V brakes with travel agents work better than the any of the cantilevers I have used before, but I just ordered a set of Paul Neo Retro's for my commute bike so maybe they will be better. That said, the Avid S7 or Avid Ultimate V brakes worked better than Shimano V brakes, ESPECIALLY when things got dirty. Avoid the Shimano V bakes, the parallel pad mechanism squeals and/or fills with crud and sticks.