kawaray

Hi,

I got a 1992 Bridgestone XO-2 frame, and am debating on which types of brakes I want to use with it - Canti or V brakes. I think the cost will be about the same, so it is really a toss up for me at this point.

Any insights about how one might make a decision? I am not necessarily planning on restoring it with the original parts, so if I were to go with Canti, I will probably use Shimano CX (I have used it in the past).

Thanks!

Piff 

People usually find v-brakes easier to setup. Both work great. I think canti brakes look better.

What are your plans with the bike? What kind of riding conditions? What part of the country?

IAmSam

Meant for cantis

dedhed

V uses different pull levers

Ironfish653

Cantis would be the OE setup, if the vintage look is what you’re going for; but if you don’t really have a preference, then use whichever setup goes with the levers you choose.

Drop bars? Flat bars? North Roads / Moustache?
Road levers or MTB?
The bar/lever setup would dictate the brake setup, unless there’s a particular set of brakes you’ve got your eye on

Korina

How can we adequately advise you without photos of the bike in question??

abdon 

What he said.

kawaray

Hi,

Thanks for your responses. I don't envision myself riding the bike in extreme conditions (like downhill in heavy rain), so I don't necessarily find the need for v-brakes for this reason. I will be using the mustache bar (the frame came with it, so I want to give it a shot, but I might switch to a drop bar later if I don't like it). I have a pair of Tektro RL520 levers that should be long-pull, so I am not limited by the lever/brake combo.

So, I guess I was more interested in hearing the opinion of the board about using canti vs. v-brakes on a "vintage" bike. I know the bike came with canti as OEM. All things being equal in this case, do people prefer/recommend to use canti on these bikes because the frame is "meant for it"? The original owner had a pair of v-brakes installed, which made sense since he was using the bike for commute (he was using it with short-pull levers, so I am not sure if they really gave him the benefits though...). The look of the bike with v-brakes did not bother me, but people with trained eyes might think differently?

The frame is at a shop for the removal of seized bottom bracket, so I don't have a picture to post...

Jeff Neese

He said it was a '92 Bridgestone XO-2. Why do you need him to post pictures?

Soody

I prefer cantilever brakes, setup with care, and kool stop eagle pads. I think they have better feel. V-brakes to me feel very off/on. V-brakes come into their own when you're riding in the wet or down steep hills and you need more power. In which case, a disc bike is preferable. Imo v-brakes are a stopgap solution which now only makes sense in the niche of very cheap beater as they can be easier to setup.

As for which suits -your bike-, it doesn't have a rear brake stop on the frame right? Or a cool stem with a brake roller or anything for cantis? Then it doesn't particularly matter. The frame is agnostic.
The quill stems with brake stops/rollers are very charming though. You lose easy adjustability but I would try and find one.

Soody

Yeah. Short pull vs long pull is also not a binary. It's about the distance between the cable anchor and the pivot point of the levers. Anything over 30mm is 'long pull' and less is 'short pull'. The lengths vary, so it is a continuum, not two standards. Some are also adjustable.

mhespenheide 

Personally, I'm not a fan of V-brakes unless you're using brake levers that are designed for them. I don't like mini-V's because they need to be positioned quite close to the rim, which can lead to problems either removing the wheel or if the wheel gets out of true. There are plenty of good canti's on the market that work great with modern pads and don't give up anything compared to sidepull brakes. I like CR-720's, Avid Ultimates, and Dia-Compe DC-980 if you want vintage looks. I'm sure there are other excellent choices.

abdon 

It's not a need but it works to his benefit. It encourages more people to offer advice. To some if a poster doesn't bother to post a picture they won't bother to look it up by themselves.

Jeff Neese

A '92 Bridgestone XO-2 does have a rear cable stop for cantilevers. Cantis are what the bike was designed for, and what it came with.

Garthr

So the '92 from what I've seen came with Suntour XC Pro Cantilevers. Those just happen to be my all time favorite, not only because the outstanding performance, but the champagne finish looks great and when used with centered smooth post pads like the originals, they totally clear the frame. Kool Stop pads can be chopped off and filed at the tailing end to do this. The internal frame extends into the pads, but only as far as the last tailing notch in the rubber. Chop that off, do a bit of filing as needed to clear the frame, and you're set. Dia Compe makes a Salmon road sized centered smooth post pad. They come standard on their 988 Cantilever, which works well and is very much similar to the XC Pro in design. I got mine from Porkchop BMX. The owner must love them too as he gets them in various anodized colors.

https://www.porkchopbmx.com/search/dia-compe+988/
https://www.porkchopbmx.com/search/d...12+brake+pads/
https://koolstop.com/products/city-cantilever
Kool Stop also makes a salmon City Pad, which is a centered smooth post style, so no chopping off required.

The front brakes work even better with a Tektro 1277A fork mounted cable stop. This also allows the brake housing to go directly to it(like a caliper), so adjusting your stem height has no effect on the cable adjustment.

I'm not a fan of any design that doesn't allow the pads to clear the frame.

abdon 

I would keep it vintage. For a road bike I would pick dia-compe 960; compact, clean, super easy to set up. For a tourer or a bike I would think about moving from 27" to 700c and back I would do the 980 which has enough travel to reach either. It may take some judicious filling for the perfect fit there.

https://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?...geViewsIndex=1

kawaray

Thanks all. I am leaning toward equipping it with a set of canti.

Thanks!