Originally Posted by
chelboed
I would pick up a cheap set of Avid Single Digit's and some Avid FR5 levers. It's a cheap setup if you take your time on ebay and "yes" contrary to the 9 year old thread's prediction...canti's are a thing of the past and Linear Pull brakes are superior. Yes, the pads will make a difference too...buy decent pads.
That said, I have canti's on my Raleigh and they work well enough to keep me from smacking trees.
What he said. Same make and model of brakes, too. Probably about $50-$60 for the parts.
Edit: Although.... does that model have a cable stop on the top tube, or does the cable go into a little noodly thing on the seat tube? If it doesn't have the rear top tube cable stop, you'll need to add a clamp-on one. Tektro makes some, and they're around $10-$15, I think. (I had to do the same thing on my 1996 Trek 850)