Bikepacker67

Ohhh man... I think I stepped in it again!

I recently switched out my old brake levers for something more exotic...
A pair of Cane Creek TT200's on my rather strange handlebar setup (it works for me)






The problem is that these new levers don't seem to pull enough slack, and thus bottom out on the bar end. The pads are as close to the rim as is possible without getting some rub.

Brakes are V-type, and my questions are, will switching to canti's solve the problem, and how much of a PITA is it to swap out?

roadfix

Yep, switch them out for cantis or add travel agents on your V-brakes. Those levers are designed to pull road calipers, where V-brakes require a bit more cable pull than what those levers can provide.

luke.harrison

Yeah that's the problem, the TT levers are for canti's/sidepulls. You've got two options if you want to keep the levers.
1. Use a travel agent, its a pulley that replaces the noodle and fixes the cable pull
2. buy canti's

Bikepacker67

You mean like Hotwire?

But seriously... I think I'd rather go with the canti's. So... what wonderful problems will I run into with that path of action? Will they attach w/o a prob to the where my V-brakes attach.

Sorry if I'm asking dumb questions, but you ARE the FIXER!

Bikepacker67

Ehhh... look at this

Looks like I ain't the only dumb bunny to get caught in this snare.
And it looks like the solutions are exactly what you said, Fixer.

Damn, I love this forum.
The power of the collective.

Bikepacker67

1. Use a travel agent, its a pulley that replaces the noodle and fixes the cable pull


Are they any pictures of these things?
When I google BICYCLE BRAKE TRAVEL AGENT I don't exactly get what I'm looking for, if you can imagine.

roadfix

No, Fixer as in riding fixed gear...
Cantis mount on the same brake studs your V-brakes are mounted on. Should be an easy swap.
I don't like using on-line travel agents like HOTWIRE.... I like the mechanical kind, as pictured below, they work better... although I personally like using cantis over the travel agent/V-brake arrangement

Bikepacker67

You don't use a fixed gear touring!!!???

If so, you either have quads of steel, or ya live in Kansas!

Bikepacker67

Thanks for the pic...

But from what I'm reading, initially installing a T.A. can be a royal pain.
I think I'm leaning towards just installing canti's.

Any recommendations?

cyccommute 

The cantilevers mount to the same bosses as the V-brake. That shouldn't be a problem. You will need a cable stop for the front and rear cantilevers however. For the front, there is a clamp that goes on your threadless headset that has an cable adjustment on it like this. It will have to clamp to the stem.

For the rear you will probably have to go with one the attaches to the pinch bolt on the seat clamp like this.


For the brakes, I'd suggest Avid Shorty 4 or 6. Good brakes fairly easy to adjust. Easiest to adjust were the old Onza H.O. You might beable to find them on Ebay.

hoogie

if you go the canti route you will need to get some brake hangers, and you will need some room on your head tube to put one in [i see from the pic that your bike has an aheadset set up]
i agree with Fixer, go with v-brakes and travel agents ... i had some on a previous mtb and they work fine when installed and set up correctly ... plus v-brakes have much better stopping power. v-brakes are also easier to work on and set up, in my experiences.
i have swapped the cantis on my nomad for v-brakes, and have never looked back ...

if you decide to go the canti route anyway, i have a very low mileage set of avid shorty 6's

cheers,
hoogie

Bikepacker67

Jeez.... now ya got me vacillating back to the Travel Agent route.

I'm beginning to feel like John Kerry.

roadfix

gregw

I agree with Hoogie, the TA and V-brakes is the way to go. The TA is a very simple little device and lets you keep your v-brakes which are much better anyway.

Bikepacker67

Thanks for your input...
I think my decision is made.

Next question... are these T.A.'s ubiquitous enough that just about any LBS can handle the job?

cyccommute 

Just to get you to waffle more than John Kerry's opponent, the one time I tried travel assistants I was not impressed. They take a lot of fussing to get just sort of right. Bad cantilevers are preferable.

gregw

I did some google searching on this subject and there seems to be agreement that these travel agents are not great. They seemed like a simple enough thing to me, But it seems that is not the case. I think that cyccomute is correct if you want to stay with those levers.

If it were my bike, I would give up the TT200's and install a conventional set of MTB levers next to the shifters and keep my brakes. (Only personal preference here)

Bikepacker67

Ohh don't take me as a Shrub fan.

I just know from experience that BOTH of the Massachusian Senators aren't worth the oxygen they consume.

I'm more of the Buchanan-Mind-Your-Own-Business-Get-Off-Of-Oil constructionist conservative.

But BACK TO MY DILEMMA.... I gots $$$ concerns as well as rack clearence considerations... did I mention that I tour with a front suspension???

Nope... I think the T.A.'s is the path I'm taking.
Sometimes ya either piss, or get the F off the pot.

supcom

I put a set of travel agents on a V-brake hybrid that I converted to drop bars and STI. Although you need to follow the directions, I had no difficulty with the installation and the brakes work perfectly. Travel agents are often used for tandems so they can run the more powerful V-brakes with drop bars. Any decent LBS should be able to install them if you are uncomfortable doing it, but it's really not difficult.

Magictofu

Wow... that is a strange handlebar! Do you have more pictures of your bike, I'm not sure I understand the whole system and I'm always curious these kind of transformation.

Good luck with the brakes!

Bikepacker67

Ahh yes....

My system is based on the angles created by the straight bar and the 3 sets of bar ends (two facing backwards, and the most central set acting as "aeros".

Basically, I use the angles to rest the heel and lower thumb area in different positions and wrist angles
The middle portion of the lower hand (where all the nerves and arteries run) never gets compressed on the bar.

I've tried drops, mustache and plain ol' straights, and this is by far the most comfy setup I've ever piloted (except for that foray with the recumbent ;-)

Magictofu

It makes more sense with your explanation!

I also noticed you placed a couple of bottle holders in an unconventional place... your bike is some kind of mutant !

Bikepacker67

Well.. what I have is a Delta front rack.

I took some aluminum angle iron, and created a "dual bottle holder" that attaches to the front "hoop" and the then to the fork.

It works great on tours. All 4 of my bottles (the two on the rack, and the two in the "nomal" place) are grabbable.

And yes.... it is a mutant. But it's MY mutant.

Spudmeister

Have you ever seen Jones Bars?

https://www.jonesbikes.com/hbar/default.asp