NYIRISH83

What are the most efficient / effective brakes available? Cantilever, dual point....I am trying to keep it keep it simple, yet I would like something decent in the stopping department ....I like being alive. I still have my old brakes and they still are operational, not the best performers. Open to suggestions and or advice.

dsbrantjr

Probably the simplest would be to replace your present brakes' pads with something like Kool Stop Salmon and clean, lube and adjust your current brakes for peak performance. This may include lubricating or replacing your cables and cleaning your rims. Of course if you have old steel rims your braking power with any brakes will leave something to be desired.

FastJake

+1

Poor braking performance is almost always caused by poor setup, excessive friction in the cables or brakes, and by using garbage pads. Make sure those things are set before you worry about new brakes.

V-brakes are really the best rim brakes out there, but good quality single-pivot side pull calipers will stop you just fine. Then there are mechanical and hydraulic disc brakes. Of course the type of brakes you can use is limited by your frame and fork. What do you have now?

FBinNY 

+1 more.

Unless you're doing lots of rain riding, and good quality brake correctly set up and adjusted should be more than adequate. As the others have said, good shoes, with a bit of toe in, good cables and good adjustment are key.

To squeeze more out of canti and V-brakes consider adding a brake booster. The amount of improvement these offer depends on the fork's rigidity. Check by applying the brakes hard (while off the bike) and watching to see how far the pivots get pushed apart. If you see a decent amount of movement you'll see a big improvement with a brake booster. If they don't spread much a booster won't help.

As a 40 year plus rider, who commutes rain or shine, disc brakes are starting to look more attractive, and probably be high on the list if I build a new dedicated commuter bike, I might even build a new bike just to have disc brakes. My Cantis are fine dry and acceptable in the rain, but their wet stopping distance is just to long for city riding and one day something is bound to happen.

LesterOfPuppets

If you have a bike frame that gives you the choice of calipers or cantis the cantis will stop better. But as far as simple is concerned a single pivot caliper is simpler to setup. If this is about your Fuji, I'm going to take a wild guess that it's going to be easiest to put calipers on since I have a feeling it doesn't have canti bosses. They'd probably have to be long reach calipers if you're going to go through with swapping in 700c wheels from the original 27".

At this point I think it would be best if you start a thread that starts with a pic or two of your bike. Then explain what's wrong with it and what you'd like to do with it. Then entertain suggestions.

NYIRISH83

Thanks for the advice, also I will post pictures as soon as I figure it out

LesterOfPuppets

As far as I could see, all "Fuji Tourer" bikes had caliper style brakes. Many, possibly all, of the "Fuji Tour Series" models had canti studs, and they can readily accept cantis or Vees. If you run v-brakes they make some that are specially designed to be actuated with road brake levers. If you'll be running road levers, then you'll want to get those specific brakes.

NYIRISH83

I took a long hard look at my bank account...realized a new front rim (27") new pads and a chain tool will be it for me. The bike is fine as far functionality, I just stripped when I had the money, that changes as we know. So I plan to take your advice and run a front brake, shorten the chain and run it as. Thanks again Lester