Originally Posted by
Sjtaylor
One thing that concerns me with the cantilever brakes on the old touring bikes is my ability to stop quickly on a decent. I live in hill country. I’m using short pull brakes and have cables and shoes adjusted as well as I can. I should probably try try different pad material.
I have a Trek 730 MultiTrack with cantilever brakes. I put Kool Stop salmon brake pads on it and adjusted everything. My brakes stop me reliably and firmly, so it's possible to make your brakes work better.
Best of luck on your adventures.