Bicycle Mechanics - V Brake Travel Agent

After much consideration (and some frustration-this may be my only option) I've decided to use a Travel Agent to adapt my V brakes to my road brake levers. I found a shop that carries them and was wondering about their performance. So, whomever has experience with these, please let me know what you think.

Thanks

I've used them on my tandem in the past and they performed well with Ergo levers. If your shifters are not integrated with your levers, another option is to go with DiaComp 287-V road levers. I've got these levers pulling my V-brakes on my tour bike. No travel agent required for this set up.

I use Travel Agents with me Vee brakes simply to replace the noodle. I don't use the inner pulley since I do not need to change the cable pull of the levers. I have been very happy with them because they make the brake actuation very smooth.

If you install the units yourself, follow the instructions carefully. It is critical how the pulley lines up so you get maximum brake pull when using it to adapt road levers.

Never used it personally with road levers, but I have converted numerous canti levers to vee calipers on many mountain bikes with much success.

L8R

Never used it personally with road levers, but I have converted numerous canti levers to vee calipers on many mountain bikes with much success.

L8R

You mean using canti brake levers with V calipers? If so, did you modify the brake levers and how so? I have a set of old LX rapid fire shifter/levers which I'd like to use with V-brakes. I was thinking of using travel agents for this set up but if I can instead modify my brake levers, that's even better.

Yeah, kinda confusing after reading what I wrote.

My buddy wanted to upgrade to vee brakes, but had integrated Canti lever/shifters, so it would have cost him an arm and a leg to get all new shifters as well. I recommended the travel agent and new vee-brake calipers. The combo worked great. Didn't have to do a thing to the levers.

L8R

After much consideration (and some frustration-this may be my only option) I've decided to use a Travel Agent to adapt my V brakes to my road brake levers. I found a shop that carries them and was wondering about their performance. So, whomever has experience with these, please let me know what you think.

Thanks

I do a fair amount of tandem stuff so I've had quite a bit of experience with Travel Agents.

The only real trick on installation is to estimate the right place to run the cable through the little hole in the pulley. My advice is to do your front brake first. That way if you bugger up your cable on your first attempt (a fairly likely possibility), you can use your old rear brake cable on the front. Speaking of cables, Travel Agent says to use braided cables. Don't. Braided cables have too much stretch and you'll never get good performance. I use ordinary stainless brake cables, but inspect them often where they go through the pulley.

I started out with travel agents for my 105 Sti's and V-brakes. Worked fine. However I found braking even better with out the agent as long as the wheels are reasonable true and you can use tightly adjusted brakes. That's what I have on the front. I had to leave the agent on the rear as I already have almost too much braking there as it is.

Al

I've been running a set on my commuter bike for years even though I have V-brake levers. I run them in the "pulley" fashion not the "doubler" so that they take the place of the noodles. I find them to fell much smoother than noodles giving me better brake modulation.

I tried to install the agent yesterday in the "double" configuration-not fun. I thought I had it but the spring return on the calipers was too week. I finally got frustrated and took it to the shop (I was going to let them wrap my bars anyway), I hope to have it back today. The mech. said they do work well and are easy to adjust.

Update: they don't work at all and are difficult to adjust. I picked up my bike yesterday after the lbs struck out. I returned the travel agents and ordered a set of Dia Comp 287 (?) v brake road levers-promised to work without agents, adjusters, or any additional device. In addition, my rr brake cable is too kinked to re-install. Man, what a headache...


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