V BRAKE HELP PLEEEEASE!!

Skeeter1

Kona Fan
I'm desperate to be able to use my much loved X lite chicken stix levers with some v brakes on my retro kona build.
I know now that they are not compatible but surely there is something out there which I can use to make it work???

Thanks in advance guys and girls.
 
Re:

The Levers will work with V-brakes, try them first and see how they feel.
They're not "supposed" to work with v-brakes, but I had a cantilever brake laver mated to a V-brake on a bike I bought and it actually worked really well.
If you're not happy with them then as above something like Problem Solvers Travel Agents should be the answer, I think there were some for sale on here a few days ago. They just fit next to the V-brake Arms and change the ratio of cable pull.
 
Thank you both for your helpful advice,I will go ahead and see how they feel and I've ordered some widget that will help too.
Best wishes
Ian
 
I ran original XT V brake calipers with M900 XTR canti STIs for a while. They were kinda spongy but worked just fine.

I got some cheap little converters back in the day, they looked a bit like a Cog Hog with an eccentric roller, they made them feel more like a V brake. Can't remember what they were called though.
 
Thanks guys/girls .
I have ordered some now ,I will post finished photo's on here and comment about performance when once I have had a good run
Kind regards
Ian
 
Unless you use adapters for the required cable pull it will end in tears

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Mountain-Bike-Fail.jpg
 
On all these things it's the same pad force at the wheel to get it to stop.
There are two ways of getting there down the cable:
1. Lots of cable tension and little cable pull / travel
2. Low tension and lots of cable movement.

Essentially cantis are type 1 and Vs are type 2.

V levers on cantis engage the brake with little lever movement - and you then have to squeeze awfully hard. The brake will feel incredibly firm as you feel the lack of leverage.
Canti levers with Vs will require the pads to be set up very very close to the rim as you havevery little cable pull. They will feel squishy and indistinct due to the high leverage, but there is a real risk that you run out of lever travel before the brake does anything worthwhile.

Run mixed levers if you want to leave your bike in the garage, polish it and look at it. Otherwise get travel agents or the right brake setup.
 
Wow,Thanks for the response!!,
I have ordered a pair of those black widgets as seen above.

Really hoping this will do the trick and get me stopping in a safe and controlled manner.
Cheers retro people.
 
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