V brake calipers or canti levers?

Deputy Dawg

Hi,

I'm looking at resurrecting my old rigid diamondback as a single speed hack (getto for now).

Trouble is the old combined canti brake/gear levers are shot & I won't need the gear levers anyhow.

I do however have some V brake levers going spare.

Would I be better off getting a set of V brakes or canti levers?

I'm assuming the bosses on the frame/forks won't care whats mounted on them, I just want cheap.

*AJ*

V brake levers should work ok with canti's.... its the other way round when you get issues.

AndyOgy

V-brakes, for sure. Wiggle are doing the Avid Single Digits for £14 a set and these will give much better braking than cantilever brakes.

Always have a matching set of brakes and levers (ie canti-canti, v-v). Otherwise you'll either get wheels locking up, with no modulation. Or you'll just have really poor brakes.

ride_whenever

It isn't great, works better with canti levers and v-brakes in my experience.

I'd pop into your lbs and see if they've got some dirt cheap alloy v-brakes kicking around, you can get full sets of levers and brakes for £25 which isn't too bad!

supersonic

V brake levers pull too much cable for strandard canti brakes, and IME this makes the under powered and very wooden.

Deputy Dawg

Thanks for all the replies. I figured V's were probably the way to go but its good to get some confirmation.

Funnily enough, putting V levers on canti brakes never crossed my mind.

The Rookie

My first bike back from a 20 year latoff had canti's and V-levers, hopeless, put an old set of V-s on, much better!

Simon