. No idea what length they are, the 'A' they refer to in this case is a compatibility indicator, not a length.

cheers

[Bensons]

Thanks again, we have got an order in with Spa so will ask them first before phoning SJS.

My husband swapped the original link wire for a cantilever kit from SJS the other week when he changed the brakes but when it goes in for a respray in a few weeks I would like to restore the link wire (or like him to!).