How can I install rear V brake mounts on a frame made for just disc brakes?
 

Hello,

I have a 2009 Novora Saffari touring bike. I would like to change over to V brakes mainly for the simplicity when touring (easier to repair V brakes in most of world).

The frame does not have mounts to equip v brakes. Does anyone know is there a way to attach the mounts? Are there any mounts that can be attached without the need to weld or drill?

Thanks!

Buy a different frame, or up(down)grade to the 2013 Safari which has rim brakes.

If the frame isn't designed for rim brakes, there is no realistic way of doing this.

What's the hang up with discs? They have been common place on MTB's for the last 15 years, and work fine, they will stop better in wet conditions than a rim brake will, and you don;t have to worry so much about damage to the rim, and the braking surface as you do with rim brakes.

+1 on buying a different frame if you must have V-brakes. As jimc101 noted, there is no realistic or cost effective way to add V-brake/canti mounts to your current frame.

This is a bit of an unusual request as the majority of questions on this forum asking about brake changes are looking for a way to install disc brakes on a non-disc frame.

If you're jumpy about field maintenance of hydraulics then you could make a compromise and fit mechanical disks. The cables are, of course, just cables - more fallible than a hydraulic line perhaps - but eminently maintainable in the boonies. The internal mechanism inside the caliper is extremely simple. You'd probably need to carry pads though.

The Safari is a $900 or so bike so the probability is very high the OEM disc brakes are mechanical.

And there ain't much wrong with the higher end mechanical discs. Might be worth the expense of upgrading to Avid BB7 or one of the higher end Shimano offerings for touring.

You can buy (or at least you can here) mounts and have them brazed on. I did it on my daily rider, where one of them broke. I'm not touring, but I'm riding it daily, to the tune of 10,000 miles, or so, since the replacement. It was done on the (steel) fork, by the general welder around the corner.
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=es-4...r:12,s:0,i:109

You could also email Moots and see if they still make Moots Mounts, which are brake studs that mount to a stay using a steel band, similar to endless-band front derailleurs from the '80s and '90s. Here's a pic, you can't really see the steel band here: http://www.firstflightbikes.com/_bor...ots24Brake.JPG

inverted U adapters are made for BMX bikes to go from a side-pull, center bolt ,
to a V brake ... if you must .., the horseshoe has the V brake bosses.

sell bike

buy older model w rim type brakes
keep extra money.

I emailed a buddy who works at Moots, to ask about the Moots Mounts. Details at 11 :)

The answer is that Moots Mounts are long out-of-production. Oh well, it was an idea.

UNfortunately this would only work with a steel frame. The OP's bike is aluminum.

Carry spare pads, and if you really want to be sure there is nothing you can't handle, a spare caliper and rotor.

You could also probably find a set of very long-reach caliper brakes (like BMX brakes) that could be made to work... although you may have disk specific wheels without an appropriate brake track, and that would mean to get rim brakes to work properly you would have to swap rims to a rim-brake model.

You would also probably need to run full-length cable housing to connect to the brakes on the seatstays instead of at the axle.

If you wanted to be really cheesy, you could build an adapter like I made for moving the canti posts for a 26" frame to 700c wheels.

The difference between what I did and you will have to do is that you will have to use some sort of strong hose clamp to attach the horseshoe to the frame. I used the existing 26" brake studs which you don't have. Using strong hose clamps really shouldn't be a problem since the majority of the stress from braking hard will be exerted on the horseshoe itself rather than the clamps.

This is what I made:
http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...7-23230631.jpg

Clearly I didn't know what it was made of. Therefore I mentioned that mine was steel. :)

Hey, that's what I call talent. What do you do for a living? That looks great.

Computer technician but currently unemployed. :( I also am a lead bicycle tech at my bike coop.

Here is a better pic of the horseshoe adapter:

http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...7-23111020.jpg

Sent you a PM, I know of a local computer/network opening.

Thank you all very much for all the replies! Thank you MechBgon for looking into the mounts! Shame they are no longer made. The brake booster adaptor is very impressive. Lots to think about.

Disk brakes work good on my bikes, commuter mountain and tourer. They should work good for yours as well. Try the BB-7'S.

I am trying to run 700c tires with my mountain bike frame. Where did you get the horse shoe post that fits the cantilever posts?

It looks like a brake bridge salvaged from an old sus fork.


Try a net search for a "v-brake booster". Might find something useful easier that way.

Remember going to rim brakes could lead to rim failure. On long tours there will be days of riding in the rain. That means fine wet grit that will grind down the rims. If a rim cracks or breaks, you are on foot. In the case of some failure of a disc brake, you still have one brake, and can continue.