Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 18,056
Bikes: Stewart S&S coupled sport tourer, Stewart Sunday light, Stewart Commuting, Stewart Touring, Co Motion Tandem, Stewart 3-Spd, Stewart Track, Fuji Finest, Mongoose Tomac ATB, GT Bravado ATB, JCP Folder, Stewart 650B ATB
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"If you don't change the straddle cable length, then most modern "canti" brakes are exactly as easy to set up as V-brakes; they have the exact same method of mounting the pad to the brake arm, the brake arm is mounted to the same stud with the same pivot. The older versions with the unthreaded clamped bar mount were the difficult ones." cycle_maven
Yet it is these older smooth pad mounting shaft that are more adjustable. Ease of adjustment has nothing to do with ultimate power. Range of adjustment allows the greatest potential power to be had.
Many/most more current bikes have the brake bosses placed in a narrower placement range. So the more current canti brakes (and "V" brakes) can be designed around this more consistent boss spec. But I've seen more then a few bikes with vastly differing boss placements on the front VS the rear, on the same bike. A Bridgestone I service yearly has the ft bosses about 70mm apart and the rear about 80mm apart. Just 10mm of difference may as well be a mile for brake set up purposes.
As a shop wrench I've learned to be very careful about assuming any bike's dimensional specs. Also I've learned to be reserved in making broad claims without actually having the bike in front of me. This concept is hard for many to accept. In today's interweb world of information sourcing so many think that what they read is absolute and applies to their situation without qualification. I've had customers not understand why i hesitate to quote them services over the phone, only to have them end up in the shop later with a poorly serviced bike or a partially done replacement/up grade. Andy.