smontanaro 

I've been riding a Giant FCR3 with (some no-name brand) linear pull brakes much of the past couple winters here in Chicagoland. A couple of the little spring tension screws are firmly rusted in place now, so if I'm ever going to properly adjust my brakes, I'm going to have to break down (no pun intended) and buy a new set.

Having never bought linear pull brakes before (I'm more of a 1970s Campy kind of bike nut), is there anything I should be aware of as far as dimensions are concerned, so I don't inadvertently buy something which won't fit? I'm pretty sure I don't want Mini-V brakes, but beyond that, is there much to distinguish one from another geometry-wise?

Thx...

HillRider

Assuming your mounting posts are in the standard location, any make of "V-brakes" will work. Avid and Shimano both make good ones that should be suitable replacements for you OEM ones.

canklecat

Similar situation with my bike's linear pull brakes, but I was able to salvage the original brakes. I just squirted WD-40 all over the brake pivots, springs, screws, etc., then disassembled them, cleaned everything up, regreased and reused them. It was a bit of a learning challenge to get them adjusted properly again, but everything has worked fine since then.

The adjustment screws still look rusty, so I wipe them down with WD-40 on a cotton swab every once in awhile. Sheath or similar polarizing rust-resistant oil would work as well. But I don't need to completely remove them or disassemble the brakes now.

wschruba

Don't tighten the hell out of the bolt when you mount it; more than 5-6 Newton meters, and you will likely mushroom out the end of the cantilever stud, causing the brake to bind. It's a pain in the rear to fix.

Andrew R Stewart 

Any common component bits can and will rust/freeze in place if not maintained. Lubing and moving the bits every so often is important. Washing out with water, drying and relubing all the interior surfaces is even better. Andy.

dsbrantjr

I find that application of Tef-Gel TEF-GEL - Ultra safety systems - Home page to threaded parts is very helpful in avoiding corrosion and binding/seizing. I have a tub of synthetic grease which does a nice job of lubing canti/V-brake studs and the like.

number1bike

For liner pull brakes, I prefer those with an allen-head tension adjustment screw over a phillips-head. In my experience eventually the phillips-head will wear out sooner then allen-head. I ride all year long in snow, ice, salt, rain etc and sometimes that screw gets stiff and you have to apply a bit more to get the adjustment screw to turn. An allen-head seems to let me do that without ruining the head.