Originally Posted by
rccardr
Oh, please.
One ride with dual pivot calipers and she’ll be asking why you’re making her risk her life with canti’s.
Seriously, it’s that much of a difference.
Somehow I get my Voyageur SP to haul down decently (Kool Stop pads help for sure), but that is not without considerable hand effort thanks to the over-enthusiastic canti arm springs. I switched to gen 1 SLR levers--cheap ones, but ones that are the exact shape and profile of my much-loved Dura-Ace 7402 levers. I had to wet sand and polish them to the moon, but the results are spectacular and exactly what I was going for, including being much more ergonomic. Helps when working from the hoods on the 15% grade descents for blocks and blocks to get off the hill I live on.
That being said...dual pivots for life. I love the look of cantis, and the romanticism of their time prior to advancements in braking technology. Super classy. Also, SUPER fidgety to set up. I do fine, but V-brakes are easier to set up and clamp like crazy. Sadly, canti and V-brakes are brought down by designed-in play between the brake arms and the posts. I don't understand--that's where all the vibration and howling comes from, as it allows the pad to bind up and release and then do so at frequency under braking. Drives me up the wall. Single and dual pivot calipers have zero slop and guess what? They're quiet! And they stop easily, quickly, and with low hand effort. My 720 is my accidental grail keeper amaze-balls bike. Tektro R200 brake levers (love the Campy copy shape) working Tektro R737 standard reach calipers. Super easy to set up, and all the confidence in the world in them. And they're gorgeous.
Still, my Voyageur SP ('cause we gotta keep this on topic) with it's glowing polished, well, everything, cannot be ignored and it does snag the ol' eyes with its exquisite looks:
New 27.2 seatpost, new 110mm Technomic stem, Noodle bars, BL L331 brake levers, Brooks synthetic bar tape, Surly rear cable stop, Swift 27 x 1 3/8" tires, 'Phil Wood' 6903 cartridge BB bearings, spread rear triangle, widened rear axle, Suntour Comp 14-30t FW, and all new consumables. The Fizik Aliante R5 saddle is great, but is now on my 720.
