mkwdrs

Attempting to build a bike (VO Campeur) up from the frame for the the first time. I am a novice for the most part. Couple of questions/clarifications needed ...

1) For the front and rear derailleur's, is it better to set the limit screws before or after the derailleur cables are installed?

2) The VO bike website said the bike was made for cantilever brakes and that is what I plan on installing. However, just out of curiousity, could V-Brakes (or any other type of brake) be installed instead of cantilevers? I was in REI today and noticed that some bikes had V-Brakes (hope I'm using the correct term) and it looked like they were installed on the bike using what a cantilever brake would attach to. So, just curious if those two types of brakes were inter-changeable or not. I'll be using Tektro CR720 for my build.

Little Darwin

For derailleurs, I always set the limit screws before the cable, but I am not sure whether I do it the best way or not.

V-brakes are actually a name brand (Shimano) for linear pull (or direct pull) cantilever brakes... so as an exercise in logic, I'll let you decide whether linear pull cantilever brakes would work on cantilever studs.

However, if said brakes should happen to work on cantilever studs, it should be noted that the cable pull is different, so they should use different levers in order to provide the proper cable pull and mechanical advantage. You can potentially use the same levers as traditional cantilevers if you use something like a Travel Agent to adjust the amount of pull...

rmfnla

I also start by setting the limit screws. I usually eyeball the derailleur travel so the pulleys & cage are centered over the respective high and low gears at each limit.

This allows the cables to be installed with only final adjustments necessary to get them right.

dsbrantjr

Follow the below procedures from the beginning without skipping any steps:
Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog » Front Derailleur Adjustments
Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog » Rear Derailler Adjustments (derailleur)

HillRider

What Little Darwin was saying in a bit of a round-about way was "V-brakes" (yes it's a Shimano trademark and I'm sure their lawyers are working hard to keep it from becoming a generic term) or other makers' similar brakes by any other name fit on Cantilever studs. As he also noted you will need specific longer cable pull brake levers or a Travel Agent to make standard road (caliper and cantilever compatible) levers work properly.

I rough-in the limit screw settings before I attach the cables. Rear derailleurs are fairly easy to move by hand to refine the settings but front ones are a lot more difficult.