Barchettaman

Hi all,
For a commuter build I'm going with STI drop bar shifters and cantilever brakes.

Can any of you recommend any of the 'classic', i.e. used, cantilever brakes? Do any of Shimano's offerings from the past really stand out from the pack?

Cheers all
Simon

009jim

You probably hafta specify whether you want side-pull cantilever or top-pull?

fietsbob

Avid Ultimate.. like go for the best..

you can alter their arm to pad relationship , somewhat..

Barchettaman

Top-pull, cyclocross style, if that helps.

wroomwroomoops

I am a big cantilever fanboi. In my experience, it's hard to get cantilevers wrong. I.E. even the cheapest cantilevers will have great braking and are super-easy to center/adjust. IMHO, little difference between the cheapest and the most expensive models, apart perhaps from weight.

HillRider

Shimano's current BR-R550 cantis work well, are very easy to set up and use the same replacable insert pads as most V-brakes. They are also very reasonably priced, at least here in the US.

rithem

these are cheap and shimano ... at any rate start here ... the ultimates by AVID are great but are by no means cheap.

Barchettaman

Leaning towards Tektro CR 520 at the moment.

bradtx

Simon, The Shimano Altus and the Tektro Oryx cantis are still available new and inexpensive. Both are older, well proven designs that generally have ample clearance for fenders. Also read about canti brake set-up on Sheldon Brown's stickie.

Some front forks give a pulsing sensation with cantis, this can be fixed by using a fork crown housing stop (not for suspension forks).

Brad

rithem

side not: proper pad toe can correct most fork shudder, many forks do not have a hole for a fork crown housing stop

rithem

go for it they'll go fine..the return springs on the cheaper canti's can get slack over time causing issues with adjustments fwiw

Grand Bois

What is a side pull cantilever?

HillRider

I was puzzled too. I wonder if he means V-brakes.

wroomwroomoops

I bet he meant the good ole calipers - it's the first thing that pops up in my mind when discussing side or center pull.

SweetLou

I can't recommend a brake until I know which frame you have. Is this a new frame or an older one? The distance between the posts have changed over the years. The old standard was about 65mm between posts (center-to-center) the new standard is closer to 80mm. This means that newer type of brakes will not work on a frame with the older standard. If you have a skinny rim, you might be able to angle the brake a lot to just make it work, but not the best. A smooth post type brake will be needed. One exception to this might be the new Shimano CX-xx series. These are made differently from most brakes and come with different spacers.

fietsbob

I'm with Lou, OP is withholding those details,, brake boss spread..

old Mafac Cantilevers work with narrow spaced fork braze-on mounts.

My experience, others that work: Modolo Cross, and the Belgian made Spooky..

Bike boom Mountain bikes let the boss location get sloppy
with the introduction of up/down brake pad height adjustment.

Barchettaman

Thanks all for the advice.
Frame is a Planet X Kaffenback.

https://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/...swap_out_frame

Fork is a PX Uncle John:

https://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/...yclocross_fork

krome

I'm really fond of the Alivio BR-MC12 of 1996 or so vintage. The original pads aren't particularly good, so I usually run them with other pads. I've seen some others that had a dark plating of some sort, not sure if those had the same part number. The BR-MC12 that I've seen are all grey painted, which may not age well. There are also some plastic parts, but the ones I've used have held up well. There are some other Alivio canti's that I'd avoid. Alivio was lower end, in the Shimano line-up though I feel the ones I've mentioned are really decent. Adjustment is a bit of a pain, but once dialed in, they work well. They do use the "z-link" style straddle cable, which I actually prefer over other styles. They are also usually cheap, either used or NOS.

Edit: I don't think you have to use a z-link style straddle, but I believe they were made for that style.

009jim

Sorry folks if I got the terminology wrong - the stuff I read on Sheldon Brown implied that V-brake was just the "Shimano" trade name for side-pull-cantilevers. Seems to make sense to me if you look at how they work.