Effect of brake choice on frame
 

A question for the framebuilders, is it true that more forgiving stays and fork blades may be used with calipers versus cantis?

I feel cantis are plenty powerful, and am trying to decide between a club racer style bike and cross frame but having doubts about high BB on a cross frame. Then I came across a new Tektro caliper on Sheldon's site with 55-73m reach and was wondering if anyone was building around them.


Your thoughts appreciated.

I think in theory cantis create forces that spread the tubes, and they also load the crown up more than a brake that is attached in the crown itself. These canti loads would mean that if a brake were used that isolated those loads then some design options could be applied to making the bike more "forgiving", whatever that specifically means. In the real world you will probably find out more by just riding various bikes, since design and tubing choices are going to work with various rider styles and weights differently.

If you think of those brake booster horse shoes, you can design your fork with a bit of that action, so it's muscular through the crown area but still has some feel lower down. there is often more rake in CC bikes and one can play with that an tubing differences to get good feel in the fork.