Jay D

I just bought a singlespeed cyclocross bike for commuting and I'm planning on overhauling the brake system on it. It has Direct-pull v-brakes however I want the front brake to be operated by my right hand for reasons discussed in Sheldon Brown's article on the subject.

With the current setup, the left brake cable arches beautifully to the front brake noodle. Trying to do this the other way around will be awkward and will require a noodle with a larger angle so the cable can then arch the other way back into the right brake.

This process would be so much easier if the brakes pulled from the other way which I've yet to fine. This leads to my question, do direct pull brakes exist that pull from the other direction?

Bezalel

The Paul Components brakes can be reversed but they are expensive.

Jeff Wills

Also expensive, but Avid Ultimates can be be "reversed":
https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...s.php?id=13142

Long ago, I modified a set of SRAM V-brakes (made before they bought Avid) so the noodle came from the other side. I did this so I could install a suspension fork on my Lightning recumbent. There may be other brakes available now that would accept the same modification, but I'm not sure which.

BCRider

I'm a motorcycle rider and I like all my front brakes to be on the right so I don't get confused.... which is all too easy these days.

Shimano had a different noodle that arcs through a 135 degree bend instead of the usual 90 so it lines up much nicer with a loop of housing coming off the right hand lever. The bike shops should have a bunch handy since all the better grade of Shimano rim brakes used to come with them. And if you actually have to buy one or three they are pretty cheap and should be easily available through any bike shop. And probably on line if they bother to list a lot of the niggling little parts like these.

CHenry

Changing right vs left is pretty simple with cantis; the front cable hanger is centered so the approach angles ought to be the same right or left. For the rear brake, the cable will have to go to the opposite side of the top tube, so you might need a little different length in the cable housing.

HillRider

Despite the OP referring to them as "cantis", what he's really describing are V-brakes so the cable does come from one side, not the center. And, yes, if these were really cantilever brakes, the approach side wouldn't matter and they would be truly ambidextrous.

Jay D

Geez, those "reversable" v-brakes are expensive!! A little more than I would like to spend to simply switch brake orientation.

Might have to go with the 135 bend Shimano noodle that BCRider recommended, so far that's the most reasonable option.

Jay D

You are correct, my apologies for calling these "cantis." I've since edited my original post but unfortunately I'm unable to edit the subject title.

And yes, if these were center pull cantis, making this switch would be extremely simple!