What V Brakes with shimano 5800 levers?
01-30-22, 12:00 PM
#1
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What V Brakes with shimano 5800 levers?
I'm going to build up a Surly CC with drop bars. 105 5800 levers. I was first thinking of getting canti brakes but after going through all these threads, maybe I should get mini v brakes. I won't be riding in mud or wet conditions to often or even at all. I don't race and I don't need superior stopping power. I am just looking for something that works good and is easy enough to setup. I do get a little worried about reading that mini v brakes need to be setup really close to the rim? How close are we talking?
What brakes should I get? Im a little confused with the arm length. It looks like I can still get some cx8.4 or cx9 on ebay. Any other options or should I just stick with Cantis?
Thanks
What brakes should I get? Im a little confused with the arm length. It looks like I can still get some cx8.4 or cx9 on ebay. Any other options or should I just stick with Cantis?
Thanks
01-30-22, 07:30 PM
#2
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I ran a BMX length v-brake on my canti CX bike 8 years ago - brutal braking performance considering the short pull of the road levers, no rim clearance issues, but I did have to watch the tire height clearance.
01-30-22, 08:19 PM
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I have a set of Tektro RX6 mini-v's on my New Albion Privateer and they work great. I currently run 700x38 but I think they'd easily handle fatter tires.
01-31-22, 09:01 AM
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The TRP CX9 works with Shimano levers. I think the slightly shorter CX8.4 works better with SRAM/Campy levers.
I used the CX9 with 5700 105 levers on my old CX bike and they worked pretty good. The brake feel is a little mushy, but they are way more powerful than traditional cantilevers. They do have to be run really close to the rim and I had to frequently adjust them to prevent rubbing, but as long as your wheels are true it won't be an issue.
I eventually switched to Avid Shorty Ultimates, which also work great but have a lot more mud clearance.
I used the CX9 with 5700 105 levers on my old CX bike and they worked pretty good. The brake feel is a little mushy, but they are way more powerful than traditional cantilevers. They do have to be run really close to the rim and I had to frequently adjust them to prevent rubbing, but as long as your wheels are true it won't be an issue.
I eventually switched to Avid Shorty Ultimates, which also work great but have a lot more mud clearance.
01-31-22, 11:14 AM
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I tried to like mini Vs. They were the TRP whatever for Shimano and I used non-compression housing. They seemed grabby but they would surely stop the bike. Clearance was the issue. I couldn't set them up to clear an inflated 38mm tire. I'm now using some Cane Creek cantis with KoolStop pads and they feel almost as good as a caliper brake. If you decide to try the mini Vs, shop around because prices for the TRPs vary quite a bit.
01-31-22, 01:12 PM
#6
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I presume 5800s are road levers? You need to match the cable pull. Road levers are short-pull, and so are traditional cantis; while V-Brakes are long pull.If you're looking at mini-vees, check the amount of pull they require.
01-31-22, 02:01 PM
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V-brakes for long pull / mountain levers have arms that are usually about 105-110mm long (or something like that). For short pull road levers, shorter V's are a must - like the TRP CX 8.4 (with 84mm long arms), for instance. I had the TRP CX 9 (90mm) long on my road bike and they were a bit too powerful / grabby, and you had to run the pads pretty close to the rim. I switched to Paul MiniMotos (81mm long arms) and they are better. Campy levers, I should note.
Another option (but probably not for the OP) is to use drop bar levers that are long pull. one example: https://www.modernbike.com/cane-cree...l-brake-silver
Another option (but probably not for the OP) is to use drop bar levers that are long pull. one example: https://www.modernbike.com/cane-cree...l-brake-silver
01-31-22, 02:08 PM
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I went ahead and ordered the cx 8.4. I found more support for the 8.4 then the 9.0 for the newer shimano levers. They seem to not have the clearance issue and stopping is good/adequate. I'll let you know how they work out
Thanks
Thanks
01-31-22, 02:15 PM
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FWIW, it looks like TRP only sells the CX8.4 now. The CX9's are all over Ebay/Amazon though, just not listed on the TRP website.
And yes, these "mini-V"s are intended for use with shorter pull road levers, not to be confused with regular V brakes that require MTB or BMX levers that pull more cable. The shorter the arm, the less power, but also the less cable that needs to be pulled.
There is also a product out there that acts as a pully to allow road levers to pull more cable. This would allow any MTB V brake to be used with road levers. Not sure how well it works in real life, but the theory makes sense:
https://www.benscycle.com/problem-so...MaAo_wEALw_wcB
And yes, these "mini-V"s are intended for use with shorter pull road levers, not to be confused with regular V brakes that require MTB or BMX levers that pull more cable. The shorter the arm, the less power, but also the less cable that needs to be pulled.
There is also a product out there that acts as a pully to allow road levers to pull more cable. This would allow any MTB V brake to be used with road levers. Not sure how well it works in real life, but the theory makes sense:
https://www.benscycle.com/problem-so...MaAo_wEALw_wcB
02-01-22, 01:08 PM
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FWIW, it looks like TRP only sells the CX8.4 now. The CX9's are all over Ebay/Amazon though, just not listed on the TRP website.
And yes, these "mini-V"s are intended for use with shorter pull road levers, not to be confused with regular V brakes that require MTB or BMX levers that pull more cable. The shorter the arm, the less power, but also the less cable that needs to be pulled.
There is also a product out there that acts as a pully to allow road levers to pull more cable. This would allow any MTB V brake to be used with road levers. Not sure how well it works in real life, but the theory makes sense:
https://www.benscycle.com/problem-so...MaAo_wEALw_wcB
And yes, these "mini-V"s are intended for use with shorter pull road levers, not to be confused with regular V brakes that require MTB or BMX levers that pull more cable. The shorter the arm, the less power, but also the less cable that needs to be pulled.
There is also a product out there that acts as a pully to allow road levers to pull more cable. This would allow any MTB V brake to be used with road levers. Not sure how well it works in real life, but the theory makes sense:
https://www.benscycle.com/problem-so...MaAo_wEALw_wcB
Last edited by Doug64; 02-01-22 at 01:13 PM.
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