Originally Posted by
itsthewoo
I've got a decent maintenance kit (27-piece), and I was wondering how hard it is to change brakes.
I just bought a Cross Check, and due to the typical weather in Florida as well as the need for adequate fender clearance, I've decided I'd swap out its cantis for v-brakes.
The LBS wants to charge me $38 on top of cost for parts, and I'm thinking that's a bit pricey if I can just do it myself.
Thoughts?
It's not difficult but there are somethings to consider. First you will either need new levers or travel agents. My experience with the travel agents is that they make the brakes work about as well as a set of poorly adjusted cantis so why bother with the change.
Adjusted properly, a set of cantis are capable of stopping me, bike and a 50 to 60 lb touring load in short enough distance that I've never thought they were dangerous.
You will also need to rewrap the bars for the new levers (if you go that route). You can sometimes reuse the tape and sometimes not. It's not difficult but it can be frustrating the first few times.
The brakes themselves are easy enough to change out but there is a little fiddling that goes along with any brake work. Toe-in on the pads, centering, etc. need to be done correctly to get the maximum out of your system.
Finally, V-brakes don't usually allow for more clearance for fenders. Cantis allow for about the widest fender clearances (and mud clearance) you can get. I'm not sure this is a step forward.