Bicycle Mechanics - brake compatibility question

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slupo
08-19-03, 11:44 PM
I'm fixing up my old 1994 Gary Fisher Mt. Tam.

It's got the old cantilever (?) brakes. I want to upgrade to Shimano LX V-brakes.

My question is can I use my existing XT Brake Levers with the new v-brakes? Again it's from 1994.

Also, will a new v-brake mount no problem in the rear... just wondering if my frame is too old and doesn't have the proper mounts for it. I have a new shock so mounting in the front is no problem (in fact, that's why I'm gettting new brakes because my old ones wouldn't mount to my new shock).

Thanks in advance!

khuon
08-20-03, 12:58 AM
Originally posted by slupo
My question is can I use my existing XT Brake Levers with the new v-brakes? Again it's from 1994.

Traditional cantilever brake levers pull half the required cable. You will need to use something like a Travel Agent (http://www.aboveroute.com/cgi-bin/s/s_click_through.pl?m_id=2&to_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fonline%2Fstore%2FProductDisplay%3FcatalogId%3D40000008000%26langId %3D-1%26storeId%3D8000%26productId%3D451779) in order to make the V-brakes work properly with your old levers.


Originally posted by slupo
Also, will a new v-brake mount no problem in the rear... just wondering if my frame is too old and doesn't have the proper mounts for it.

It depends. Your canti mounts may be close enough within the adjustability range of the V-brake's adjustment slots. You may also want to investigate other V-brakes than the Shimano LXs. Some may have more adjustment range than others.