Mini v-brakes

[dirttorpedo]

Anyone here using mini v-brakes on their vintage touring bikes / cyclocross bikes? In general I'm ok with the braking I get using early 80's cantilevers, but I do live in a rainy place so having a bit of extra power and the simplicity of v-brakes along with ability to use modern bolt on pads would be a bonus. My main worry is clearance for full fenders. I've toyed with the idea of just using regular v-brakes and a pair of problem solvers to adapt to my drop bar lever pull ratio.

Any experience with either or both scenarios would be much appreciated.

 

[grantoury]

I have the Shimano br-r353 on my touring bike, I like them. Strong braking and better modulation than long v brakes. Perhaps they are a bit grippy (is that the word?) and need careful application but rather that than the lazy actuation of a canti.

 

[Takingabreak]

I've used shimano mini v's with sora 9 speed sti's and they worked ok. They worked better using some travel agents with them as they allowed a bit more pad clearance. I currently have T610 V brakes on a bike with sora 7 speed sti's and travel agents and they work really well. I don't understand the negative press that travel agents seem to get, my experience is that they work brilliantly

Problem Solvers Travel agent BR0300 silver each

Details Includes cable adjuster. The Problem Solvers Travel Agents allow the use of any non-linear pull lever, STI or Ergo lever with any linear pull brake. Product Uses: Designed at the time when the industry was shifting from cantilever to linear pull brakes, the Travel Agent allowed...

www.sjscycles.co.uk

 

[bikeworkshop]

Mini vs give better braking but more travel on a drop bar lever.
It helps if your wheels are true, and the canti bosses are lowish (earlier tourers had bosses nearer the rim, which makes them too spongy.

They'll need more frequent cable adjustment, but it's well worth a try because the braking power keeps steady, whereas cantis proportional power drops off as the levers are pulled harder.

Cantis are great... except in an emergency

Travel agents get a bad press because they are easy to set up badly and they are the wrong solution to many problems.

If they aren't the solution you're looking for, you deffo don't want them. If they are, they're great.

 

[Gazelleer]

Yes, and the shorter you can get them, the better. Mine are just 80mm with 40mm tyres, hence the closeness of the cable to the tyre.

With fenders you likely cannot go short enough for normal drop bar levers without a travel agent. Pad clearance will become a problem. If you are willing to forego traditional exposed cable routing and use bar end shifters, there are however nice drop bar levers available specifically suited for V-brakes. For example Tektro 520RL or the Cane Creek Drop-V levers.

 

[dirttorpedo]

Yes, and the shorter you can get them, the better. Mine are just 80mm with 40mm tyres, hence the closeness of the cable to the tyre.

With fenders you likely cannot go short enough for normal drop bar levers without a travel agent. Pad clearance will become a problem. If you are willing to forego traditional exposed cable routing and use bar end shifters, there are however nice drop bar levers available specifically suited for V-brakes. For example Tektro 520RL or the Cane Creek Drop-V levers.

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Thanks for the info. I'm currently running bar ends on the bike, but I want to switch to a Gevenalle style system so maybe regular v-brakes and travel agents is the way to go for me.

 

[grantoury]

Thanks for the info. I'm currently running bar ends on the bike, but I want to switch to a Gevenalle style system so maybe regular v-brakes and travel agents is the way to go for me.

Gevenalle offer v brake specific levers I think.

 

[dirttorpedo]

Gevenalle offer v brake specific levers I think.

I was wondering about that - I'll go look. I'm actually using the IRD version on another bike and was thinking I would go with them. The IRD ones definitely require short pull brakes.

 

[grantoury]

I was wondering about that - I'll go look. I'm actually using the IRD version on another bike and was thinking I would go with them. The IRD ones definitely require short pull brakes.

Yes.

 

[dirttorpedo]

Gevenalle offer v brake specific levers I think.

I checked them out - no long pull option currently it seems.