Replace center pull with V brakes
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 7
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Replace center pull with V brakes
I have an older rigid frame mountain bike that I am updating. It has weak center pull brakes that I would like to replace with a set of Avid single digit five V brakes. The bike has 8mm diameter pillars for the brake pivots. Is this a standard pillar diameter that will accomodate the V brakes, or do I need to get innovative to mount the Avid's?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times
in
363 Posts
The brake mounting studs will be fine. The issue that you need to check on is if and where your bike has a rear cable housing stop. You are going to need one for linear pull brakes. You'll also have to replace your brake levers with ones that have more cable pull.
#3
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,274
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 150 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6147 Post(s)
Liked 4,093 Times
in
2,325 Posts
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
The brake mounting studs will be fine. The issue that you need to check on is if and where your bike has a rear cable housing stop. You are going to need one for linear pull brakes. You'll also have to replace your brake levers with ones that have more cable pull.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#4
Team Beer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Sacramento CA
Posts: 6,338
Bikes: Too Many
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 113 Post(s)
Liked 157 Times
in
103 Posts
I believe the confusion is from the OP use of the term "center pull" I think he has cantis and is moving to v-brakes.
Also, are you upgrading your brake levers? There is a difference in the amount of pull between cantis and v-brakes. They are not compatible.
Also, are you upgrading your brake levers? There is a difference in the amount of pull between cantis and v-brakes. They are not compatible.
__________________
I'm not one for fawning over bicycles, but I do believe that our bikes communicate with us, and what this bike is saying is, "You're an idiot." BikeSnobNYC
I'm not one for fawning over bicycles, but I do believe that our bikes communicate with us, and what this bike is saying is, "You're an idiot." BikeSnobNYC
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times
in
363 Posts
Originally Posted by cyccommute
V-brakes don't require a cable stop. The cable housing goes right into the noodle on the brake. Everything else is correct, however.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Montreal
Posts: 6,521
Bikes: Peugeot Hybrid, Minelli Hybrid
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
You can increase the power of cantilevers by installing a yoke on the centre cable, and running a low straddle cable across it. Easier brake pad set-up can be achieved by buying modern cantilevers, which use the same type of pads as the V brakes. No change of brake levers or cable run needed.
#7
ot.net slave
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Canberra, Australia
Posts: 571
Bikes: Salsa mtb * 3, Intense mtb * 1, Abeni SS rd * 1, Salsa road/touring * 2, Trek Damn one * 1, Vintage/projects * many
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
And where does the other end of the cable housing go? Lots of canty equipped bikes have a cable housing stop at the front of the top tube and just some kind of noodle to guide the cable around the seat post to the straddle hanger.
- Joel
#8
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 7
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks for the responses.
I pretty much tried everything with stradle cable adjustment trying to get better leverage, but the center pulls on this bike require a very heavy lever pull for anything like agressive brakeing. This bike will use full cable housings from lever to noodle, so no problems there. I am changing levers to longer travel units to match the sensitive pull and the longer cable movment of the v brakes.
Thanks again for confirming the 8mm pivot bore for the V brakes.
I pretty much tried everything with stradle cable adjustment trying to get better leverage, but the center pulls on this bike require a very heavy lever pull for anything like agressive brakeing. This bike will use full cable housings from lever to noodle, so no problems there. I am changing levers to longer travel units to match the sensitive pull and the longer cable movment of the v brakes.
Thanks again for confirming the 8mm pivot bore for the V brakes.
#9
cyclist/gearhead/cycli...
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: DC / Maryland suburbs
Posts: 4,166
Bikes: Homebuilt tourer/commuter, modified-beyond-recognition 1990 Trek 1100, reasonably stock 2002-ish Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Originally Posted by raloftus
Thanks for the responses.
I pretty much tried everything with stradle cable adjustment trying to get better leverage, but the center pulls on this bike require a very heavy lever pull for anything like agressive brakeing. This bike will use full cable housings from lever to noodle, so no problems there. I am changing levers to longer travel units to match the sensitive pull and the longer cable movment of the v brakes.
Thanks again for confirming the 8mm pivot bore for the V brakes.
I pretty much tried everything with stradle cable adjustment trying to get better leverage, but the center pulls on this bike require a very heavy lever pull for anything like agressive brakeing. This bike will use full cable housings from lever to noodle, so no problems there. I am changing levers to longer travel units to match the sensitive pull and the longer cable movment of the v brakes.
Thanks again for confirming the 8mm pivot bore for the V brakes.
However, there is another type of brake called U-brakes. They use posts which are NOT interchangeable with canti/v-brake posts, and is common on older MTBs.
Read this glossary entry on U-brakes: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_u-v.html#ubrake If what you have are U-brakes, then unfortunately you can't replace them with V-brakes.
#10
Senior Member
I would check out all of the maintenance points before I switched to V-brakes. My old school Deore cantis will lock up the front and send me over the bars. Check the cables and housings. Are the cables rusted? Are the housings kinked, do they have enough lube or are they dry? If they aren't lined then they need to be greased. Are the straddle cables adjusted properly? Are the pads toed in correctly? Are the pads new or old and glazed over. Pads can be sanded to provide like new stopping power.
Most riders who complain about cantis, don't have them adjusted properly. Cantis stop very well when properly adjusted. Good luck
Tim
Most riders who complain about cantis, don't have them adjusted properly. Cantis stop very well when properly adjusted. Good luck
Tim
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times
in
363 Posts
Originally Posted by cs1
Most riders who complain about cantis, don't have them adjusted properly. Cantis stop very well when properly adjusted.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pinole, CA, USA
Posts: 17,414
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 443 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 27 Times
in
25 Posts
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
And where does the other end of the cable housing go? Lots of canty equipped bikes have a cable housing stop at the front of the top tube and just some kind of noodle to guide the cable around the seat post to the straddle hanger.
Short bridge wires aren't always the best setup for cantis. If you have the old non-low profile type with horizontal arms, long bridge wires work best.
#13
Mad bike riding scientist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,274
Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones
Mentioned: 150 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6147 Post(s)
Liked 4,093 Times
in
2,325 Posts
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
And where does the other end of the cable housing go? Lots of canty equipped bikes have a cable housing stop at the front of the top tube and just some kind of noodle to guide the cable around the seat post to the straddle hanger.
I can also see the problem that you are discribing but, honestly, I don't think that's going to be a problem except on a very few exotic bikes. Most of the time that extra noodle to guide the cable to the straddle hanger is going to be a piece of cable housing anyway.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
#14
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 7
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Dirtdrop
It sounds like you're describing may daughter's '92 Trek 850. I had some vintage Hershey linear pull brakes that I wanted to put on it so I ran housing from the noodle on the frame to the noodle on the brake. It's not my best work, but she's got great brakes.
Short bridge wires aren't always the best setup for cantis. If you have the old non-low profile type with horizontal arms, long bridge wires work best.
Short bridge wires aren't always the best setup for cantis. If you have the old non-low profile type with horizontal arms, long bridge wires work best.
#15
Team Beer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Sacramento CA
Posts: 6,338
Bikes: Too Many
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 113 Post(s)
Liked 157 Times
in
103 Posts
You will need new brake levers as well. The ones you have now will not have enough cable pull.
__________________
I'm not one for fawning over bicycles, but I do believe that our bikes communicate with us, and what this bike is saying is, "You're an idiot." BikeSnobNYC
I'm not one for fawning over bicycles, but I do believe that our bikes communicate with us, and what this bike is saying is, "You're an idiot." BikeSnobNYC
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times
in
363 Posts
Originally Posted by cyccommute
I can also see the problem that you are discribing but, honestly, I don't think that's going to be a problem except on a very few exotic bikes. Most of the time that extra noodle to guide the cable to the straddle hanger is going to be a piece of cable housing anyway.
#17
cyclist/gearhead/cycli...
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: DC / Maryland suburbs
Posts: 4,166
Bikes: Homebuilt tourer/commuter, modified-beyond-recognition 1990 Trek 1100, reasonably stock 2002-ish Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
Trust me, I've done a bunch of these conversions and the #1 bug-a-boo is the rear cable stop. It's a common enough problem that Problem Solvers manufacturers $25.00 clamp-on cable stops in four tubeing sizes.
For $1 it makes a cable stop next to your seatpost bolt. Seems like a great idea and a lot cheaper than $25 Cable position might not be ideal for v-brakes, but it seems worth a try!
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pinole, CA, USA
Posts: 17,414
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 443 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 27 Times
in
25 Posts
Originally Posted by moxfyre
Or, how about this: https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...%20Accessories
For $1 it makes a cable stop next to your seatpost bolt. Seems like a great idea and a lot cheaper than $25 Cable position might not be ideal for v-brakes, but it seems worth a try!
For $1 it makes a cable stop next to your seatpost bolt. Seems like a great idea and a lot cheaper than $25 Cable position might not be ideal for v-brakes, but it seems worth a try!
#19
cyclist/gearhead/cycli...
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: DC / Maryland suburbs
Posts: 4,166
Bikes: Homebuilt tourer/commuter, modified-beyond-recognition 1990 Trek 1100, reasonably stock 2002-ish Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Originally Posted by Dirtdrop
How is a cable hanger for cantilever brakes going to help? Parallel pull brakes don't use a cable hanger. The housing runs all the way to the brake, just like a sidepull road brake.
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pinole, CA, USA
Posts: 17,414
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 443 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 27 Times
in
25 Posts
Originally Posted by moxfyre
Because of the situation that RG and cyccommute are talking about, when converting a bike from cantis to v-brakes, an extra cable stop near the seatpost may be needed (if to do nothing more than to guide the housing).
#21
Making a kilometer blurry
Originally Posted by Dirtdrop
It sounds like you're describing may daughter's '92 Trek 850. I had some vintage Hershey linear pull brakes that I wanted to put on it so I ran housing from the noodle on the frame to the noodle on the brake. It's not my best work, but she's got great brakes.
Short bridge wires aren't always the best setup for cantis. If you have the old non-low profile type with horizontal arms, long bridge wires work best.
Short bridge wires aren't always the best setup for cantis. If you have the old non-low profile type with horizontal arms, long bridge wires work best.
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Pinole, CA, USA
Posts: 17,414
Mentioned: 24 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 443 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 27 Times
in
25 Posts
Originally Posted by waterrockets
Sounds like my hack job on my '95 Stumpjumper: I found some old housing and butted it up against the existing housing to fill the gaps. Now I'm running solid housing lever to brake. Looks like ass, but works just great. That's the downside to having all your old parts in your shop: you never go out to buy anything because you have stuff that pretty much works right there in your house. Frankenbikes abound.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times
in
363 Posts
Originally Posted by moxfyre
Or, how about this: https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...%20Accessories
For $1 it makes a cable stop next to your seatpost bolt. Seems like a great idea and a lot cheaper than $25 Cable position might not be ideal for v-brakes, but it seems worth a try!
For $1 it makes a cable stop next to your seatpost bolt. Seems like a great idea and a lot cheaper than $25 Cable position might not be ideal for v-brakes, but it seems worth a try!
#24
cyclist/gearhead/cycli...
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: DC / Maryland suburbs
Posts: 4,166
Bikes: Homebuilt tourer/commuter, modified-beyond-recognition 1990 Trek 1100, reasonably stock 2002-ish Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Originally Posted by Dirtdrop
That makes no sense at all. When converting from cantis to parallel pull, you would remove the cable hangers, not add one.
As pointed out above, if you have a portion of unhoused cable on the top tube, and you're using a V-brake, you need some kind of cable stop on the top tube near the seat post.
I suggested the Nashbar hanger because I thought it might be possible to modify it to satisfy this purpose adequately, and it would be more secure than a zip-tie, and cheaper than the $25 clamp-on guides.
Originally Posted by Dirtdrop
I'm speaking from experience.
Have a look at this photo of my old Trek hybrid, which suffered from the exact problem under discussion: unhoused cable on the top tube, but no housing stop near the seatpost... thus making it hard to install V-brakes.
Last edited by moxfyre; 09-22-06 at 09:58 AM.
#25
cyclist/gearhead/cycli...
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: DC / Maryland suburbs
Posts: 4,166
Bikes: Homebuilt tourer/commuter, modified-beyond-recognition 1990 Trek 1100, reasonably stock 2002-ish Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Originally Posted by Retro Grouch
You haven't done this, have you? The cable stop that you're talking about faces the wrong way.
As far as I can tell, the part is designed to attach to the seatpost clamp bolt and face backwards, thus providing a front-facing cable stop behind the seat clamp. But I see no reason it couldn't be flipped around to provide a rear-facing cable stop in front of the seat clamp.
For $1, seems like it might be worth a shot.
Last edited by moxfyre; 09-22-06 at 09:53 AM.