What can I do to make my cantilever brakes better?

[KneesUp]

The brakes on my bike aren't very good, and I wondered if anyone could offer any advice?

Here is the set-up (excuse the mess in the store-room at work) Ideally I'd like the yoke to sit lower, but it's virtually touching the mudguard at this height, and the mudguard is as low as it can go.


The brakes work, and feel nice and 'solid' but they feel like they are slowing you down rather than stopping you, if you know what I mean. On the last little bit of downhill on they way to work I feel I have to keep the brakes on a bit so it doesn't get too fast in order that I can make the sharp right half-way down.

I previously has these brakes and levers on a different frame/wheels so although they're not new, they're new to these wheels - I've only ridden them on this bike three times, but this coincides with it getting colder - could it just be that the rubber is hard because of the cold?

Thanks.

 

[KneesUp]

The brakes on my bike aren't very good, and I wondered if anyone could offer any advice?

Here is the set-up (excuse the mess in the store-room at work) Ideally I'd like the yoke to sit lower, but it's virtually touching the mudguard at this height, and the mudguard is as low as it can go.
View attachment 62535

The brakes work, and feel nice and 'solid' but they feel like they are slowing you down rather than stopping you, if you know what I mean. On the last little bit of downhill on they way to work I feel I have to keep the brakes on a bit so it doesn't get too fast in order that I can make the sharp right half-way down.

I previously has these brakes and levers on a different frame/wheels so although they're not new, they're new to these wheels - I've only ridden them on this bike three times, but this coincides with it getting colder - could it just be that the rubber is hard because of the cold?

Thanks.

 

[User6179]

toe them in

 

[raleighnut]

^^^^^+1

 

[KneesUp]

Mine do look like they're toed the other way don't they? I'll have a check in a bit - I think it might be a trick of the light. They could be toed more though, but I thought that just stopped squeaks and squeals?

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

There are a couple of possibilities, but moving the yoke somewhat higher or lower is not one of them, that has little effect on braking power for wide profile canti's like yours.

The first possibility is you might have brake lever - brake mismatch. If you are using typical flat bar brake levers for V brakes then they pull too much cable for canti's (by not having enough mechanical advantage at the lever), and the effect (good purchase at the lever but not stopping the wheels) would be as you have described.

The second possibility is better pads, assuming the current ones aren't very good.

 

[User6179]

Mine do look like they're toed the other way don't they? I'll have a check in a bit - I think it might be a trick of the light. They could be toed more though, but I thought that just stopped squeaks and squeals?

It does make a big difference to toe it in but changing to better pads made the biggest difference , try toeing in then if still not great invest in some better pads .

 

[KneesUp]

I've had a check and the block is hitting the rim flat, so it's not reverse-toed as it looks in the picture, but it isn't toed correctly either. I will fix it before I go home and test.

@RecordAceFromNew it's a drop bar bike - it has Tektro RL340 levers so they do match the brakes - I moved the handlebars complete off the other bike as well as the cantilevers. They were better on the other bike, but not brilliant - the pads are the stock ones that came with the cantis - perhaps they're not brilliant and are worse in the cold then.

 

[Jody]

No idea on your problem but could you convert them to V Brakes?

 

[Dave Davenport]

Better blocks will probably help a bit but there's not a lot you can do with what you've got. I converted Mrs D's Tricross (running STI's) to V brakes with travel agents and our tourers to V's with dedicated levers (running bar end shifters), you could change to mini V's but I've not tried them.

 

[KneesUp]

No idea on your problem but could you convert them to V Brakes?

I *could* but it would mean changing the levers and the brakes, and these are quite new. I went with the cantilevers because at the time I was using some old drop bar levers that wouldn't have worked with Vs, but they were ridiculously uncomfortable, so I bought the Tektro levers. In hindsight it might have been better to get Vs and levers together though

 

[Soltydog]

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/tacx-t4580-brake-shoe-tuner/aid:96287 makes toeing them in a piece of cake ;-)

 

[KneesUp]

Better blocks will probably help a bit but there's not a lot you can do with what you've got. I converted Mrs D's Tricross (running STI's) to V brakes with travel agents and our tourers to V's with dedicated levers (running bar end shifters), you could change to mini V's but I've not tried them.

Yea - see above

I could lock the wheel with them on the other bike, which as far as I am concerned means the brakes can stop better than the tyre and so therefore the brakes were not the weakest link. On this bike I can only lock the back wheel (testing, of course) if it's going quite slowly and is on wet leaves.

 

[KneesUp]

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/tacx-t4580-brake-shoe-tuner/aid:96287 makes toeing them in a piece of cake ;-)

What a good idea that gadget is!

 

[mcshroom]

Or just stick a credit card between the wheel and the back of the pad when tightening.

I've found there can be a significant difference in braking between pads. The traditional favourites are KoolStop Salmon pads, which are very good, but I struggled to stop them squeaking.

My current favourites are the Clarks three colour ones which are cheap and quite soft so they break well but wear slightly quicker. I prefer the pads wearing out over rims wearing out anyway so thats a plus.

(this sort)