Bike shop in SE London: Adjusting Cantilever brakes
feisty
Posts: 161
I have a Ribble CX bike that I use as my commuter / wet weather bike. It has Cantilever brakes.
Since I've had it, I've never been able to get the brakes set up right and, despite having extremely good pads, the stopping power is a million miles off my other road bike which has caliper brakes (and that bike just has the pads the bike came with).
I think the issue is that the cables are not tight enough (when I pull the rear brake, it doesn't grip the rim that hard). I'm not at all mechanically minded but read Sheldon Brown's article and attempted to adjust them but to no avail (I end up getting in a right mess tightening some bits and loosening others!) Have spent hours doing this!
I've taken the bike to two bike shops in South East London (who I've otherwise found to be very good) and both of whom said "We don't see many bikes with cantilevers" fiddled a bit with the result that they managed to improve the front brake but not the rear.
So my question is whether anyone in SE London knows of a bike shop mechanic who they've used to get cantilevers adjusted so I could go to to get these sorted once and for all! If not, I can try a few more. Failing that, if anyone on this forum knows their cantilever brakes well and lives in SE London and wants £15-£20 I would happily pop over one evening / weekend!
Thanks in advance for any help
Since I've had it, I've never been able to get the brakes set up right and, despite having extremely good pads, the stopping power is a million miles off my other road bike which has caliper brakes (and that bike just has the pads the bike came with).
I think the issue is that the cables are not tight enough (when I pull the rear brake, it doesn't grip the rim that hard). I'm not at all mechanically minded but read Sheldon Brown's article and attempted to adjust them but to no avail (I end up getting in a right mess tightening some bits and loosening others!) Have spent hours doing this!
I've taken the bike to two bike shops in South East London (who I've otherwise found to be very good) and both of whom said "We don't see many bikes with cantilevers" fiddled a bit with the result that they managed to improve the front brake but not the rear.
So my question is whether anyone in SE London knows of a bike shop mechanic who they've used to get cantilevers adjusted so I could go to to get these sorted once and for all! If not, I can try a few more. Failing that, if anyone on this forum knows their cantilever brakes well and lives in SE London and wants £15-£20 I would happily pop over one evening / weekend!
Thanks in advance for any help
0
Comments
-
A friend mechanic, formerly at Brick Lane bikes, opened a shop called "seabass cycles" in SE 5
http://www.seabasscycles.co.ukleft the forum March 20230 -
pppp0
-
Messed around for hrs with my canti adjusting the toe in, & every other thing possible etc and I still seem to get fork judder & poor breaking often :x
Even when I get them working okish they seem to need alot of tweeking to stay working properly.
Mini v might be an option.
Tektro 926AL0 -
Thanks for shop recommendations.
Can you fit mini Vs to cantilever points easily then?0
