Originally Posted by
cycle_maven
Um, maybe I'm an idiot, but aren't V-brakes just another form of cantilever brake? They just have a different cable arrangement. If you set them both up for a certain amount of pad movement for a given amount of lever movement, then they both should have *exactly* the same "stopping power".
Vees are a form of anti, yes. But they're not really tuneable. They come set up for about 2x standard canti mechanical advantage. And are therefore paired with levers with half the mechanical advantage - the levers have to be this way as otherwise the pull would be too long to be practical.
Cantis ARE a pain to adjust for most people. Not because adjustment is hard, but because there isn't a decent guide on the net - unless you use the Wayback Machine to get Bontrager's article. But that has lost its pictures. The Brown guide is correct but very hard to follow.
Mini-Vees probably would suit most people better - although I don't think I've ever been impressed by the modulation on a v-brake.