Cycling UK Forum

I picked up a really cheap Dawes MTB today (Reynolds 500 lugged frame)

It came with an odd set of shifters One EZ Fire 3x STi unit with a V brake lever, the other was the original 200GS rapid fire with a separate canti brake lever.

Do I go for V brakes and buy the 7 speed EZ fire shifter/lever or stick with the cantis and but a separate lever/shifter set?

Are the canti posts different widths on modern stuff? I remember reading somewhere that they might be.

I've seen some Altus shifter/brake levers from 1995 but I am not sure if these are V or canti levers.

if the bosses are set ~80mm apart (most likely BTW) then they will accept cantis or Vs.

you could do either thing, whichever is the most convenient, or depending on whether you have a strong preference for one type of shifter/brake or another....?

cheers

The spacing quoted by Brucey is pretty critical. While the brakes may operate on a frame with wider dimensions they will probably foul the tyre as the back off and/or suffer from poor 'bite' spongy feel and uneven pad wear.
Another option you might consider is separate shifter combined with Magura hydraulic rim brakes which operate with a linear inward movement. They certainly provide a lot of power but can feel heavy to operate.