Hi,

I'm relatively new to the world of taking care of my bike. I'm using it around 150 miles per week and that total is going to continue to increase as the weather gets nicer. Anyway as new problems arise I try to deal with them on a case by case basis, while maintaining good basic maintenance/cleaning/inflation for each ride.

My problem is my brakes. They seem to be less grippy than before, especially in the front which will shimmy shimmy shimmy when applied. It kind of feels like anti-lock brakes in a car.

I have Avid Shorty 4 cantilever brakes made for my cyclocross with Sora components. I sport nobby tires with 700-32 size and Bontrager rims.

I figure there's a few options I should consider:
* clean rims (although I try to keep the bike pretty clean). Is there any special solution I should use to do this?
* new brake pads? (they seem to be OK but maybe they're getting worn out and I have to adjust my brakes to move the pads closer?)
* tighten up the brake cable so it's more responsive?

Any tips would be appreciated.
THANKX