I just installed some Paul touring cantilevers today. They are incredible brakes. They are finicky, in the sense that if you don't carefully toe the pads in, particularly on the front brakes, they howl like crazy. I've messed with them before, and it's the front brake that usually makes noise in my experience. The ones I installed today are on one of my own bikes, and I finally got them to operate quietly. As for the braking performance, I can't imagine a rim brake that requires less effort at the lever to stop or slow the bike. I've used a variety of canti's, and these Paul's are in another class all together than any I've used; I've also used very nice v-brakes, with brake boosters, and these Paul brakes are even better in regard to stopping power. According to Paul, the Neo Retro's are even stronger than the touring canti's. I imagine brake boosters would be necessary for those.
Last edited by well biked; 06-09-10 at 06:58 AM.