Originally Posted by jim10040
I have steel rims under my cantilever brakes (I'm very sure they're steel...polished and very shiny). Does this combination REALLY take away stopping power, or is this just guessing? Would it help to scrub the rims with a scotch pad (scratching them like crazy) or is that a rumor? This bike is a mid-late 90s Univega Grand Tourismo. Should I change the rims out entirely? I already changed out the pads. Maybe I should get new cantilever brakes entirely (about $20 Nashbar)?
Hmmm... aluminum rims can be polished and shiny too. The best way to make sure they're steel is with a magnet. If it sticks, steel, if not, aluminum.
There is nothing special about canti brakes with steel rims. Steel rims give very poor stopping power when wet... with any type of brake.
The thing about canti brakes is, they can give excellent stopping power, but they are quite tricky to adjust correctly. Changing the angle and extension of the brake pads a little tiny bit can alter the stopping power drastically, by changing the mechanical advantage of the brake. This is difficult to get right, since old-style canti pads have threadless posts that sit on a rotating block, meaning that you can't adjust the angle or extension of the pads without changing the other two.
The
cheap version of the Nashbar canti brakes uses this same type of pad. They will be no easier to adjust than your 1990s canti brakes!! However, they also sell
Nashbar deluxe cantilever brakes, $40 for a front and back set. I have used the latter model and can highly recommend them (they are knockoffs of the Avid Shortys). This modern type of cantilever brake is much easier to adjust because it uses threaded V-brake pads and because the arms are held at a steeper angle. This makes them just about as easy to adjust as V-brakes, and you'll have a wider selection of pads as well.
Conclusion: if you have steel rims, they should be replaced (Aluminum rims are a whole lot lighter too
). As for the brakes, I doubt there is anything mechanically wrong with them. Either practice adjusting them carefully (can be frustrating), or upgrade to the modern canti brakes. If you go with the upgrade, look for prices on Avid Shortys or Tektro cantis, because these name-brand models are sometimes cheaper than the Nashbar version.