Upgrading Canti to Dual Pivot Caliper - much difference?

[Hawk]

I'm thinking of upgrading my TriCross brakes from cantilevers. I've adjusted my cantilevers quite substantially, used various different pads etc but feel the performance isn't quite adequate.

Do dual pivot brakes provide more stopping power than Cantis? Big, noticeable difference or not particularly so?

 

[Dave Davenport]

I'm pretty sure even long drop dual pivots wouldn't be long enough to fit a tricross.

 

[black'n'yellow]

I'm thinking of upgrading my TriCross brakes from cantilevers. I've adjusted my cantilevers quite substantially, used various different pads etc but feel the performance isn't quite adequate.

Do dual pivot brakes provide more stopping power than Cantis? Big, noticeable difference or not particularly so?

how are you planning on fitting these dual pivot calipers to a Tricross..?

 

[Hawk]

Apparently has been done

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=34963

?

 

[mcshroom]

I'd think you'd be better looking at mini v-brakes.

I'm not sure you can fit dual pivots on a tricross (though you may be able to use nutted ones through the fork crown hole)

[edit]which it looks like you may be able to do from that post

 

[fossyant]

Are you sure you have cantis not v brakes ? Cantis have a straddle wire and a brake cable. V brakes have a longer brake arm and use a metal tube called a noodle route the brake cable.

 

[Hawk]

Cheers Fossy

Positive it's canitlevers. Brake arms on pivot which is pulled round by a straddle wire, straddle wire goes through a yoke which is secured to the brake cable from my hanger

 

[John the Monkey]

Hawk, I put this on the road.cc forum - it might be useful if you want to futz with the cantis a bit more;

I've tried 3 lots of cantis with Tiagra levers, on a Surly Long Haul Trucker. Bear in mind that cantilever power is HUGELY dependent on geometry, so its worth playing with this a little, having keyed in the values for your frame;
http://www.circleacycles.com/cantilevers/

Your results could well be pretty different to the ones I get.

That said:
Tektro Oryx
For: Cheap, Best power, high-ish straddle, narrowest profile of all three brakes
Against: Grabbby, very quick pad wear (meaning frequent adjustments to the brakes required), squeal if not toed in, impossible to get inflated tyre past brake, or unhook straddle, pads must be set v close to rim

Tektro CR-720
For: Cheap, Easy set up, slowest pad wear and least frequent adjustment of all the brakes I tried. Straddle can be unhooked, inflated tyre will go past the pads.
Against: Least power of all three, straddle must be set as low as possible (a problem if you want to mount light to the fork crown, for example), very wide

IRD CAFAM
For: Power somewhere between Oryx & CR-720, not grabby, pad wear quick, but manageable
Against: Most expensive of the three I tried, Hard to find (although Fine ADC will sell to you direct), straddle can't be unhooked, pads must be set pretty close to the rim to be effective (not as close as Oryxes though).

Mini Vs are worth a look too - this thread on Road Bike review has some pretty comprehensive info for pairing them up with road levers.
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/cyclocross/my-mini-v-setup-146309.html
(I've not tried Mini Vs, btw).

Oh, also, good pads will make a massive difference.

Tektro brakes come with middling, hard compound pads, bin them and get Fibrax X-Treme, Kool Stop Salmon, or Yokozuna pink. The IRD brakes come with really good pads (Yokozuna pink).

Bin link wires (Oryx & IRD come with those) and use an adjustable straddle instead. The CR-720 comes with an EXCELLENT straddle hanger, and you can get those as an aftermarket part;
http://www.zepnat.com/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.f...

A fork crown mounted hanger is, ime, better than a spacer mounted hanger too - reduces judder and squeal in the brake.

I can't really comment on dual pivots with the Tricross - £25 is probably similar to the cost of trying a different canti brake anyway, I guess.

 

[simon.r]

Do dual pivot brakes provide more stopping power than Cantis? Big, noticeable difference or not particularly so?

Others will tell you that a well set up canti is as powerful as a V brake or a dual pivot, but personally I never got on with cantis. It didn't seem to matter how I adjusted them, they never gave adequate stopping power. When V brakes became the norm in the MTB world I breathed a massive sigh of relief - easy to set up and oodles of power.

As a relatively new user of modern dual pivot brakes I'm very impressed with these as well. Again, easy to set up and more than enough stopping power.

So yes, I'd change to either V's or dual pivots. Presumably V's would be an easier fit as you already have the bosses on your frame / fork. I believe (but check first) that mini V's will work with road levers. Adaptors are also available so that 'normal' V's will work with road levers.

 

[TheDoctor]

Mini V brakes are supposed to work with road levers.
I've not used them, so I wouldn't swear to it, but I think working with road levers was the whole idea...

 

[asterix]

I'm thinking of upgrading my TriCross brakes from cantilevers. I've adjusted my cantilevers quite substantially, used various different pads etc but feel the performance isn't quite adequate.

Do dual pivot brakes provide more stopping power than Cantis? Big, noticeable difference or not particularly so?

I have cantis. On group rides they are a distinct problem as people with dual pivots keep running into me if I have to brake suddenly

It's true that I am an expert at setting up these brakes having used them for years, and I have strong hands (Strangler Asterix, they call me.). Once I managed an emergency stop so that, on purpose, I finished just touching the door of the car that pulled out having failed to see me. And in the wet, too. Should have seen the look on the driver's face!

I have also used them on tour in the Pyrennees with a 20kg touring load in addition to my 85kg. They were perfectly adequate on long descents with numerous hairpins.

My audax bike has dual pivot and they're also good, but I wouldn't go to a lot of any effort to change to them.