Obviously you plan to replace the old pads, and hopefully see a big improvement.

But - at the risk of saying something you already know -following a good cantilever brake adjustment step by step - especially the details of the straddle cable - can make another huge difference (along with pads).

One issue with LP/V brakes with road levers is that they will require an adapter like a Problem Solvers Travel Agent. I've used both (LP w/ adapter and canti). In my experience, properly adjusted cantis with good pads work as well as I will ever need brakes to work. So do the LPs. Not to get into the disc brake argument other than to say that well adjusted cantis and LPs work as well as I ever need brakes to work ....I, me.... not anyone else.

My 2¢: Our Santana came with high-end Shimano cantilever brakes, properly set up. They could slow us down rather effectively. However, once the price point on V-brakes became reasonable, I changed out the front & rear brakes. With the Vs, I could easily skid the front wheel. This I discovered was not healthy for my back and kidneys, as my dear girlfriend / wife would give me prompt percussive feedback for demonstrating this feat with her on board.

On my aluminum Nashbar cruiser, I'm running Vs front and cantilevers rear (the rear set formerly on the tandem, in fact), as the rack strut configuration on that bike doesn't play well with V cable/noodle routing. I use adjustable levers with settings for V and standard pull. When I taught cycling skills classes, I could skid the rear tire and stand the bike on its front wheel with the rear about a foot off the pavement - both to demonstate what not to do when performing emergency braking maneuvers emphasizing strong front brake use and fast modulation.

This is the Bicycle Mechanics group, it's what we do here.
BTW if you buy a set of brakes for $10 more than salmon KoolStops, you still won't have salmon KoolStops.

I posit that a cantilever brake is not a caliper, but just a pair of brake arms. The notion of a caliper is something that spans a diameter (like a measuring caliper) but the classic cantilever brake is not joined in the middle, just attached to the frame/fork. A classic centerpull brake OTOH is both a cantilever and a caliper, but it's that peculiar sort of cantilever that pivots above the rim, like the U brake which is also a cantilever but not a caliper. Discuss. 😀

Why would I need this if im literally grabbing an entire assembly? Or is that road bike specific Literally levers AND calipers? And then going to make all new cables for it. I dont understand all the mombo jumbo?

And for dude saying I wont have kool stops how do you know? Lmao im completely revamping the brake system so the simple question i shpuld have asked is stock for stock are v brakes stronger? And if you were replacing every piece of the braking system anyway would you put v brakes on it pretend its junk yard budget..
here's a pic if that helps


Im the darker green

OP - they are not really toying with you, but they might be thinking about it. Sometimes seemingly simple questions don't have simple answers. The phrase "you don't know what you don't know" also means something.

In this case I would definitely recommend the v-brakes with appropriate levers. Although I bet Kool Stops and good setup would get you all the braking you need.

thanks homie! okay, so like pads are good enough but if im tryina pimp it get the name brand v brakes kinda my thing i know corny but as a broke mechanic who lost his license from a siezure why not hahaha plus its SO CLEAN for as old as me

Clean can't reverse Age.. the pads on the bike now are Rock hard... they won't work well to stop the bike, right?
the new KoolStops will make the bike capable of controlled nose wheelies/stoppies/skids.
no cables or levers to deal with.
the levers on the bike now are Short Pull.. this makes adjustments, when hooked to V-brakes, ridiculously tricky, the wheels will rub if they aren't perfectly trued, the brake levers will feel mushy, and not do much to apply force before hitting the grips.
been there, found out the hard way, long ago.
if the pads on the "new brakes" aren't very new, you'll be right back where you started from, correct levers or not.
there is not telling who did what before those v-brake parts were salvaged.

under $15 a pair, shipped.. Ebay search: Koolstop Eagle Claw II Brake Pads Brake Shoes K/s Ec-ii Canti Pr Salmon
verify if your brakes are post or threaded style... both are available from KoolStop. i bet the pads on your cantis are post style. the V-brakes will use the threaded style.
the instructions on the packages tell you how to install them to perfection.
KoolStop is an Oregon based company.. I was near their place earlier today... great folks! If i wasn't semi-retired, i'd apply to work there.

also available thru any local bike shop...

OK, I will discuss, while admitting this is tangential to the OP's question. According to my Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Edition, the applicable definition of a caliper is "a device consisting of two plates lined with a frictional material that press against the sides of a rotating wheel or disc in certain brake systems." This does not require that brake arms be joined in the middle or share a pivot, nor does the etymology provide guidance.

While that appears to be straightforward enough, as noted before, some terms familiar to cyclists will perplex normal people. If you knew little about bikes, would you guess that a bottom bracket serves as the crank axle, or that you could clip in to clipless pedals?

Hard to tell from the photos but it looks like your brake pads use smooth posts.

The front cable hanger is built into the stem. If you stay with center-pull cantis but want to use a different stem, you might have to add a hanger that attaches above the headset. Not a matter of concern if you're comfortable with the current stem.

Since your bike has a rear-facing cable stop for the rear brake, conversion to linear pull would be easy, and would obviate the front hanger since LP brakes don't need one.

Your least expensive option would be a set of new pads, and I wouldn't get hung up on Kool-Stop since other reputable brands will work satisfactorily. Of course, you will want to inspect the cables and housing closely and replace if necessary. Barreling toward a semi is not the time to learn that your brakes aren't in safe operating condition.

How do I know you won't have KoolStop salmon? Because you don't like to make stuff easy or listen to advice - just clean your rims, grease your pivots, replace cable as necessary, fit salmons and adjust the cantilevers properly, after bedding-in you'll have better braking than switching to V brakes with generic friction material, no need to swap out the whole brake system. If you fit V brakes and salmons you will have similar performance to cantis with salmons, but you do you dude ...

I recently built a 1990s bike from a bare frame, I put cantilevers on it. New old stock brakes, probably late '80s early '90s, I don't think they cost much.

Since your frame has the rear cable stop on the drive-side of the bike, and rear V-Brakes prefer the stop to be located somewhere else, you might find cutting the new housing to the perfect length to be tricky if you convert to V-Brakes. Grabbing a 135° brake noodle or a flexible noodle should let you set the rear brake up better than if you use the 90° brake noodle that comes with the brake.

While your current brakes aren't very visible in the provided pictures, it looks like you might have a particular model of Shimano canti that is known for having plastic spring covers that like to break. If your brakes are branded Shimano, replacing them would be a smart idea, whether it be with V-Brakes, or a better set of cantis.

V-brake kits typically come with 90* and 110* noodles... and i've re-curved many 90s to be whatever is needed... a brake line bending tool can be used, or two really strong, well positioned, experienced thumbs work... one tiny crimp in the line ruins it... guess how i know.

Agree 100%. At the nonprofits, I've had to discard and recycle far too many otherwise-nice Shimano cantilevers because the nearly 30-year-old rear spring housing broke, rendering them worthless.