Bicycle Mechanics - Center Pull Brakes

I am considering buying this bike with center pull brakes. I am only familiar with sidepull vbrakes. Are center pull brakes any good? Also, do they have a "quick release" for when you have a flat like side pull brakes do? IOW, how do you get the wheel out from between the pads for fixing flats?

The cable attaching the two calipers has a lead round attached to one end, the cable slots through the top of the caliper and the shot anchors it. Very similar to cabling a brake leaver.

O.k for flatland- but usually upgraded. I had a anchor attached to the crown of my fork to slot the cable\ base of pull. This greatly increased the stability of front braking compared to headset or stem mounted router\ pull anchor.

To release, grab the caliper>push to the wheel\ grab the cable> pull towards you\ slip the lead outta the hole.

Red Koolstops (less carbon) helped to get some rear immediate lock with braking.

If you consider- perhaps a just V-front for the added power.

I am considering buying this bike with center pull brakes. I am only familiar with sidepull vbrakes. Are center pull brakes any good? Also, do they have a "quick release" for when you have a flat like side pull brakes do? IOW, how do you get the wheel out from between the pads for fixing flats?

Just what do you mean when you say "centerpull brakes"?

If the brake arms attach to the fork on each side, you have "cantilever brakes." Many people still use cantilever brakes and some might even argue they are the best. They tend to be a little harder to set up than some other designs. To remove youw wheel with cantilever brakes, you squeeze the brake together with your hand and remove the straddle cable from one of the arms.

If the brake is one piece that attaches to the fork crown and brake bridge, you have a very old bike with true centerpull brakes. They are pretty hard to keep one arm from dragging the rim so I like the newer caliper designs much better. You can also remove the straddle cable from one arm to change the wheel, but it's harder to do than with cantilevers.

There is also a U-Brake design that some people call center pulls. Most often you see these mounted near the bottom bracket on the chain stays.

Just what do you mean when you say "centerpull brakes"?

If the brake arms attach to the fork on each side, you have "cantilever brakes." Many people still use cantilever brakes and some might even argue they are the best. They tend to be a little harder to set up than some other designs. To remove youw wheel with cantilever brakes, you squeeze the brake together with your hand and remove the straddle cable from one of the arms.

If the brake is one piece that attaches to the fork crown and brake bridge, you have a very old bike with true centerpull brakes. They are pretty hard to keep one arm from dragging the rim so I like the newer caliper designs much better. You can also remove the straddle cable from one arm to change the wheel, but it's harder to do than with cantilevers.

There is also a U-Brake design that some people call center pulls. Most often you see these mounted near the bottom bracket on the chain stays.

I've attached a picture now, are those cantilever?

I've attached a picture now, are those cantilever?

Yup. Not only that, but they look to me like one of the better designs.

That anchor for the front brake is poorly designed (A). The most efficiant\ powerful anchor will be site B, through the unicrown, The hole the reflector is mounted in. This requires a piece of hardware bolted onto the front of the fork with the cable routed into it.
Doesn't look as clean, but way more stable\ powerful.

The one in the pic is better, i'm taking even more heavyduty.

U.S. Backstop V-Brake Housing Stop
Frame mounted clamp-on housing stop for linear pull brakes. Designed to replace cable guide or lack of cable stop on top tube. Machined and anodized 6061 aluminum, hinged for easy installation. 1 1/8, 1 1/4, 1 3/8, 1 1/2” – Black, Silver

That anchor for the front brake is poorly designed (A). The most efficiant\ powerful anchor will be site B, through the unicrown, The hole the reflector is mounted in. This requires a piece of hardware bolted onto the front of the fork with the cable routed into it.
Doesn't look as clean, but way more stable\ powerful.

I disagree. That is the most practical spot for a cable hanger if you have a rigid fork. Cyclocross bikes running cantis use cable hangers mounted at that spot. Most suspension forks have integrated hangers just above site B as you indicate.

Either way, it will be strong enough for my needs. Just picked up the bike for my 1/2 and it likely will spend a lot of it's life hanging in the garage. I just wanted to make sure there is a quick way to change a flat. It looks like that shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for the replies.

That anchor for the front brake is poorly designed

Based on what, your opinion?

Actually, there are a number of factors that affect the performance of cantilever brakes.

One that surprised me is how sensitive they are to the shape of the triangle formed by the straddle cable. If the base of the triangle is too narrow, they won't retract. If it's too wide, the "feel" at the lever sucks. In this case, if the cable hanger was placed on the unicrown, the triangle would likely be too wide.

Another issue that has come up in the past is what happens if the brake cable happens to snap. The earilest versions of cantilevers used a straddle cable that connected the two brake arms. If the main brake cable snapped, that straddle cable would snag one of the tire lugs, lock up the front tire, and cause the rider to perforn an unintended forward flip. The front reflector bracket on this bike was designed to catch the straddle cable in that event and keep the flip from happening.

These particular Shimano brakes have an additional design feature that addresses both of the issues that I mentioned above. These brakes have a link wire that replaces the straddle cable. The link wire both controls the shape of the triangle and allows the brake cable to pull through, rather than catch a lug, in the event it snaps. That's why I said that I thought they were one of the better designs.

umm..... i like disc brakes but hey those brakes are cool too. cantilever brakes seem to work very good. my dad's old school gary fischer advance (had a manitou fork, their first one) had cantilever brakes and they worked fine when i rode it.

umm..... i like disc brakes but hey those brakes are cool too. cantilever brakes seem to work very good. my dad's old school gary fischer advance (had a manitou fork, their first one) had cantilever brakes and they worked fine when i rode it.
Wow that was informative. :rolleyes:

The cable stop? Where the housing stops. bare wire starts, still gets a fair pull.
I run a ridged fork and have used various headset and neck anchors. The through the headset or under pull the headset down.
This type pulls the headset foreward. a Trek in my basement w\ this has had collar of the headset loosen right up.
If you brake the fork pulls backward.
I was told by an informed LBS owner the 'catch' was to be located closest to the centerpull for max power. Maybe similar to 700 road bike brakes mounted in the same spot. I think i'm borrowing bmx ideas again.
My LBS friend also nixed the frame anchor I posted.

Safety note to Ranger and anyone with similar cantilever brakes -- The reflectors, particularly the front, are critical safety features. If either main brake cable snaps, the reflector mounting bracket is your only protection against the straddle cable becoming tangled in the tyre tread, which will bring the wheel to an abrupt stop.

To increase braking leverage, at the expense of a longer throw at the handle, shorten the straddle cable a bit.

Safety note to Ranger and anyone with similar cantilever brakes -- The reflectors, particularly the front, are critical safety features. If either main brake cable snaps, the reflector mounting bracket is your only protection against the straddle cable becoming tangled in the tyre tread, which will bring the wheel to an abrupt stop.

That's if you're using those old straddle cables....

Safety note to Ranger and anyone with similar cantilever brakes -- The reflectors, particularly the front, are critical safety features. If either main brake cable snaps, the reflector mounting bracket is your only protection against the straddle cable becoming tangled in the tyre tread, which will bring the wheel to an abrupt stop.

To increase braking leverage, at the expense of a longer throw at the handle, shorten the straddle cable a bit.

Good point! Even this little yolk I've bolted to the fork is a quick fix untill I install linear side pull cantilevers. Even just the front for some good DH stopping power. AND for the reason mentioned above.
Every month I seem to buy something other than the brake, this time a Ritchey quill stem wth no cable stay.

BTW..the leverage seems greater and the mod worked. Except I'm gonna endo when the wire wraps over the tire. I have a safety stop on the rear.