Re cabelling cantilever brakes

Matty1235

Hi, a couple of quick questions.

1) When putting the cable which goes from the shifters to the triangle above the brakes, so you thread it through the hole and tighten the nut or allen bolt?

2) how do you hold everything without having four hands, cable, brake blocks together, allen bolt and nut?

Thanks

Sirius631

I think this is the old set-up. My old Mafacs and Dia Compes used this set-up. The more modern cantilevers have the cable being passed through a bobin type thing and secured on one of the arms directly.

To be sure, it helps to have a 'third hand' tool, whereby it only takes one hand to actually tension the cable. Alternatively, nip the thightening nut up so that it applies a slight clamping force, pull the yoke wire up by hand whilst pulling the cable through the clamp bolt with a pair of pliers. Then discard the pliers, without allowing the cable to slip back through the bolt, and tighten the bolt down further, so that the cable does not pull through the bolt when you release the yoke wire. Then get a spanner on both ends of the clamp bolt and give it the final torque. Three steps would become one with a 'third hand' tool and a modern pair of cantilevers.

Matty1235

Hi Thanks for the reply, it's hard to see but follow the link to see picture of brakes. It is a modern bike so i'm suprised they are old style brakes.

http://www.focusbikesuk.com/focuscycloc ... expert.php

So basically tighten enough to hold it and pull it through too. The 3rd hand tool is on the christmas list.

Thanks

Sirius631

So maybe this method hadn't been replaced as completely as I thought. The pass-through bobin method has a definate advantage, imho, as it has one less bolt do up.

Matty1235

I managed to do it in 5 mins after spending an hour and getting it wrong. Maybe I just don't have the mechanical brain, it was so obvious but I couldn't see.

Saved me a tenner as i nearly went to the LBS.

Cheers