Are modern cantilever brakes an improvement on old ?
#1
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Are modern cantilever brakes an improvement on old ?
Hi ,
I have an old mid eighties Koga Miyata touring bike with its stock shimano cantilevers . The Brake pads are worn and Im debating just buying a modern set of cantis(pads included of course ) as an upgrade instead of replacing the pads.
Im looking at the shimano cx 50 or 70
Not interested in V brakes or a new disc bike , I want to keep it cantis as it suits the style of bike.
So have cantis come on in the last 30 years or so ? Can I expect modern cantis to be noticeably better provided everything is set up correctly ?
J
I have an old mid eighties Koga Miyata touring bike with its stock shimano cantilevers . The Brake pads are worn and Im debating just buying a modern set of cantis(pads included of course ) as an upgrade instead of replacing the pads.
Im looking at the shimano cx 50 or 70
Not interested in V brakes or a new disc bike , I want to keep it cantis as it suits the style of bike.
So have cantis come on in the last 30 years or so ? Can I expect modern cantis to be noticeably better provided everything is set up correctly ?
J
#2
Senior Member
Many modern cantis use threaded brake pad holders with conical washers that can make set up easier. Otherwise, I don't think cantis are on average meaningfully better now than in the past. Their geometry is pretty straight forward and arm stiffness is great on many cantis even from the 1920s.
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I have found that getting rid of the link wire and using a straddle cable and carrier makes for easier adjustment. You need to provide a means of preventing the straddle cable from getting fouled in the tire in the event of a main brake cable/clamp failure, but that can be as simple as a reflector bracket or a loop of string.
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I have found that getting rid of the link wire and using a straddle cable and carrier makes for easier adjustment. You need to provide a means of preventing the straddle cable from getting fouled in the tire in the event of a main brake cable/clamp failure, but that can be as simple as a reflector bracket or a loop of string.
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Many Shimano canty brakes of that era had nylon cups that retained the return springs. Those cups had such a tendency to crack that Shimano provided free replacements for a period of time. To me the much greater ease of set up makes it worth the cost of modern replacements.
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#6
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So .... not much difference it seems in older and newer cantis power and modulation wise except for easier adjustment ,
maybe a good set of brake pads is the easiest answer here
maybe a good set of brake pads is the easiest answer here
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I use Problem Solvers Wide Cable Carriers https://problemsolversbike.com/produ...arrier_-_16460
and generic straddle cable. I like the cables that have a little handle to help get the end in and out for tire changes, like these wiggle.com | Transfil Shimano MTB Cantilever Brake Straddle Wire | Brake Cables .
I set them up with the carrier as low as possible, this works well with my Tektro CR720s. I use Kool Stop salmon pads. Remember, if you get rid of the link wire you will need something to catch the straddle cable so it doesn't lock up the tire if the main brake wire comes loose or breaks. If you have a reflector bracket that will do, or you could loop a piece of string loosely around the cable and a suitable fixed point.
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One aspect of more current canti brakes is the wider width between the frame/fork pivot posts, compared to what was typical back in the day. This wider sprad allows for greater choice as to the pad/rim/straddle cable geometry set up. Andy
#9
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MTB boom got Asia making brakes with more adjustments, so frame factories got to let the post spacing tolerance be looser.
where the Old Mafac cantilevers there was a smaller allowance , before the brake pad did not hit the rim properly..
Built a frame with Mafacs.. brazing the posts on was the 1st adjustment..
do you have any problems with them? they are a short arm brake, so compatible with the cable pull from drop bar aero levers..
replacement pads , may be better than stock, but why not wear out the original ones, before looking for aftermarket pads.
...
where the Old Mafac cantilevers there was a smaller allowance , before the brake pad did not hit the rim properly..
Built a frame with Mafacs.. brazing the posts on was the 1st adjustment..
Im looking at the shimano cx 50 or 70
do you have any problems with them? they are a short arm brake, so compatible with the cable pull from drop bar aero levers..
replacement pads , may be better than stock, but why not wear out the original ones, before looking for aftermarket pads.
...
Last edited by fietsbob; 03-06-18 at 11:21 AM.
#10
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The stock pads are worn out , im thinking salmon cool stops , im also now considering mini vs that will work with my current tektro drop bar levers but its a last resort as they would look ugly on this bike
#11
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id get the cx 50 or 70 as a replacement if i felt that there would be a noteable increase in braking performance , thats i was kind of trying to figure out here ,
I love bikes
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I've had salmon and black Kool Stop pads and the black are better. Salmon is no better in the wet. I don't think new canti's would be any kind of improvement. The original Dia Compe 987 canti's on my 23 year old MTB w/ black KS pads are almost as powerful as v-brakes.
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I use Shimano CX-50s with Tiagra 4600 triples levers/shifters and salmon Coolstop pads.
The CS Salmons were far better than the stock Shimano CX-50 black pads. I considered the half salmon/half black, but they were not instock. I also upgraded the pad holders to Ultegra holders so I could just swap the pads. The CX-50s use a unitized pad/holder (similar to my wife's old Sora group sidepulls), so you cannot change just the pads, plus they are hard to find in shops whereas the slide in pads are far more common since they are on a number of Shimano road calipers. Save the cupped washers for the new pad holders. Ease of finding a pad is better for an on the road emergency.
I also upgraded the wifes bike to slide-in pads.
The CS Salmons were far better than the stock Shimano CX-50 black pads. I considered the half salmon/half black, but they were not instock. I also upgraded the pad holders to Ultegra holders so I could just swap the pads. The CX-50s use a unitized pad/holder (similar to my wife's old Sora group sidepulls), so you cannot change just the pads, plus they are hard to find in shops whereas the slide in pads are far more common since they are on a number of Shimano road calipers. Save the cupped washers for the new pad holders. Ease of finding a pad is better for an on the road emergency.
I also upgraded the wifes bike to slide-in pads.
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