Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Touring
Reload this Page >

Cantilever brakes for touring bike , suggestions?

Notices
Touring Have a dream to ride a bike across your state, across the country, or around the world? Self-contained or fully supported? Trade ideas, adventures, and more in our bicycle touring forum.

Cantilever brakes for touring bike , suggestions?

Old 12-11-16, 06:45 PM
  #1  
jambon
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Ireland
Posts: 397
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 104 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Cantilever brakes for touring bike , suggestions?

Hi all ,

Looking for a set of cantilever brakes for a touring bike build . Please let me know what is powerful and good quality . Also is it possible that I could have mounting issues with an older eighties steel frame , mounts seem typical of all other vbrake and canti mounts I have seen .

Thanks ,

J
jambon is offline  
Old 12-11-16, 06:53 PM
  #2  
bwgride
Slow Rider
 
bwgride's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Georgia, USA
Posts: 1,043
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I don't use many cantilever brakes now, I find v-brakes easier to adjust. However, the inexpensive (about $15) Tektro Oryx style brakes work very well with good pads. I have seen reviews of these brakes claiming they don't work well, but I think most of the reviews are based on the default pads. Using Salmon Kool Stop pads makes braking very efficient. I find the Oryx brakes very easy to adjust, which is nice compared to adjustments of the old style (1990s and earlier) cantilever brakes.
bwgride is offline  
Old 12-11-16, 06:59 PM
  #3  
BigAura
 
BigAura's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Chapin, SC
Posts: 3,423

Bikes: all steel stable: surly world troller, paris sport fixed, fuji ss

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 623 Post(s)
Liked 55 Times in 33 Posts
V-brakes (or discs) for a new touring build. Why are you thinking canti?
BigAura is offline  
Old 12-11-16, 07:11 PM
  #4  
jambon
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Ireland
Posts: 397
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 104 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
cantis as the frame i have takes them and the brake levers i want to use don't pull the ratio for vbrakes . Whats wrong with cantis? dont cyclocross use them ?
jambon is offline  
Old 12-11-16, 07:38 PM
  #5  
Doug64
Senior Member
 
Doug64's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 6,485
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1182 Post(s)
Liked 830 Times in 433 Posts
Originally Posted by jambon
cantis as the frame i have takes them and the brake levers i want to use don't pull the ratio for vbrakes . Whats wrong with cantis? dont cyclocross use them ?
Cantis are fine. However, you can set up a bike with V-brakes with STI shifters using a"Travel Agent". I did that on my wife's bike, because that is what she wanted. V-brakes do provide more stopping power, but my cantis are more than adequate. Travel Agents are really trouble free. I adjusted her's for the first time in 17,000 miles when I changed the brake cables. That is a long time to be running the same cable.


I have used Cane Creek SCX-5 Cantilever brakes on a couple of bikes. They were OEM on CX bike and I put them on a touring bike that I was building. Combined with Kool Stop salmon colored pads they work well. They are a good compromise between cost and quality. I switched over to Paul brakes on the CX bike which are quite a bit more expensive ( I got a heck of a deal on them). I really could not see any significant difference in braking dynamics or stopping power between the brakes. They both have Kool Stop Pads.

Last edited by Doug64; 12-12-16 at 02:04 PM.
Doug64 is offline  
Old 12-11-16, 08:13 PM
  #6  
GamblerGORD53
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Elevation 666m Edmonton Canada
Posts: 2,457

Bikes: 2013 Custom SA5w / Rohloff Tourster

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1222 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 241 Posts
OTOH ... If you have a heavy fork...MY SA XL dyno DRUM all weather brake has done 20,500 miles with a bearing change at 17,000. NO pads or adjustments needed. I hardly need anything on the rear and it is that bad, a POS caliper. I wouldn't leave home without lights either, rain, fog, shadows, early sundown.
GamblerGORD53 is offline  
Old 12-11-16, 08:19 PM
  #7  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,538

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10902 Post(s)
Liked 7,393 Times in 4,148 Posts
Originally Posted by jambon
Hi all ,

Looking for a set of cantilever brakes for a touring bike build . Please let me know what is powerful and good quality . Also is it possible that I could have mounting issues with an older eighties steel frame , mounts seem typical of all other vbrake and canti mounts I have seen .

Thanks ,

J
Some bikes from the 80s will have the canti posts too close together for modern canti brakes to work.
If thats the case, hit up ebay for whatever was originally on the bike ans use new koolstop pads. Properly set up, the brakes will stop perfectly fine.

What bike are you setting up?

Modern tektro cr720 brakes are a wide option that are well reviewed.
I have 3 sets of diacompe/suntour canti brakes from the late 80s and early 90s. All are different quality levels (xcd, xcm, and xce) and all work great with new pads. If you need older brakes and some xcd are available on ebay, id get em in a second. They are extremely adjustable and set up easily while being an older option.
mstateglfr is offline  
Old 12-11-16, 08:21 PM
  #8  
bikemig 
Senior Member
 
bikemig's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,505

Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones

Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5877 Post(s)
Liked 3,445 Times in 2,066 Posts
Originally Posted by jambon
cantis as the frame i have takes them and the brake levers i want to use don't pull the ratio for vbrakes . Whats wrong with cantis? dont cyclocross use them ?
There is nothing wrong with canti brakes; they are excellent once set up correctly. They also have lots of clearance for fatter tires and fenders.

Your best bet are the Tektro cr720s. Canti brakes would be my first choice on a new touring bike and the Tektros are excellent and reasonably priced.
bikemig is offline  
Old 12-11-16, 08:24 PM
  #9  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,538

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10902 Post(s)
Liked 7,393 Times in 4,148 Posts
Originally Posted by BigAura
V-brakes (or discs) for a new touring build. Why are you thinking canti?
Because vbrakes are like bumper lanes for bowling.
Ok ok not really, i just dont have any love for them unless its on a bike with a suspension fork where the vbrake is beneficial. Cantis allow for a wider tolerance in wheel trueness and dont lock up nearly as often since there is better modulation. They also allow for a wider tire and fender.
...all of what i just posted is based on my experiences riding my bikes and servicing mine and other bikes. It may be that i have experience with bad vbrakes.
mstateglfr is offline  
Old 12-11-16, 08:28 PM
  #10  
bikemig 
Senior Member
 
bikemig's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,505

Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones

Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5877 Post(s)
Liked 3,445 Times in 2,066 Posts
Here is a good discussion of why you really want cantilevers for a touring bike from R&E Cycles, Disc Brakes vs. Cantilever Brakes
bikemig is offline  
Old 12-11-16, 09:23 PM
  #11  
robow
Senior Member
 
robow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,861
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 595 Post(s)
Liked 278 Times in 189 Posts
I have three cycle cross bike that I built up with canti's, the one I've adapted for touring. I had Shimano R550 canti brakes on all them which have always worked fine, that is until recently, when I took another stab again at mini-V's using ProMax mini V's on the one. The jury is still out as to whether these newer mini v's really show any improvement in "stopping power" over a well set up canti's. There is a difference in feel and modulation where some might prefer one over the other but truthfully, both get the job done adequately with KS salmons.
robow is offline  
Old 12-11-16, 09:28 PM
  #12  
Soody
Senior Member
 
Soody's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 1,047

Bikes: Gunnar, Shogun, Concorde, F Moser, Pete Tansley, Rocky Mtn, Diamant, Krapf, Marin, Avanti, Winora, Emmelle, Ken Evans

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 272 Post(s)
Liked 412 Times in 214 Posts
CX 70 (shimano ultegra cantis), Tiagra 4400 levers (no shifting) and the cables they came with are good. The lever is very similar to old tricolor 600 levers.

Installing took a while to get my head around but it wasn't very hard.

They squeeled for a while. Now they squeal occasionally, but they've bedded in and are mostly silent.

Power/ feel is very good.

They are night and day different, especially to adjust, to the 80s dia compe cantis with kool stops on my old touring frame.

The reasonably narrow profile is nice, and cantis that extend past your racks would be annoying.

Clearance is good, but adjusted to sit close to the A719 rims on my gunnar, i can't quite release the brake cable, so i have to deflate the tires to remove the wheel. This sucks big time.

These are wide (23.5 mm) rims, and with narrower rims i think it would be fine, but it's annoying.

Overall its a very good system.
Soody is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 12:55 AM
  #13  
chrisx
Senior Member
 
chrisx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 924
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 406 Post(s)
Liked 9 Times in 9 Posts
Originally Posted by bikemig
There is nothing wrong with canti brakes; they are excellent once set up correctly. They also have lots of clearance for fatter tires and fenders.

Your best bet are the Tektro cr720s. Canti brakes would be my first choice on a new touring bike and the Tektros are excellent and reasonably priced.
I have some Xt canti brakes, they are built to last. It is a little work to get them set up. When installed right, they work right. + I like the canti racks, VO Pass Hunter Front Rack - Racks, Decaleurs, Accessories - Accessories
chrisx is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 06:15 AM
  #14  
bradtx
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Pearland, Texas
Posts: 7,579

Bikes: Cannondale, Trek, Raleigh, Santana

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 308 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Some bikes from the 80s will have the canti posts too close together for modern canti brakes to work. ...
Quite true. @jambon can measure the posts C-C on his bike and any of us with a more modern bike can do the same for a quick comparison.

Brad
bradtx is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 06:26 AM
  #15  
jambon
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Ireland
Posts: 397
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 104 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by bradtx
Quite true. @jambon can measure the posts C-C on his bike and any of us with a more modern bike can do the same for a quick comparison.

Brad
Thanks Brad , its 7cm from centre to centre of the bolts fixing the brakes onto the posts
jambon is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 06:42 AM
  #16  
bradtx
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Pearland, Texas
Posts: 7,579

Bikes: Cannondale, Trek, Raleigh, Santana

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 308 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by jambon
Thanks Brad , its 7cm from centre to centre of the bolts fixing the brakes onto the posts
Once dressed I'll check one of the Cannondales.

Brad
bradtx is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 07:44 AM
  #17  
BobG
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NH
Posts: 1,011
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 314 Post(s)
Liked 116 Times in 81 Posts
1994 Bruce Gordon Rock n Road, small frame with 700c wheels...

front= 8.5 cm
rear= 8.0 cm

Currently use Paul cantis. Originally Shimanos then Avid Shorty's. All worked fine. Frame is built for wide (45mm) tire clearance. Has a beefy MTB style unicrown fork.

Last edited by BobG; 12-12-16 at 08:35 AM.
BobG is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 07:51 AM
  #18  
bikemig 
Senior Member
 
bikemig's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Middle Earth (aka IA)
Posts: 20,505

Bikes: A bunch of old bikes and a few new ones

Mentioned: 178 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5877 Post(s)
Liked 3,445 Times in 2,066 Posts
Originally Posted by jambon
Hi all ,

Looking for a set of cantilever brakes for a touring bike build . Please let me know what is powerful and good quality . Also is it possible that I could have mounting issues with an older eighties steel frame , mounts seem typical of all other vbrake and canti mounts I have seen .

Thanks ,

J
Yeah this can be an issue and the worst offender may be the Tektro CR 720 which I suggested in an earlier post as being a fine cantilever. It is a fine cantilever but I have had difficulties in setting it up with narrower posts found on older bikes and there are other threads on this as well. As much as I like them, I'd steer clear of them in working on an older bike.
bikemig is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 09:00 AM
  #19  
jefnvk
Senior Member
 
jefnvk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Metro Detroit/AA
Posts: 8,215

Bikes: 2016 Novara Mazama

Mentioned: 63 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3640 Post(s)
Liked 81 Times in 51 Posts
Originally Posted by Doug64
... I did that on my wife's bike, because that is what she wanted. V-brakes do provide more stopping power, but my canti are more than adequate ...
If you were changing out brakes and levers at the same time, which system would you go with? Plastic spring housing on my back cantis on my MTB are cracking, the fronts were just a cheap replacement when the same housings broke in a rear end crash, and the levers are bent (but usable) for that same crash. That whole system was due for replacement this winter, even before I decided to turn it into a tourer.
jefnvk is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 09:25 AM
  #20  
Leebo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: North of Boston
Posts: 5,721

Bikes: Kona Dawg, Surly 1x1, Karate Monkey, Rockhopper, Crosscheck , Burley Runabout,

Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 854 Post(s)
Liked 111 Times in 66 Posts
I have had good luck with the Avid shortys.
Leebo is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 09:35 AM
  #21  
Wilfred Laurier
Señor Member
 
Wilfred Laurier's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,065
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 648 Post(s)
Liked 291 Times in 215 Posts
The older Shimano cantilevers (like this) are a tried and true design, are super affordable, and the smooth post pads allow adjustment to make just about any frame and fork work.

If it were my bike, though, I would probably go for mini-Vs, which will work with road brake levers without a problem or an ugly travel agent. The downside is that they can limit clearance for wider tires and fenders.
Wilfred Laurier is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 09:41 AM
  #22  
suburbanbeat
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 129
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by bikemig
Yeah this can be an issue and the worst offender may be the Tektro CR 720 which I suggested in an earlier post as being a fine cantilever. It is a fine cantilever but I have had difficulties in setting it up with narrower posts found on older bikes and there are other threads on this as well. As much as I like them, I'd steer clear of them in working on an older bike.
Yes, I had the same experience trying to mount CR-720s on an early 90s touring frame. They were easy enough to just get on the frame, but dialing them in was such a pain in the ass that I had to take it to a bike shop.
suburbanbeat is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 09:54 AM
  #23  
SkyDog75
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 3,794

Bikes: Bianchi San Mateo and a few others

Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 634 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 13 Times in 9 Posts
I'll second everything said above about the CR720's. They're great and they're easy to set up if you don't need to do much geometry tweaking -- say for narrower posts or for a change in wheel size (e.g. 27" to 700c).

For an older bike, I've normally picked up some older Dia Compe brakes like 960's or 980's. They work well, they're plenty adjustable to work with narrower posts, they look right at home on older bikes, and they can often be found on eBay in great shape.
SkyDog75 is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 09:55 AM
  #24  
Tourist in MSN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 11,112

Bikes: 1961 Ideor, 1966 Perfekt 3 Speed AB Hub, 1994 Bridgestone MB-6, 2006 Airnimal Joey, 2009 Thorn Sherpa, 2013 Thorn Nomad MkII, 2015 VO Pass Hunter, 2017 Lynskey Backroad, 2017 Raleigh Gran Prix, 1980s Bianchi Mixte on a trainer. Others are now gone.

Mentioned: 47 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3426 Post(s)
Liked 1,441 Times in 1,122 Posts
As mentioned above, the Salmon Koolstop brake pads can help you stop a loaded touring bike better than the stock pads.

I like the CR720 brakes that were mentioned above and have them on my rando bike, but they do stick out wide. On some bikes they might interfer with your pannier setup, especially in front. In the photo I have the Oryx type brakes and they do not have any problem with my luggage, but the damp laundry in the mesh bag that I have strapped on top of my left pannier would likely interfere with the CR720 brakes because they are so wide. The wheel size in the photo is a 26 inch wheel, a 700c wheel will mount the brakes a bit higher due to the larger diameter rim.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
crIMGP3512.jpg (98.6 KB, 353 views)
Tourist in MSN is offline  
Old 12-12-16, 11:04 AM
  #25  
bradtx
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Pearland, Texas
Posts: 7,579

Bikes: Cannondale, Trek, Raleigh, Santana

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 308 Post(s)
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
@jambon, I apologize for the delay...

The fork mounted posts on my two Cannondale touring bikes span 77 mm and 78 mm. For grins I checked my mountain bike and they are 80 mm apart.

The seat stay posts on the Cannondales are in the 79-80 mm range apart.

Brad
bradtx is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.