gbiker

Wikipedia has this to say about cantilever brake pads:
And I think the more worn the pads, the more difficult they are to get adjusted right. Anybody know of any tricks to make adjusting them far less trial-and-error? I just adjusted the pads on my Trek 930 again yesterday and it took about four times longer than I expected.

fietsbob

More to the point which brand and model of brake caliper[picture] is installed on your Trek brand bike frame?
somebody else makes the brakes.
Have you looked at Sheldon Brown's how to links, Or Park's??

gbiker

Yep, I was just looking at Park's site, but it doesn't have any "tricks". According to Bikepedia, the brake set is:

Shimano Alivio brakes, Dia-Compe PC-7 levers

The pads themselves say Shimano 65/T. The cantilevers themselves look very similar to this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cantilever_brake.JPG

fietsbob

Basics pads have to hit the rim straight square on, on so adjust to make that happen,
transverse cable length is a whole chapter in Sheldon's writings , Math Guy ,
His wife a tenured professor of mathematics
as I recall..

just get it so it won't hit things is the basic..

have the brake shoes hit the rim in a reasonable part of the arc of the handlever motion. that is the main cable and the cable hanger adjustment , changing the transverse cable length effects that too..

if it squeels when you apply the brakes, there may need to be a bit of an angle trailing end of the pad strikes first,

trailing is towards the front of the bike because of the way the wheel rotates.

a 4th hand is a bicycle shop tool I have to simplify brakes , it grabs the cable with one motion and pulls it against a fixed surface with a second motion.

Mondoman

Another option, which I chose when rehabbing my Trek 950, is just to replace the cantis with V brakes ( you will also need new brake levers as V brakes use a different pull ratio). I picked up two sets of new Shimano M42x series V brakes for about $10 each on closeout, and a pair of used brake levers at my local bike shop's used parts bin.

The STX-RC canti brakes I took off the 950 went on to a beater 820, with new Kool-stop salmon pads (Eagle II).

reptilezs

follow parks tutorial and lubricate the adjusting nut/washers

xenologer

Try and get the pads mounted so its post is clamped as far out as possible(far end from pad itself). Thus the brake arms are going to angle outwards more than usual. Then get the straddle cable as low as it can go while leaving only a mm or less of clearance between pads and rim.
That should give you maximum mechanical advantage.
Your rims will need to be absolutely true though, since mimimizing clearance will be critical....

SchankeCBS

Easiest route? Pitch the Canti's and replace them, and your lever with V-brake [: in the long run, good choice ;D

biken

My cross bike came with cantis and at first I thought that they were terrible. I had all sorts of trouble trying to adjust them- mostly trail and error in the beginning. I still wasn't satisfied with the results and almost decided to buy a set of V-brakes, but then I read/studied more about how the cantis work and finally got the hang of it. Here is a list of the things that have helped me the most:

1.) If your bike has those Z-link straddle wires, then throw those things in the trash because they are garbage. Replace them with this type of straddle wire:

2.) Once you have that then you can start setting them up correctly. Start by getting the toe of the pads set. I use a thick piece of plastic to put behind the end of the pad and tighten it up. It sets the toe perfectly- some people use a thick rubberband and/or other items to set the toe. They all work, just pick one.

3.) Make sure that the tension screw is as close to equal, on each brake arm, as possible. The easiest way to do this is to remove the straddle wire and use your hand to push the brake arm towards the rim.. Make note of how much pressure it takes to make the pad touch the rim- make sure that the other side requires the same amount of pressure and you are all set.

I've done the above and now my cross bike stops as good, if not slightly better, than my mountain bike that has V-brakes. The whole deal with cantilever brakes is to take the time to learn how to set them up- it probably won't all click the first or second time, but just keep at it and you will get everything figured out.

FBinNY 

If you're talking about post mount canti shoes (vs. the ones which simply bolt on) here's my trick which make it much easier.

Assuming the brake was set up originally, and you're only replacing the shoes, start by putting a spacer in the lever and use cord or a strap to tie the lever in the approximate position of an engaged brake. Loosen all the shoe mounting hardware make sure the arms are open evenly, if not center them.

Hold the shoe squarely against the rim exactly where you want it to be. If you want some toe-in, pit a dime or other shim under the heel. Now holding the shoe firmly, let the hardware float into position as you tighten. The key is to let the shoe position the hardware, not the other way around. Repeat on the other side. Release the lever and it should open nicely, and need only minor cable adjustment.

Scheherezade 

I recently acquired my first canti bike, and that's how I did it. I just ziptied the brake lever, so I could fine tune the pressure to get the brake pads placed correctly.

SchankeCBS

Those are much, much nicer canti's then what I'm guessing they are talking about haha.

gbiker

Some good ideas -- thanks!