Changing Canti Brakes do I have to retape?

mickisup
mickisup Posts: 295
edited October 2015 in Workshop
I am considering changing recently fitted Avid Shorty Canti's to a TRP alternative or even mini-V type brakes. However I really don't want to incur extra cost of a new set of Lizardskins tape! Can anyone advise whether this type of change requires full re-cabling or can the brake units themselves just be swapped out and new straddle cable fitted? Many thanks

Comments

  • id say that the length of the brake cable will be longer for mini v's. just done the same thing and i needed new cables.
  • mickisup
    mickisup Posts: 295
    Thanks, so did you change without having to retape?
  • jp1970
    jp1970 Posts: 134
    Why not try and remove the bar tape very carefully then re-use..... Seems to work with most (black) bar tape... Haven't tried lizard skin
  • term1te
    term1te Posts: 1,462
    I've successfully removed an re-fitted Lizard skin handlebar tape. You may need to replace, or supplement, the short section of tape that tides it all up, nearest the stem, I used some insulating tape to hold it in place and put the Lizard skin section over that. But as has been said, you may be able to get away with out changing the tape, if the cables need to be the same length.
  • If you're going to mini-Vs you will need a much longer outer cable. But it's well worth fitting an inline adjuster and this, rather neatly, leads to a solution where you only have to add a extra run of outer cable below the adjuster.