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Avid Shorty Ultimate cantilever brakes

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Avid Shorty Ultimate cantilever brakes

Old 11-27-22, 10:02 AM
  #1  
Schweinhund
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Avid Shorty Ultimate cantilever brakes

I have Deore DX vbrakes but I keep looking at the Avid Shorty Ultimates with lust, the lust that comes from cnc machined bicycle components. They are beautiful..
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Old 11-27-22, 10:18 AM
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I love them, they're on my Crockett.

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Old 12-03-22, 11:42 AM
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Originally Posted by cxwrench View Post
I love them, they're on my Crockett.

I recognize your large rear derailleur loops! Good choice of bike rack - 1 UP! Which SRAM group set do you have on that bike?
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Old 12-03-22, 05:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Lombard View Post
I recognize your large rear derailleur loops! Good choice of bike rack - 1 UP! Which SRAM group set do you have on that bike?
It's got Red22. Leftovers from the team's parts.
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Old 12-20-22, 05:58 AM
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wow. nice bike!
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Old 12-20-22, 08:01 AM
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those are hot. I'ma keep them in mind as a potential upgrade for my CruX.
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Old 01-11-23, 07:07 PM
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If your Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes are not stopping

If your Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes are not stopping as well as they used to, it may be time for an adjustment. To adjust your brakes, you will need a 4 or 5mm hex key and a small Phillips head screwdriver. Once you have those tools, follow these steps:

1. Loosen the two screws that secure the brake lever to the handlebar using the Phillips head screwdriver. Do not remove the screws completely, just loosen them enough so that you can move the brake lever up or down on the handlebar.




2. While holding the front of the brake pad against the rim of the wheel, use your hex key to turn the adjusting barrel clockwise until it is tight.
This will move the pads closer to the wheel and improve braking power.




3. Test your brakes by squeezing the levers firmly and seeing how well they stop the wheel. If necessary, repeat steps 2-3 until you are happy with how much stopping power your brakes have.

4. Once you are satisfied with your brake adjustment, use your Phillips head screwdriver to tighten down both screws that hold the brake lever in place on the handlebar.




Cantilever brakes are a type of bicycle brake that uses two arms to hold the brake pads against the rim of the wheel. The arms are mounted on either side of the wheel and connected to each other with a cable. The advantage of cantilever brakes is that they offer more stopping power than other types of brakes, such as caliper or v-brakes.

They also work well in muddy or wet conditions. The main disadvantage of cantilever brakes is that they can be difficult to adjust and maintain. If one of the arms becomes misaligned, it can cause the pads to rub against the tire, which will decrease your braking power and increase wear on both the pads and tires.

Cantilever brakes also tend to be heavier than other types of brakes. If you're looking for powerful braking performance, cantilever brakes are a good option. Just be prepared to do some regular maintenance to keep them in good working order.




If you're looking for a powerful, lightweight brake set-up, look no further than the Avid Shorty brakes. These dual-piston caliper brakes provide excellent stopping power and are perfect for cross-country or trail riding. The integrated lever and caliper design is both sleek and functional, and the included adapters make installation a breeze.

Whether you're looking to upgrade your current brake set-up or start from scratch, the Avid Shorty brakes are a great option.
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Old 01-21-23, 02:50 PM
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They are pretty brakes.
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Old 02-03-23, 05:57 PM
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cantilever brakes back in style?

I haven't been biking for half a decade but I just picked up an old ~1995 Trek 930 and it has old cantilever brakes that work fine and I was thinking of swapping to something more "modern" but then I see this thread! Are cantilever brakes back in style?
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Old 02-07-23, 08:33 AM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by chalex View Post
Are cantilever brakes back in style?
No. They are on the way out. They were eliminated from mountain bikes years ago and pretty much eliminated from most new road bikes these days.
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Old 02-11-23, 12:05 AM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by chalex View Post
Are cantilever brakes back in style?
Not really...cantilever brakes are not now, and never will come back into fashion. It's more like, "there's enough people who like them, and a ton of great bikes that were built for them, so why not make some really good ones?"
And, if we're all being ruthlessly honest, just about any high-quality brake (or derailleur, or shifter, or crankset, or whatever,) made since the late 1980s is a better part than most of us will ever need. We all have our preferences, and none of them are wrong, but very little of this stuff actually sucks.

--Shannon
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Old 02-19-23, 10:34 AM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by ShannonM View Post
Not really...cantilever brakes are not now, and never will come back into fashion. It's more like, "there's enough people who like them, and a ton of great bikes that were built for them, so why not make some really good ones?"
And, if we're all being ruthlessly honest, just about any high-quality brake (or derailleur, or shifter, or crankset, or whatever,) made since the late 1980s is a better part than most of us will ever need. We all have our preferences, and none of them are wrong, but very little of this stuff actually sucks.

--Shannon
Agreed.
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Old 03-01-23, 06:34 AM
  #13  
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Originally Posted by chalex View Post
Are cantilever brakes back in style?
For a while, cantis stuck around as a good option for drop bar bikes (primarily cyclocross and touring) because most drop bar brake levers weren’t compatible with v-brakes. Mini-v brakes cut into that market a little bit, but discs pretty much wiped it out. Now discs are the standard for bikes that used to have cantis.
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Old 03-04-23, 03:08 PM
  #14  
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Originally Posted by chalex View Post
I haven't been biking for half a decade but I just picked up an old ~1995 Trek 930 and it has old cantilever brakes that work fine and I was thinking of swapping to something more "modern" but then I see this thread! Are cantilever brakes back in style?
<br />I like how these brakes look like but definitely there are many more better options available now.

Last edited by lex further; 03-04-23 at 03:47 PM.
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Old 03-04-23, 10:39 PM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by lex further View Post
<br />I like how these brakes look like but definitely there are many more better options available now.
I mean there is Paul Cantis but those have been around a long time. There definitely aren't as many canti options these days. There is the cheapie Onyx and Altus level Shimano ones and I think they still do the 105 level ones as well and then I think Velo Orange was still doing their Zeste brakes and probably some other smaller makers but I don't think there is newer better options for cantilever brakes. They are a lot less common these days especially with disc brakes and to a lesser extent linear pull brakes. I have an old set of TRP Revox brakes but they stopped making those and at the time I got mine they had stopped making the Eurox carbon versions but at that time I do recall their being a few more options but it was slowing down now I am doubtful any new comers are hitting the field. I am sure there might be some rebadged stuff or maybe a few boutique folks like say Bruce Gordon (R.I.P.) who still produce them but a lot of newer stuff better than Avid brakes is going to be tougher beyond say a Paul brake.
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