Touring - good non-road brakes for a touring/recreational bike?

my roommate recently purchased a 2003 Jamis Aurora...it was previously a rental bike, and was a great deal (it's in near-perfect shape). i'm a big fan of Jamis bikes, and i like almost all of the parts on the bike, except both of us don't like the Tektro cantilever brakes. i was wondering what would be a good choice to replace those with...i was thinking Avid Shortys, but i've read of people putting V-brakes on this bike as well. any suggestions?

You might take a look at the Rivendell site (www.rivbike.com). I haven't paid any attention to model numbers, but when I built my Atlantis, I chose some mid-range Shimano cantis out of the catalog on Riv's recommendation, and they've worked great for 4000 miles.
If money's a factor, you might consider a set of good aftermarket pads on your existing brakes. They can make a big difference.

Either a set of travel agents or V-brake levers are required to pull V-brakes, should you decide to make that conversion. Some people had success with Tectro mini-v brakes using standard road levers as well. My suggestion is to try using different brake pads on your cantis and make sure they're adjusted correctly. When set up correctly, cantis are just as effective as V-brakes.

Any used Shimano canti will work fine, and there's a milion of them lying around. A pal, ebay, or maybe a LBS could scare some up for you. Don't forget to get new pads.

I've never liked cantilever brakes. They are difficult to adjust, hard to take the wheels off and they lack braking power. I switched mine to Avid mountain bike V-brakes. They work very well with STI shifter/levers. If the wheels are true, you don't need to worry about using one of those cable-pull adjusters.

It's nice to have braking that can lift the rear wheel of the ground. It's also nice to have decent braking with wet rims.

Al

I've never liked cantilever brakes. They are difficult to adjust, hard to take the wheels off and they lack braking power. I switched mine to Avid mountain bike V-brakes. They work very well with STI shifter/levers. If the wheels are true, you don't need to worry about using one of those cable-pull adjusters.

It's nice to have braking that can lift the rear wheel of the ground. It's also nice to have decent braking with wet rims.

Al

My canti bike is almost as powerful as my V-brake bike in stopping power. Although I do find adjusting V-brakes to be a much easier task.
I find using standard road lever, whether they be STI, ERGO, or whatever, having a very mushy feel when used with stock V-brakes. Besides, rim to pad tolerrance must be very tight and close for the brakes to be effective. Travel agents will at least help in this situation and allow a bit more clearance latitude and also somewhat help get rid of that mushy lever feel.

It's nice to have braking that can lift the rear wheel of the ground. It's also nice to have decent braking with wet rims.

Al

I can do that with my caliper brakes upgraded to the dura-ace compound pad.

I find using standard road lever, whether they be STI, ERGO, or whatever, having a very mushy feel when used with stock V-brakes. Besides, rim to pad tolerrance must be very tight and close for the brakes to be effective. Travel agents will at least help in this situation and allow a bit more clearance latitude and also somewhat help get rid of that mushy lever feel.

The mushy feel is why they work so well and why I don't use travel agent on the front wheel at least. I put one on the rear wheel as I had too much braking. Check out Zinn's Cycling primer (pub. 2004), page 176. Quoting a few lines: "The hard feel indicates you have less mechanical advantage." "A softer feel means you have more leverage." and a comment on V-brakes vs Canti's: "The arms are so long that leverage is a lot higher than with the old-style centerpull cantilever brake." More leverage equals that mushy feel when sitting still. You actually don't feel the mush much when you're braking as you don't really have to pull all that hard.

The rim to pad tolerance does need to be tight, but not so tight that the noodle is hard to remove. I have to remove mine often as my car racks all require the removal of the front wheel.

I'm going to switch out my frame and fork shortly to a cycle cross/Audax frame (Airborne Carpe Diem). I'm toying putting a shorty cantilever on the rear for less interference with a small rear rack/ bags than a V, but I'm putting a V on the front for sure.

Al

The mushy feel is why they work so well and why I don't use travel agent on the front wheel at least.
Al

Yes, I understand the mechanics behind that mushy feel. I just hate to keep a close eye on the tight rim/pad tolerrances in addition to keeping even spring balance between brake arms.

my roommate recently purchased a 2003 Jamis Aurora...it was previously a rental bike, and was a great deal (it's in near-perfect shape). i'm a big fan of Jamis bikes, and i like almost all of the parts on the bike, except both of us don't like the Tektro cantilever brakes. i was wondering what would be a good choice to replace those with...i was thinking Avid Shortys, but i've read of people putting V-brakes on this bike as well. any suggestions?
I have an 04 Aurora and was suggested to do the same thing by friend who is also my mehcanic. I just went on ebay and got some nib xt cantilevers for 30 bucks with shipping. They work a hundred times better. I reccomend you do the same thing. They are easy to find on ebay.

Scott

Yup,
as I said above, any Shimano canti will do the job. Mostly, the more expensive ones are lighter. My used ones cleaned up nicely.
Wouldn't mind finding some xtr cantis to save a little weight, but I doubt I'll bother.

I've never liked cantilever brakes. They are difficult to adjust, hard to take the wheels off and they lack braking power. I switched mine to Avid mountain bike V-brakes. They work very well with STI shifter/levers. If the wheels are true, you don't need to worry about using one of those cable-pull adjusters.

It's nice to have braking that can lift the rear wheel of the ground. It's also nice to have decent braking with wet rims.

Al

I disagree on all counts. I find modern cantis like Avids easier to adjust than V-brakes, removing wheels is a simple matter of releasing the ferrule, and I can skid with properly aligned Avids just as easily as with V-brakes. In fact, I've had to work on V-brakes that were far more annoying to release to remove a wheel than any canti.

Avids also work very well with STIs.

Now, the old Shimano cantis with the plastic adjusters are another matter entirely.

PAUL COMPONENTS makes a touring canti brake. I have them on my touring bike and they work well. Also, the design leaves plenty of room for fenders.
stevel