V brakes

[megachris]

Hi
I have been looking around trying to find a replacement for my old V-brakes. I've been interested in some older Shimano Deore V-brakes, but haven't had much luck finding them in Denmark.
I'd like some v-brakes that perform decently in muddier and rainier conditions with a good grip.
The only ones I seem to be able to obtain in the shops around me are the Deore BRT610 or Shimano XT v-brakes. Are they worth the money?
Obviously I'd prefer the XT but they're also a tad bit pricier.
I did think of looking around for some retro ones on eBay, but it's hard to find people that wish to ship quickly (using DHL) to Denmark, and many of them seem unable to post to Denmark. Also the prices are sometimes on the high end of the scale.

 

[xerxes]

Re:

I have the previos version of the Deore brakes, M590 on two of my bikes and they're absolutely fine, dead easy to set up and the finish has lasted well; they still look pretty much new. I haven't tried the XT version, but there isn't much to a V-brake arm, so it's difficult to see how they could be improved.

Some versions of Shimano V-brake arms had a parallelogram linkage arangement. I haven't tried them, but I have read some complaints about the linkages getting worn and rattling; so I'd probably avoid those.

The XT levers are different, one of my bikes has Deore M590 levers, the other has XT M740 levers. The XT levers have a slotted hole for the cable attachment, which decreases the cable pull as the lever is pulled; I think it's supposed to increase power and improve modulation. However, the effect is pretty subtle and switching from one bike to the other, I can't say I really notice much difference.

 

[Captain Stupido]

Re:

I've got XT parallelogram Vs on my C16R and they work really nicely. VERY powerful and progressive. In a way they are over-complicated, but they do offer an advantage in braking power, feel and control IMO. At some point I may have a spare set...PM me if you're not in too much of a hurry. I use Avid Speed Dial levers which have adjustable pull which is a boon too IMO.

Otherwise I'd agree that basically anything Shimano is fine, and tbh anything I've tried made by Avid or Tektro has also been fine as well. I have low end (sub Deore) Shimano V-brakes from about ten years ago on my tandem. They are well made and finished and stop fine. Have given me no trouble! V brakes are pretty inherently simple and the difference between a cheap set and a good set is often just pad and hardware quality. Cheap Tektros with fancy pads will do pretty much all you need.

As for performance in mud and rain I'd say they are all pretty hopeless if the conditions are bad enough. I suppose pad compound is the only variable really? Saying that the complexity of parallelogram brakes means there are more places for water and dirt to hide so cleaning and lubing requires a little more care.

I'm in two minds tbh as to whether the parallelogram is worthwhile. Swings and roundabouts really. I like the XTs but tbh I have a set of Tektros in my parts bin which would effectively do the same job... and be easier to maintain.

 

[xerxes]

Re:

On the subject of pads, I replaced the original Shimano pads on both my bikes. The Shimano pads seem quite hard and feel a bit "wooden".

I put some Koolstop inserts on one bike that already had the holder type shoes: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/kool-stop-v-br ... f-inserts/

I bought some Clarks for the other bike, which had molded type Shimano shoes/pads: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/clarks-v-type- ... -compound/

I think they're both a bit more "stoppy" and feel better than the original Shimano pads.

 

[megachris]

Re: Re:

Apologies for the delayed response guys!

On the subject of pads, I replaced the original Shimano pads on both my bikes. The Shimano pads seem quite hard and feel a bit "wooden".

I put some Koolstop inserts on one bike that already had the holder type shoes: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/kool-stop-v-br ... f-inserts/

I bought some Clarks for the other bike, which had molded type Shimano shoes/pads: https://www.wiggle.co.uk/clarks-v-type- ... -compound/

I think they're both a bit more "stoppy" and feel better than the original Shimano pads.

I am intending to test out the Koolstop pads, seen some pretty good reviews.

I've got XT parallelogram Vs on my C16R and they work really nicely. VERY powerful and progressive. In a way they are over-complicated, but they do offer an advantage in braking power, feel and control IMO. At some point I may have a spare set...PM me if you're not in too much of a hurry. I use Avid Speed Dial levers which have adjustable pull which is a boon too IMO.

Otherwise I'd agree that basically anything Shimano is fine, and tbh anything I've tried made by Avid or Tektro has also been fine as well. I have low end (sub Deore) Shimano V-brakes from about ten years ago on my tandem. They are well made and finished and stop fine. Have given me no trouble! V brakes are pretty inherently simple and the difference between a cheap set and a good set is often just pad and hardware quality. Cheap Tektros with fancy pads will do pretty much all you need.

As for performance in mud and rain I'd say they are all pretty hopeless if the conditions are bad enough. I suppose pad compound is the only variable really? Saying that the complexity of parallelogram brakes means there are more places for water and dirt to hide so cleaning and lubing requires a little more care.

I'm in two minds tbh as to whether the parallelogram is worthwhile. Swings and roundabouts really. I like the XTs but tbh I have a set of Tektros in my parts bin which would effectively do the same job... and be easier to maintain.

Thank you for the very in depth response. I'm going to see if I can get my current V brakes to operate a bit better, if not then I'll probably grab a set of Deore.