Ready to buy my frame: canti or side-pull?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 251
Bikes: Gunnar, Surly
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Ready to buy my frame: canti or side-pull?
After lots of reading and thinking and test riding, I have decided to go ahead and start my single-speed build. Bike purpose: hilly urban errand-running, friend-visiting, casual riding. I want to get a steel frame with semi-horizontal drop-outs, so I have option to go geared in the future.
Decision: Surly Cross-Check or Salsa Casseroll. The biggest functional difference between the two frames looks like the different brake requirement.
I am leaning towards the Surly [color, durability, fork design], but I read about problems adjusting cantis. Is this brake requirement a good reason to steer clear of this frame, and go with the Salsa? Or, am I worrying about nothing?
Thanks for your insights and advice!
- JP
Decision: Surly Cross-Check or Salsa Casseroll. The biggest functional difference between the two frames looks like the different brake requirement.
I am leaning towards the Surly [color, durability, fork design], but I read about problems adjusting cantis. Is this brake requirement a good reason to steer clear of this frame, and go with the Salsa? Or, am I worrying about nothing?
Thanks for your insights and advice!
- JP
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Towson, MD
Posts: 361
Bikes: Windsor "The Hour"
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I have side-pulls on my bike, and they're really easy to adjust. All it takes is a few twists of the Allan wrench and I can increase/decrease the stopping power. but.. I've never really adjusted canti brakes. plus i'm drunk so disregard this if you wish
GL!
GL!
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Brooklyn finally.
Posts: 832
Bikes: Bianchi San Jose, fixed
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Canti brakes can be a ***** sometimes, but I like mine.
And I wouldn't consider them hard to adjust by any means.
And I wouldn't consider them hard to adjust by any means.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Victoria, BC
Posts: 86
Bikes: Cypress track bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I've heard cantis are hard to adjust, but you could always get v brakes, if that's a concern for you, they use the same mounts as cantis and are easier to adjust. Personally I think side pulls look better though, but I don't know if that matters to you or not.
#8
Just Peddlin' Along
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: VA
Posts: 931
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Based on some pics I've seen, it looks like the CC is drilled to take F/R side-pull brakes too. You don't need to run canti's if this is the case. Hopefully someone who actually has a CC can confirm.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: ABQ, NM
Posts: 1,152
Bikes: Neuvation F100, Surly Cross Check, Van Dessel Holeshot
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Todays cantis are not hard to adjust. The older post style cantis were more troublesome, but not bad. If you decide to get something like Avid shorty's then you should grab some extra washers as your goal is to have the flat section of the arms be parallel to the rim when your brake pad is touching the rim. If you want more adjustability you can also run an older style cable yoke and transverse wire so you can really change how the brakes feel.
#10
Paste Taster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 4,392
Bikes: , Jury Bike, Moto Outcast 29, Spicer standard track frame and spicer custom steel sprint frame.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
get the bike that need cantis and use v brakes easy great power and they don't stick out all wierd
#11
antisocialite
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,385
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
calipers are no-brainers. cantilevers aren't that hard but do require some attention. if you have any aptitude towards working on bikes you'll get canti adjustment down quickly. if you just want to set it and forget it, calipers are the way to go.
edit: v brakes are also a great choice. require a tiny bit more attention than calipers, and easier to set up than cantis.
#12
:)
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: duluth
Posts: 3,391
Bikes: '07 Pista, '09 Fantom Cross Uno, '8? Miyata, '67 Stingray, '0? Zoo mod trials, Tallbike, Chopper, '73 Schwinn Collegiate, '67 Triumph Chopper, '69 CB350, '58 BSA Spitfire, '73 CB450
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
You may want to reconsider building your own bike if adjusting brakes is a major issue
/sorry, I had to
/sorry, I had to
#13
Senior Member
__________________
https://www.pedalroom.com/members/iamtim
https://www.pedalroom.com/members/iamtim
#14
Ride for Life
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Houston
Posts: 2,740
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
i would think less about how difficult the brakes are to adjust and more about what size tires you want to run.
canti's/v-brakes will allow you to run a large tire on the crosscheck, like 38, 42 maybe. with the cassaroll and calipers, you can probably only run 35's.
to me, that's the decision, both types of brakes will adjust fine, and if you get them right the first time, neither need much adjustment.
canti's/v-brakes will allow you to run a large tire on the crosscheck, like 38, 42 maybe. with the cassaroll and calipers, you can probably only run 35's.
to me, that's the decision, both types of brakes will adjust fine, and if you get them right the first time, neither need much adjustment.
#15
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 251
Bikes: Gunnar, Surly
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#16
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: San Diego
Posts: 251
Bikes: Gunnar, Surly
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
canti's/v-brakes will allow you to run a large tire on the crosscheck, like 38, 42 maybe. with the cassaroll and calipers, you can probably only run 35's. to me, that's the decision, both types of brakes will adjust fine, and if you get them right the first time, neither need much adjustment.
#17
bum style
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: CT
Posts: 664
Bikes: Poprad, Fuji conversion, Quattro Assi
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
How fat? Big Apples or go home.
I'd be all up on that Salsa. Loves me some matchy-matchy stems. But you gotta go complete.
I'd be all up on that Salsa. Loves me some matchy-matchy stems. But you gotta go complete.