pliptrot wrote: ↑24 May 2022, 10:04am
I have a frame built for 27" wheels with cantilever brakes. It's a George Longstaff so I want to keep it going. The set up of brake blocks on the current cantilevers (Dia Compe 987 (front) and Mafac (back)) on 700C wheels (MA40) is difficult in that the blocks do not hit the rims squarely - the studs are too high. The frame and forks are what you may call classic 531 touring design. Does anyone know of cantilevers which may have more vertical adjustment to accommodate this mismatch? V-brakes look worse so that's not the way to go. I would change the levers too, if that is required. Thanks for any advice.
Been round this loop......
IMG_5595 by
531colin, on Flickr
Thats one arm of some Tektro cantilevers I cut down to do the job.....presumably set up still as I last used it on that bike. ("Aztec" brake blocks....remember them?)
Its not a complete answer; the brake block is very close to the pivot, as it has to be, so very little wear on the block means its trying to dive under the rim, so its not a brake set-up I would want to use on a commuting bike used through the winter on roads covered in grinding paste, unless you
like spending your winter evenings fiddling about with brakes which are particularly fussy to set up.
For comparison, here is a set of the same brake before cutting down; this was my best cantilever brake, braking (from the hoods) was limited by my ability to keep the back wheel down. The barrel adjuster in the straddle wire is a good idea, it provides instant adjustment without spoiling the mechanical advantage as much as a barrel adjuster on the hanger.
003 by
531colin, on Flickr
Front and rear cut down cantis. are yours if you want them, the bike they were for is long gone....pm me your address, I'll post them
