The Best cantilever brakes

[66 triumph daytona]

I had a set of 987s and they were fantastic,best cantis I ever had,simple to set up and didnt cost the earth.All other canits fade in comparison.If you can get SS7 levers then you have the perfect set up.

 

[RockiMtn]

Controltech work a treat, not a lot of faffing around to set them up either, if i could afford enough sets they'd be on most of my rides.
RBG

+1 for ControlTech canti brakes. Pair that with a set of Avid Ultimate SD canti brake levers for an awesome combo!

 

[66 triumph daytona]

Controltech work a treat, not a lot of faffing around to set them up either, if i could afford enough sets they'd be on most of my rides.
RBG

+1 for ControlTech canti brakes. Pair that with a set of Avid Ultimate SD canti brake levers for an awesome combo!

Yummy Pulstar hubs.Nice build

 

[grogee]

Agree there's probably not much in it, more to do with cable/lever setup. But if you're after VERY cheap and good, I recommend Deore cantis, 90-ish vintage. Low profile (so won't catch your ankles), easy to set up with grub screw tension adjuster, and IMHO they look the nuts when polished up.

Only slight trouble I had is getting toe in correct using 'road' Aztec pads - because the Deore canti has slots for bolt in pads as opposed to the more common post-type mounts.

 

[rc200ti]

I had a set of 987s and they were fantastic,best cantis I ever had,simple to set up and didnt cost the earth.All other canits fade in comparison.If you can get SS7 levers then you have the perfect set up.

+1

I have had this combination on a Cinder Cone since about '93, and its still a joy to use.

 

[Loki]

M960 with 737 SLR plus levers , , like them better than my XTR V brakes. EXCELLENT modulation a and stopping power.

 

[mkaavin]

I'm not sure that I agree with the claim that most canti designs are adequate and that the setup is the only differentiator.

I do agree that correct setup is crucial for good performance but there are many different designs and some work better than others.

As mentioned, the older cantis are normally wider. This will allow for more power but they will also be significantly less sensitive. "Modern" cantis are not so wide but they were normally delivered with modern lever designs that was more powerful and this I guess is my main point....what type of lever you use is probably more crucial for braking quality than your choice of cantis/pads.

My best advice is to use what I consider to be my favorite combination: M737/M738 STI units in combination with M900 cantis equipped with cartridge pads.

 

[Radar]

I had Onza HOs. They were nice. Mine didn't crack.

Brake setup. There is a neat little clamp tool thing from Tackx (I think). Sits on the top of your rim, tightens up with a wing nut and stays in place. Pads fit into position, pull cable as tight as you can get it manually, then tighten up. Brakes set up perfectly everytime (as long as you remember to put it on the right way round, otherwise toe in becomes toe out).

 

[Mr.Toad]

Probably not the best canti brakes, but surely one of the lightest (122g).

The arms are tiny!

 

[hamster]

I like cantis. Easy to set up if you have the knack. You can set then up for power, or sacrifices bit of power for better feel and modulation.

V' s aren't any better than properly set Canti's, just easier for the spodes of the late 90s to bodge into working order.

Have to disagree with you there - the longer cable travel (and therefore lower cable tension) of V's reduces cable losses from friction and compression of the outers. Also, leverage does not decrease with travel with V's - cantis decrease in mechanical advantage as they get closer to the rim (as the straddle wire becomes more of a 'V shape').

However, I do agree that well-set up cantis work perfectly well, with most of the problems being due to a lack of mechanical sympathy. The final generation of low pro cantis (1992 on, not Grogee's type above) were a step backward from the older wider types, with the mechanical advantage changes being more severe.
V's are awfully nasty at being more grabby and not at all progressive...a problem of all that mechanical advantage!