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?

[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.

[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.

[Mr Gear]

OK, question answered using the power of the internets!