Deetox

I'm looking to buy a new link wire for some BR-MC12 canti's and the cheapest option on Ebay for the size I need looks like this:




Anyone ever used that type? How doe it compare to the usual ones with the round shaped button link? Any noticeable difference in performance/quality?

thook

i've never used those, but functionally they'd be the same as the round/shimano type. can't speak to the quality. performance would depend on the length you get. i think 3.25" is what i use on my canti's of the same design as yours. i like them because you have a lot of adjustment with the post style pads

cyccommute 

Other then the fact that link wire style hangers suck generally, no. That one will work about the same as any other link wire…i.e. poorly.

I much prefer a straddle cable and hanger.

thook

lol..i know you and some other folks don't like the links, so i'm not writing this to sway you or color the impression you want to make. well, maybe a little on the latter . the only kind of canti brake i've found the links to work well with is the style the OP is using specifically because of the adjustability range of the non threaded post pads. i can get them to stop very well, and set up is relatively easy. i also use salmon kool stop pads, though. ymmv with others. and, of course, link wire length is important
by contrast, i tried many times to get my friend's avid shorty 4's set up with the link wire. always weak and lazy feeling. might be because of the model of brakes, too. i don't know

cyccommute 

One of the biggest problems I have with the link wire is the lack of adjustability. Cantilevers can be very sensitive to the yoke angle (the angle between the anchor bolt, a horizontal line, and the cable hanger. Link wires assume that they have the best angle and they aren’t adjustable. That can lead to the weak brake feeling your friend experiences. With a straddle cable and a hanger, you can more finely tune the brake feel.

I also know that the link wire is supposed to be “safer” since it can slip and catch the tire. However, in 40 years of cantilever use (even to present day), I’ve never had a cable slip and contact the tire.

thook

neither have i, and i have a traditional yoke and cable on at least a couple of bikes. i like the link wire's convenience for wheel removal, mostly. as for adjustability, no they aren't...which is why i say they work best (if at all) with the PO's style of cantilever. the non threaded post has a lot of movement to and away from the rim and well as vertical and radial adjustment. this really does make up for any angle corrections you can't make with the link. of course, as it's been pointed out millions of times, getting the right length of link will make a big difference. i tried multiple links on my friend's brakes, but it has the threaded posts. i just don't think they play well together. otoh, and this just occurred to me, rim width may have had something to do with it. he was running narrower rims, as i recall.

Deetox

Thanks guys. Think I might try the other method instead of the link wires and see how it goes. I do have a couple hangers I could use but they're the older style like these. Would those be sufficient? I also don't have any actual straddle cables but I can just use a length of regular brake cable instead correct? If I do go that route exactly how much harder would the wheel removal be?

cyccommute 

Those will work. Using a brake cable will work but you don’t have anything to grab so that you can pull them out of the brake. It’s not a huge issue but it can be fiddly.

thook

those are great for the low profile canti's like you have. there's youtube videos on setting up canti's to get optimum performance with the style you have. also, mike varley at black mountain cycles has a great article. otherwise, of course, there's this place if you have any troubles. i'd also highly recommend kool stop salmon pads and make sure your frame mounting posts are clean moderately greased so the cantilevers pivot freely. i only mention this because it can create lots of mysterious problems getting things to work right even if they're set up well. oh, and do get actual straddle cables. it really does make releasing the brake easier. i have a bike set up without them...just with regular cables. it is definitely fussy. at some point i'll get the real deal

https://blackmtncycles.com/get-the-m...r-canti-brake/

Deetox

Good info thanks. I will definitely need to install some new pads since the ones on there now are very old and hard. I did buy some KS Salmons awhile back so this will give me a chance to try them. I looked into buying some straddles but they're ridiculously expensive in Canada and shipping them from another country isn't cheap either. Think I'll try using some Sugru to mold and attach my own handles to the brake cables and see if that works.

thook

really? even at a bike shop?

Deetox

Yep there's only one shop near me that has them and they want $13 each.

JoeTBM 

Here is link to 5-pack for $13.99

https://www.ebay.com/itm/321993416516

John Nolan 

Oak Bay offers them for 1.99, plus $10 shipping....I don't imagine the shipping cost would change much if you added other small items.

John Nolan 

Plus $14 for shipping to Canada :-(

djb

you will see a noticeable increase in braking power with the salmons, KS pads really do work well and is a change that also comes with the bonus of quieterbraking and being easier on the rims.

thook

wow! sorry to hear that. well, a regular ol' cable without the handy little grip on it as with actual straddle cables isn't that big of a deal. i wouldn't fuss with trying to make a little grip on it. it's more trouble than it's worth. the only time it's really convenient is you're removing the wheel/s frequently. like putting it up on a roof rack or something

Deetox

Yeah and that's USD so after conversion the total would be over $36 CDN.

$8 shipping actually. Much better but probably still not worth it unless I needed a bunch of them or had no alternative solution. Will bookmark that site for sure though. At least they make an effort to keep their costs reasonable unlike the vast majority of Canadian shops.