Originally Posted by
desconhecido
You are getting at, I think, the questiion that I have about the comparison between normal cantilever brakes and V brakes. Under what conditions will V brakes work better and what are the drawbacks of normal cantilevers under those conditions. And what about normal old center pull brakes? What do V brakes do that MAFAC racers or Weinmann 999 brakes won't do?
I am sure you will find many reasons that various people cite for why there was a shift from canti brakes to V brakes. But one reason is that canti brakes on a bike without fenders could have the straddle or yoke cable catch on the tire if the main cable failed, causing sudden wheel stop. Manufacturers for liability reasons chose to seek alternatives to a canti brake with a standard straddle or yoke cable.