Cantilever Brake Masterclass

[Tootyred]

The xc pros won't be the problem....its the setup angles....

Im sure lgf is going to say exactly the same as me!

Those cantilevers are good kit, far better than the later low profile jobbies.....low profile really didn't work unless you stuck half block stud through them to widen them back up again!

 

[Tootyred]

First, are the springs in the same fork hole position on both forks?

Second, are the springs inside in the slr postion or normal postion on both?.....im assuming they are m732?

Third push the blocks out a bit and angle them to the rim when applied.....(if put out of line that's how your tyre went bang).

Then its straddles and balancing them up....

 

[Tootyred]

Im using the same cantilever with exactly the same levers on my marin...they work perfectly, with far better modulation than v brakes.

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

Right. I’m in a terrible mood. Refused even to go to the pub. Wife and son headed off to leave me to stew. Seems the perfect time to not fiddle with cantilever brakes.
Any small amount of confidence I had has evaporated at my first clash with the enemy. There are so many variables. Two holes for the spring inside the brake. Three holes on the boss. A wedge style thing holding the block and any number of angles for the block and an infinite number of cable positions. Woe!

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

Got two sets of the hangers as shown above. Can’t even get the cable through the hole. Despair!

I might just put Maguras on it. Would the fork and 1” headset be able to take the strain?

 

[doctor-bond]

Phew. And I haven’t read any posts above yet, so this might end up sounding late … But …

1. Most important : the straddle wire needs to be different to the wire attached to your brake lever. Those shimano pills are hideous. Awful, etc … is there any more to say? OK, maybe just that it is hilarious that anyone thinks that having used them, it might be a good idea to try and sell them to someone else …Don‘t buy them)

1a: See 1. (This will cut out 90% of shit cantis).

2. Make sure that the cable hanger allows the straddle wire to move easily (if there are little grub screws on the hanger triangle, bin them).

3. If you have observed 1 to 2 above and you still have bad cantilevers life is looking good. Fear not. Just give it a wiggle.

4. what about those hex key tension spring adjusters? If you have observed 1 & 2 above this is prolly not an issue. If it still is, have a go with them and see what happens- chances are you’ll figure it out.

5. Still having problems? Post here with why or message me - cantilevers are cool.

 

[doctor-bond]

Got two sets of the hangers as shown above. Can’t even get the cable through the hole. Despair!

I might just put Maguras on it. Would the fork and 1” headset be able to take the strain?

The hangers are your problem not the cantilever brakes. You need some hangers which allow the straddle wire to self centre.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

The hangers are your problem not the cantilever brakes. You need some hangers which allow the straddle wire to self centre.

The most simple solution.

 

[bold stelvis]

Those fixed length straddle wires are awful

this is not my experience at all - if they are the correct length the shimano style link cables actually work very well - they really help reduce the amount of slack by setting up better angles in my (admittedly limited) experience in addition to removing the risk of the straddle cable becoming stuck in the tyre if the main cable breaks

I've got the shorter ones (73mm?) and they are pretty much the perfect length on low profile canti arms if the brake block posts are set up so that the blocks hit the rim parallel - I wouldn't want the straddle disk any lower

 

[Imlach]

How you haven't succumbed to v brakes yet is beyond me.