fujifinest

I brought my 1997 Trek 750 into a recently acquired Trek retail store. I wanted to know how/if I could convert the brakes to Shimano V-Brake BR-T4000. The front brake cable run ended in a center connection and the rear one went through an S tube around the seat post (which I think was a cost cutting measure by Trek). The shop told me the front was possible by going directly to the noodle tube on the V-Brake, but not possible on the rear. I went away disappointed as I wanted to have both brakes V-Brakes. I also wanted to ask on this forum if someone had installed Shimano V-Brakes on a 1997 Trek 750 and how they did that?

Jeff Neese

I can't help you with the how-to, but if you don't mind me asking, why do you want to do that? The originals are Shimano cantilever, is that right? Those are very decent brakes. Are you thinking V-brakes would be an upgrade? It would not be.

DorkDisk

You need a cable stop. Problem solvers and IRD both make one i have both and IMO the IRD is better looking.

grizzly59

You need something usually called a cable stop-

https://www.amazon.com/Origin8-Alloy...dp/B003BC7MZ0/

Clamps to your top tube 3" or so in front of your seat tube. You need to know your top tube diameter and get one that fits. Once you tighten it to the top tube it can't slide around or the brake won't work. Sometimes called a backstop, you might find one in a parts box at a co-op. With that you use a 10" or so piece of housing on a nice easy curve between the cable stop and the noodle. Thread your inner cable from the lever, through the front housing and the front stop, through the new clamp on stop, rear housing, and noodle, then clamp the cable at the brake. One, two, Skidoo and you have a rear V-brake. Or you can run a full length housing from the lever to the noodle and use cable clamps to manage the housing. But nobody does that anymore.

hokiefyd 

I'm frankly pretty surprised your local bike shop gave you no options for converting the rear. You absolutely can, with a clamp-on cable stop as others noted. Here's a picture of my '97 750 showing the rear brake area. You can barely see the clamp-on stop on the top tube just in front of the seat post (the silver anodized ring). Mine's from Origin 8 and appears identical to the IRD options DorkDisk listed above.

grizzly59

I like that bike.

fujifinest

Thanks for the info. I am going to get a Shimano Br-T4000 setup in silver and a Tektro clamp. Also going to try a Nitto B259 handlebar. Currently I am using a Origin8 but would like it to be a little higher.

hokiefyd 

That should look nice. Tektro also make silver anodized linear pull brakes (vs. the painted silver that Shimano uses). I've changed mine over from the black Avid Single Digits you see in the picture above to Tektro polished Mini Vs (and back to the original short pull levers) and it stops On. A. Dime. I'm very pleased with them.

SkinGriz

You could just run the housing all the way lever to noodle.

Secure to housing to frame with special clamps as noted above.

Or old school BMX style... just zip tie housing to top tube.

I think your lbs just didn’t want to deal with it.

fujifinest

I ended up buying a Tektro M530 in silver after talking to Tektro @ $17.00 each at Universal Cycles with Problem Solvers Stainless Cable Housing Guides - 28.6mm (Set of 3) @ $14.99. Universal Cycles was very quick shipping.

This has worked out very well. My test drive was very sharp. Installation was pretty easy.