Cyclocross - Brakes for Cross

Good article on Brake choices for Cyclocross

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/9054.0.html

Good article! I am getting ready to build a cross and haven't decided what I wanted as far as brakes go.

Good article! I am getting ready to build a cross and haven't decided what I wanted as far as brakes go.

I'm in the same situation. I'll be building a cross bike soon and expect to use Avid Shorty brakes. Good article though. It definitely has made me think about at least shopping around.

i went from old school onza low profiles (they broke) to pauls neo-retros. i couldnt understand why i lost power, but was thoroughly impressed my the pad/rim clearance. this article explains a lot! buuttttt....... now that the pads have bedded into the rim a bit, the braking power has greatly improved!

now if the UCI would lift the ban on discs... and beer tents.

I've had good luck with the Shimano canti's on 2 different bikes for the last 2 years.

Using Paul Touring Canti's on both of my bikes. Had pretty good luck with 'em.

I'm pretty fond of the avid shorties and the shimano br550s.

Here's the bottom line - there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with Avid Shorties, the almost identical Diacomp 986's (or 987's) or Shimano LX cantilevers or the various Mavic and Mavic work-alikes.

V-brakes are not a good application on cyclocross bikes because the clearance simply isn't enough even if you're using the old Shimano variable rate mountain bike levers. They work fine on mountain bikes that are used in dry conditions.

While Travel Agents make it better it simply is not a good application of the product nor the V-brakes. They work well on touring bikes if you think that somehow a V-brake's extreme sensitivity is something that you prefer.

You can have technicians sitting around and discussing brake designs all they want and it still has no practical use to the rider.

Avid Shorties work well and that's all that you need to know. If you want to be different go ahead but don't pretend that there's any advantage to it.

And by the way - the long arm Mavics and work-alikes do NOT have greater clearance for mud - they have slightly greater mechanical advantage which means that like V-Brakes they actually have LESS clearance at the pads. The difference is slight though and hardly worth mentioning if that point hadn't been misstated in the article.

Here's the bottom line - there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with Avid Shorties, the almost identical Diacomp 986's (or 987's) or Shimano LX cantilevers or the various Mavic and Mavic work-alikes.

V-brakes are not a good application on cyclocross bikes because the clearance simply isn't enough even if you're using the old Shimano variable rate mountain bike levers. They work fine on mountain bikes that are used in dry conditions.

While Travel Agents make it better it simply is not a good application of the product nor the V-brakes. They work well on touring bikes if you think that somehow a V-brake's extreme sensitivity is something that you prefer.

You can have technicians sitting around and discussing brake designs all they want and it still has no practical use to the rider.

Avid Shorties work well and that's all that you need to know. If you want to be different go ahead but don't pretend that there's any advantage to it.

And by the way - the long arm Mavics and work-alikes do NOT have greater clearance for mud - they have slightly greater mechanical advantage which means that like V-Brakes they actually have LESS clearance at the pads. The difference is slight though and hardly worth mentioning if that point hadn't been misstated in the article.

Mavics? I think you mean Mafac.

[QUOTE=cyclintom]Here's the bottom line - there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with Avid ShortiesQUOTE]
bottom line is that shorties dont stop in the mud. v-brakes do, on a cross bike and in the mud

I just replaced my old stock Avids with the Empella Frogglegs and there is a huge performance difference. Good information!

And by the way - the long arm Mavics and work-alikes do NOT have greater clearance for mud

that is straight up not true. just look at these two photos from that article:

http://images.velonews.com/images/report/9054.13064.t.jpg

http://images.velonews.com/images/report/9054.13066.t.jpg

mafac-types do not extend any higher than the brake shoe. the avids do. there is more space around the tire with mafac-types. not only that but with mafac-types the straddle cable is set much higher giving much more mud clearance there too.

p.s. by mavic i assume you mean mafac, right?