Setting up low-profile cantis with drop bar levers.

[Captain Stupido]

One of the problems that's hard to overcome is that low-profile cantis need a bit more cable pull than wide cantis. Shiamno actually changed their MTB levers to match this extra pull. With conventional road levers you encounter problems with setting the whole lot up again as pads wear.

Dia-Compe did a special lever which pulls a bit extra, the 287 (not the 287V which is for V-brakes).

I've a pair you are welcome to for £10 posted. Otherwise, it's easier to get some wide profile cantis.

Thanks. I’m leaning towards going wide profile. Maybe some Tektro 520 or 720s - they take v-brake pads which is convenient. I do have some older shimano ones here but the Tektros are cheap enough and should be easier to set up.

I’m in two minds about replacing the rear due to potential pannier clearance issues, but at the moment I don’t even have a rack on it...

 

[foz]

I ran the 287V levers on my yates, with V brakes (cane creek direct curve), and they were fine even with fully loaded panniers and lots of water bottles.

When I build it up again (hopefully soon, depending when this virus gets under control) I'll be using tektro drop bar levers for standard road calipers/ cantis, matched to suntour xc pro cantis (SE on the rear).

a long time ago I used standard shimano drop bar levers (non-sti) with wide angle XT cantis, and they were fine too

I don't think canti's will ever be as good as discs or maguras on a fully loaded bike, but if set up correctly they are more than good enough.

 

[Captain Stupido]

Slight update, been testing this some more and the front brake setup is definitely much improved in terms of MA. Issue remaining is that handlebar setup is not ideal for me, and is limiting the pull I can get on the levers. This is a fit issue (I have relatively small hands) and something I’ll sort in due course.

BUT... I’m wondering whether the Ritchey pads are part of the problem, having just fitted a set (blue this time) to another bike. In both cases they have a tendency to fade on long steep descents, losing effectiveness and beginning to make a grinding noise. This is not something that the Clarks pads I use on my well-ridden Clockwork. In fact it’s not a problem I’ve experienced with any other pads.

I’ve noticed that the “Ritchey” pads sold on eBay are supplied by Fibrax. I suspect they’re sold under licence.

It could be possible that this is related to the rims, not the pads, but it seems an odd coincidence. Saying that, unlike any of my other bikes, both of the Ritchey-equipped bikes do have fairly new/modern rims with machined sidewalls. Maybe that’s part of the problem...?

 

[foz]

There are many makes and types of pad, and they are definitely not all the same. And there are even more combinations of pad / rim, and when you take into account that different people brake in different ways... well then you just need to find the best combination for you. Brake fade is a common problem though, maybe more with some pads than others - don't drag brakes at high speeds, either let the bike go and then hard brake, or brake all the way down, but at a very slow speed (this will stop the pads heating up and fading)