Originally Posted by
catgita
People seem to assume that if most people don’t use a certain type of brake any more, there must be something wrong with it. Take center pull brakes for example. Between really prolific knockoffs that were simply poorly made, and that they are a lot more work to set up than calipers, they got a bad reputation. I have a set of the Compass centerpulls and they are awesome. Same with cantilevers: there were many poorly made ones, and they are as hard to set up as centerpulls. But once done, they work great.
I had a road frame built once specifically to use those cyclocross V-brakes, because I wanted more brake power (I weigh 220# lean). My biggest complaint about V-brakes was that they were very powerful initially, but pulling harder didn’t seem to slow any faster. My levers often hit the bars, even with the correct cable pull. Canties seem a little more linear, but with less initial bite. But if they work, they work, and in a ride or two, the ramp rate is lost in muscle memory anyway.
My favorite brake ever, way over hydraulic disks? Paul moto-BMX cantis, frame built for 26” wheels, but with 700c wheels installed. The cable pull matched the road levers perfectly, and the feel was firm, linear, and powerful.
99% of the time, there was something wrong with whatever we don't use anymore, but sometimes it isn't something we are aware of so much. Production costs vs benefit and other integration issues often kill an otherwise competitive invention, or it just doesn't provide enough of a gain to justify the switch.
The problem here is that a lot of cable pull is needed due to the lever ratio of the V brakes. That lever ratio makes the wheel end of the braking system quite powerful, but requires a large amount of cable pull. But, you only have so much reach for your hands from the bars to pull that cable. So, long pull levers fix the cable pull issue, but then decrease your mechanical advantage at the lever, basically canceling out the advantage of the brake setup. Shorter pull brake levers can be used, but then you are either running out of lever travel and the levers hit the bars or having to run the pads very close to the rim, causing other issues. So, you can run special brake levers and have parts that aren't compatible with any other brake levers out there, or run standard levers and have a finicky setup. Really, I'd say disc brakes came along and killed the idea of V brakes. Cantis are compatible with decades worth of vintage bikes, brake levers and spare parts the world over and provide enough power to lock the wheels so why pursue a new type of rim brake when all the cool kids want disc anyways?
Originally Posted by
ColonelSanders
I always thought V-brakes were rim brakes?
They are. Just another way to skin the proverbial cat.