Cantilever brakes

[Mr Gear]

Why do they fit cantilever brakes to cyclocross and touring bikes? Surely everything cantis can do, V-brakes can do better?

[Jimbo.]

Mud (and mudguard) clearance primarily.

[Mr Gear]

Jimbo. said:

Mud (and mudguard) clearance primarily.

That's an advantage over normal road calipers, but not really an advantage over v-brakes. I could get 2.4 inch tyres on my old v-brake equipped mountain bike.

[maverick52]

v brakes need different levers as well duel levers wont work with them but mini v brakes will

[Mr Gear]

maverick52 said:

v brakes need different levers as well duel levers wont work with them but mini v brakes will

Ah, so if you have drop bars and the associated shifters, you can forget v-brakes? That seems to make sense. Flat-bar road bikes often have v-brakes, but anything with drops seems to usually have cantis.

[gazza285]

Mr Gear said:

Why do they fit cantilever brakes to cyclocross bikes?

So we can spend hours setting them up, only to wear the pads so much in the mud that they need setting again after every race. There can't be many forms of cycling where the rims wear out faster than your tyres.

[maverick52]

Mr Gear said:

Ah, so if you have drop bars and the associated shifters, you can forget v-brakes? That seems to make sense. Flat-bar road bikes often have v-brakes, but anything with drops seems to usually have cantis.

yep the pull ratio is different i have mini vs on my cross bike and the blocks have to be almost touching the rims

[Mr Gear]

OK, question answered using the power of the internets!