Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Read pkulak's first post. It's a new bike. That means that it should be properly set up, it should have the proper levers matched with the proper calipers, have the proper cabling, etc.
As for cantilever brakes, I could...and can... lock up the wheels with cantilevers on 13 of the 32 bikes I've owned...including 2 tandems. If I couldn't, I adjusted them until I could or I replaced them. And, again, skidding is hardly a measure of braking effectiveness. I can skid a coaster brake equipped bike as could just about any 10 year old...and coaster brakes aren't a 'good brake' by anyone's standard.
Yes, it
should be set up properly, but if his brakes have that little power, something is very wrong. BB7s don't need much hand force at all to lock up both tires. If he is squeezing as hard as he can and cannot lock up the rear brake, then something is wrong with the setup.
Bully for you for getting good power out of cantis. I haven't really had a canti equipped bike since I sold my old Rockhopper about ten years ago. The last bike I purchased that had cantis, I removed them and threw on mtb v-brakes. Cantis, in my opinion, have very little power and do absolutely nothing when it's wet out.