Changing from V brake to Cantilever

alpi

I have a Specialized Tricross Comp which is fitted with V brakes. I'd like to change these because I find the braking action very sloppy and they are very fiddly to adjust. I find you have to keep the brake blocks adjusted very close to the rim. Also they interfere with the mudguards I have fitted. The rear in particular rubs across the top of the mudguard and caused the brake to 'push' from one side.

I'd like to try fitting canti's but wonder how big a job this is. Would I have to fit new brake cables as well and would I need to fit some kind of cable hanger front and rear.

Thinking of trying Shimano BR-R550 canti's or maybe Avid Shorty 6 2009 version which Avid claim to be better at reducing fork judder than previous versions

Any advice on how to go about this would be appreciated ?



cheers

Al

will3

Fit a fork mounted front hanger

http://www.dotbike.com/ProductsP6181.as ... aign%3dDDI

presumably you have mini v brakes not full scale ones? Otherwise you have cable pull problems.

Stuck on a Giant

Hi there,

I've replaced the mini-Vs on my Tricross with Tektro 520s. You need to get an 'uphanger' - I think listed as a Kona KF uphanger, sold by Spa Cycles or Dotbike which goes onto the front mudguard bolt. This reduces (in my case eliminates) the judder that some complain about on these bikes. No need for new cables.

It's certainly a good upgrade, I'm glad I've done it - more rim clearance but still plenty of stopping power.

If you go for the Tektro's, they come in black or silver, so decide which colour will look best.

redvee

I've got the standard Tektro V's on my Sinlglecross and now that I've swapped the spacers on the brake arms around the braking has improved dramatically. The only issue I've found with the braking and one I've had with the same set-ups is the outer from top-tube to rear brake needs lubing often, especially after a wet ride but I've got a Middleburn Oiler on the short outer.

Mister W

Fitting cantis can be a bit fiddly but IMHO they are better than V brakes.

As others have said, you will need cable hangers, front and rear. The Kona hanger is a good one but if you've got mudguards fitted you may have to source a different length bolt as everything bolts through the same hole. An alternative is a cable hanger that fits to the steerer - http://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m13b107s162p2146&rs=gb - but this will only work if you have a decent stack of spacers otherwise there's not enought space for the cable to get into the top of the hanger.

Rear hangers are another game completely. I've yet to find one that fits on my bike as I have a small frame and none of them allow sufficient clearance. You can get ones that fit to the bolt of the seat post clamp but you need a large frame to get enough clearance. Or a better option is a seat post clamp with a built in hanger.

Once you've sourced your hangers, it's pretty straighforward to fit the brakes. You may need new cables or you might get away with using the old ones. Try it and see.

Monty Dog

FWIW you don't need to change the cables as one you fit the straddle wires etc, you actually reduce the cable length. As the OP says, getting the right cable stops is key - the resurgance of 'cross bikes at least makes parts easier to obtain than 5 years ago. Tektro 520s are good as they take Vee-type shoes which are easier to set up that traditional post-mount pads, which have limited ability to adjust toe-in. I'd choose the Tektros over low profile cantis like the Avids and Shimanos which don't offer anything like as much clearance.

alpi

Thanks for all the replies and links, thats been really helpful.

I'm going to order a set of the Tektro's to replace the mini V's. Looks like I can get those for almost half the price of the Shimano's or Avids and if they have better clearance that will help. I had the Tricross off-road in the mud a few times and it quickly built up between the pads and the rim and you could hear it scouring the rim when braking.

Should have enough space for the cable hanger that fits to the steerer so I'll check that out.

redvee

If you can find one a headset cable hanger for threaded headsets in 1 1/8" will fit on a threadless set-up in place of a 5mm spacer but you might have to file the threads from inside the hole.

will3

FWIW the headset mounted cable hanger arrangent was one of the things that was implicated in the Tricross fork judder saga. Go for the Kona fork mounted one, as that's what most people ended up doing to fix the problem.

alpi

I've ordered Tektro Cr720's and the Kona hanger. Should hopefully arrive for the weekend. No doubt get a chance to test wet weather performance if the miserable weather continues as forecast!

DavidBelcher

+1 to Monty's comments about using V-brake pads with cantis. Seems to be better choice and quality out there, and of course decent pads go some way towards judder-free braking.

David

mattsccm

Did the same to mine. Unless you want to add an adjuster you won't need anything at the back as there is a cable stop/bridge so just run your outer to that. Easy. for the front just use a stem mounted stop if you haven't gone any other way. by ditching the V's you have got rid of the supposed judder which I have never had on my Tricross. Must admit I ditched the V's before riding as they look so tacky. Play with cable and straddle wire lengths to get your favourite feel. I prefer to use cable hooks and the straddle that lock in the place as they are a bit firmer.

ctznsmith

So if I get a Kona style uphanger like this from Spa cycles as mentioned above can I use the nut fitting bolt on my Tricross forks or will I need an allen key fixing?

alpi

ctznsmith wrote:

So if I get a Kona style uphanger like this from Spa cycles as mentioned above can I use the nut fitting bolt on my Tricross forks or will I need an allen key fixing?

I bought Tektro canti's and the Kona hanger for my Tricross but haven't got round to fitting the hanger yet due to the nut style fitting bolt. Because of the channel on the front of the hanger, you don't have space to turn the nut at that end. Clearance on the rear of the fork is very tight making it difficult to tighten the nut from the rear. An allen key fixing sounds like the answer.

I did swap the mini v's at the rear for canti's, which was my main problem due to clearance issue with mudguard. Canti's solved this and braking performance is much better than mini v's. Also gives much better rim clearance.

I see Specialized are now fitting a fork mounted hanger to the 2010 Tricross.
Some info on it here -

http://cdn.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/pdf/manuals/IG0226_Tricross_Guide.pdf

Maybe a Specialized dealer could supply one of those.

Jamey

Hmmm... Interesting.

Installing the front cable hanger is the only thing stopping me from switching to Cantis on my Tricross (Sport Triple 2008).

I've got mudguards fitted and looking at the nut and bolt that attach the front mudguard there is no way I can see to actually get at the nut on the rear of the forks. It's sitting in a little channel with hardly any clearance around the sides.

I've tried every socket piece I can find but none of them are slim enough to get into the channel. I've tried needle-nose pliers too but again there isn't enough room to grip the sides.

That bolt is actually fairly loose and I suspect that the person who fitted the mudguards (I asked the shop to do it when I bought the bike) might have just used their little finger as best they could to obtain just enough tightness to hold the mudguard in place reasonably well.

I honestly have no idea how I would remove the bolt to fit a hanger at the front, be it Kona or that Specialized one shown in the PDF above.

I suppose I could do the "innocent customer with deceptively simple request" routine and ask a shop to do it

will3

Jamey wrote:

Hmmm... Interesting.

Installing the front cable hanger is the only thing stopping me from switching to Cantis on my Tricross (Sport Triple 2008).

I've got mudguards fitted and looking at the nut and bolt that attach the front mudguard there is no way I can see to actually get at the nut on the rear of the forks. It's sitting in a little channel with hardly any clearance around the sides.

I've tried every socket piece I can find but none of them are slim enough to get into the channel. I've tried needle-nose pliers too but again there isn't enough room to grip the sides.

That bolt is actually fairly loose and I suspect that the person who fitted the mudguards (I asked the shop to do it when I bought the bike) might have just used their little finger as best they could to obtain just enough tightness to hold the mudguard in place reasonably well.

I honestly have no idea how I would remove the bolt to fit a hanger at the front, be it Kona or that Specialized one shown in the PDF above.

I suppose I could do the "innocent customer with deceptively simple request" routine and ask a shop to do it

pictures?

k2rider

why not get a deep drop cable hanger that fits under the stem?

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-Kall ... k-7164.htm

ive fitted some of the shimano r550`s to my cross bike and theyre a pretty decent brake, one thing i did though was to fit some inline barrel adjusters the ones usually found on gear cables so i had some adjustment and so i can slacken them off when changing wheels and they work a treat, ugly but very functional.