If I switch my brakes from cantilever to V Linear can I use the original levers?
Never mind I found the answer. Nope

Probably not a good idea. Short pull levers with long pull brakes can work but they are touchy and difficult to set up properly. There are some old brake levers that will can be used with both by moving the anchor point from back in the age where the brakes were being converted. Avid Speed Dials will work as well.

it depends - not all short pull brake levers are the same, and not all V-brake arms are the same, and some levers have adjustable pull. You might find that, perhaps with the addition of low-compression cable and with frequent fine adjustment, the current levers work fine. Or you might find that when you need maximum braking it's just not there - remember when you're careening down a hill that sometimes it's better to crash now, rather than hanging on and crashing later when you're going really fast.

You *could* use THESE. I had them on my road bike, which had direct-pull ("V") brakes and Ultegra STI levers. The set-up worked perfectly. I've since reconfigured the bike with different levers to accommodate "trekking" bars, but still use the "Travel Agents" as low-friction, right-angle cable guides.


"Travel Agent" making a small-radius cable path possible.



Front and rear "Travel Agents" visible.