On 12/19/2018 3:57 PM, Ralph Barone wrote:
AMuzi wrote:
On 12/19/2018 1:36 PM, Ralph Barone wrote:
Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 12/19/2018 7:39 AM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at 5:54:45 PM UTC-5, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Hi there.

I put Interupter levers on an MTB Drop bar bike with cantilever brakes
and now drop bar levers feel spongy. The interrupter levers feel fine.
Any ideas why the two different types of brake levers feel so
different? I did NOT have this problem when I did the same thing to my
touring bike also with cantilever brake calipers.

Thanks and cheers.

I think that possibly something was seated properly somewhere. After I
posted the original query I was on another ride and discovered that the
rear brake interrupter lever felt spongy too. I just took up some slack
on the transverse cable on the rear brakes and now everything is fine.
The straddle cable holder could not be any lower because it'd interfere
with the fenders that are going on as soon as I take them off another bike.

Cantilever brakes plus fenders seems to be one area where a V-brake is
easier to set up for optimum braking power.

I agree, although V brakes work well with only a few lever types. And
they don't have the cantilever's adjustability, although I guess there
are a few brake levers with adjustable mechanical advantage.

But then, only we geeks value adjustability in braking force.


After years of fiddling with screechy, ineffective cantis, I'd love to find
an STI compatible V brake.


Spend less.

I just had this discussion while making a customer's online
purchase of expensive cantilevers almost work.

Shimano engineered their basic cantilever BR-CT91 in the
1990s. They did an excellent job of design and only improved
it by scrapping the plastic spring covers such that they
still turn out millions of copies per year, retail under
$20. Cheap, quick setup and they just work.

The more you spend the less favorable the comparison until,
after about $100, we can't help you; they are not going to
adjust or stop well.

p.s. Directions are included in the box. Look at the
pictures and do it their way.


Thanks Andrew. The brakes I have on the bike are the basic Tektro Oryx that
came with the bike (Surly LHT), but there has been a lot of fiddling with
front hangers, straddle cables and brake shoes over the years. I think I've
finally managed to move it from "are there actually brakes on this bike?"
to "OK". If you think the Shimanos will work better than the Tektros, I'll
shell out the $50 for a pair.


Shimano SRP is $16.95/side or $32.90. Really.

I'm as much a critic of Shimano as anyone where warranted
but there are things they do better than everyone else and
this is one of them.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971