Braking issues

[Danthefestaman]

Hi, i have a couple of questions on setting up and what brakes to use.

My 1992 Marin Muirwoods that the wife uses would stop quicker if she carried and anchor and threw it over board. What are a good set of brake pads / blocks to use with the standard GS200 setup?
Also is it possible to set them up with out the pro set tool? I see in a few places about toeing the brakes in and so on but struggling to find an actual guide.

Also what period brakes could i fit to my 96 Fisher Wahoo as the original Shimano ones have missing / cracked plastic sleeves so need replacing regardless some day?

Cheers in advance!

 

[My_Teenage_Self]

I believe the stock answer for better braking is 'Fit Maguras'.

 

[CassidyAce]

Re:

Kool Stops are usually thought the best. These Ritchey ones are damn cheap and okay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RITCHEY-LP-L ... SwYGFUyfel

Or, unless the wheels are out of true, upgrade to V brakes: even cheap Tektro RM4 and suitable levers will be better. (Save the Maguras for yourself. )

 

[Danthefestaman]

Re:

Cheers, i have searched ebay a million times and find stuff that isn't suitable or ridiculously expensive. Il give a set of them a go for sure at that price. Didn't want to change to v-brakes as wanted it to stay as is so hopefully will see some improvements.

By Maguras i'm guessing they are hydraulic. I would love to put them on mine but probably the value of a Wahoo haha. Doesn't bother me though as they are all bits you can keep and move around. Can you buy new or is it all sourcing used?

 

[focomat 1c]

Re:

If you have some time available over the Christmas holiday , Google ' Sheldon Brown ' - How to adjust traditional cantilever brakes

This will give you all the accurate information you could ever need , and you will be able to give your existing set up a complete overhaul

based on his article . Strangely Sheldon does not cover brake block ' toe in ' in this particular article , though I am sure he will have

covered it elswhere . Personally I use a piece of card from a cornflakes packet ( other cereals are available ! ) under the trailing edge

of the brake blocks when setting them up . If you want to change the existing cantilevers , then search the Shimano timeline for 1992/3

to find out the various options available at that time . You can then begin your search ( even on this site ) for some period correct brakes

with the possibility of an upgrade . Your existing set up is after all really ' low end ' - Hope this helps

 

[ishaw]

Re:

Bit of cardboard, credit card or anything approx that thickness will help with toe-in set up, you don't really need fancy tools for that.

One thing to consider is the angle of the cables that enter the brakes, I think there are benefits of different angles depending on the type of straddle arrangement you have.

I've not used cantis for a long while, prefer vs myself, even if not period. It was an upgrade back in the day and much easier to set up.

 

[mk one]

Hi, in my opinion the best cantilever brakes are Dia-Compe 987's.

As for setting them up, some have difficulty and prefer to switch to V-brakes, though there are people who struggle setting them up too. I prefer canti's myself, more feel in the brake and i can lock the wheels up easily enough if i want. How i set my canti's up is to wind the brake lever barrel out a couple of turns, then with one hand squeeze the canti arms together, so they are locked onto rim, then pull slack cable through with pliers and tighten with allen key, all the time keeping the canti arms locked onto rim. Then wind the lever barrel in a turn and your arms will be set up close to the rim. Then bed the cables in by pulling the lever a few times and repeat, job done :xmas-cool:

 

[2manyoranges]

mk one is good on canti set up - he follows the Dark Rules which only some masters understand. But there are a few others things which can mess up brake performance and need to be be addressed too. Sheldon Brown - THE Master - also has excellent outline of which straddle wire geometry gives you good stopping.

Cables need to be routed correctly and the outer not to short, not too long.
Cables need lubing.
There can be lubricant contamination on rim.
There can be alloy dust build up.
Etc

Cleaning and lightly - VERY LIGHTLY - abrading the surface with a scotch-pad can improve braking a great deal

Some rims and pad combination are simply pants. It’s difficult to know exactly what it is since it doesn’t seem to follow a pattern, but some rims just don’t like certain pads. Aztecs pads are good, Fibrax too.

 

[mattr]

Another vote for the Kool Stop Eagle pads, i've been using them as my go to replacement for all the pads i have on all my rim brake bikes, road, CX and MTB.
Usually get the dual compounds or salmon coloured ones (which IIRC are for wet conditions)

 

[marc two tone]

Re:

I had the same needs on my palisades.

The rear I changed to the suntour self energise jobbies, came with their own blocks too. Were...on ebay rather cheap. The front just got new ritchey pads, mentioned above.
That bike went were any other bike did. No obvious sign of death to rider.