Adjusting cantilever brakes so they don’t scream at me all the time

[peterw_diy]

@jrenaut 178659 wrote:

. It looks like one of the pads is hitting the rim at an angle, but I haven’t been able to get it to not do that.

Don’t make it not do that.

You want canti pads toed in.

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/cantilever-threaded-post-brake-service

[jrenaut]

@peterw_diy 178660 wrote:

Don’t make it not do that.

You want canti pads toed in.

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/cantilever-threaded-post-brake-service

Sorry, I wasn’t clear. Angle on the other axis – in your link, go down to “Vertical Face Alignment”.

That link might be what I need, though. Thanks

[hozn]

Replace them with TRP Mini V brakes; it’ll be the best $90 you have ever spent. https://www.trpcycling.com/product/cx-8-4/

Or just get a new bike with disc brakes, which will be the best $xxxx.xx you ever spent.

[jrenaut]

@hozn 178678 wrote:

Replace them with TRP Mini V brakes; it’ll be the best $90 you have ever spent. https://www.trpcycling.com/product/cx-8-4/

Or just get a new bike with disc brakes, which will be the best $xxxx.xx you ever spent.

The TRPs look like what comes on super low-end garbage bikes so that’s a surprising recommendation from you.

My next bike will definitely be hydraulic discs but that’s not happening any time soon.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@jrenaut 178682 wrote:

The TRPs look like what comes on super low-end garbage bikes so that’s a surprising recommendation from you.

[hozn]

@jrenaut 178682 wrote:

The TRPs look like what comes on super low-end garbage bikes so that’s a surprising recommendation from you.

My next bike will definitely be hydraulic discs but that’s not happening any time soon.

?? Do you mean MTB V-brakes ?? Then, yes, it is expected they would look like that, since they are [mini-]V-brakes. TRP is a high-end brand, though, so you’re not looking too closely (ti bolts!) if you think these look like garbage. Of course, if you’d like to pay more, you could get the Paul brakes: https://paulcomp.com/shop/components/minimoto/

You can google “mini v vs. cantilever” and let the internet sway you, but as far as I know there’s really no debate; cantis are terrible by comparison — both at stopping the bike and at doing so quietly. Certainly, that was my experience.

Edit: there are reasons why some people prefer cantis, and that usually has to do with extra clearance they provide for mud or fenders etc. Depending on tire and fender size it could get tight w/ mini-v. It was a long time ago, but I think I used mine w/o issue with P35 fenders (and probably 28mm tires).

[jrenaut]

I believe you – I know you don’t mess around with your equipment. But that’s the style of brake on the kids’ bikes and my mom’s super cheap hybrid, so I assumed the entire style of brake was bad, not just the low end versions.

[hozn]

@jrenaut 178686 wrote:

I believe you – I know you don’t mess around with your equipment. But that’s the style of brake on the kids’ bikes and my mom’s super cheap hybrid, so I assumed the entire style of brake was bad, not just the low end versions.

I mean, this is the kind of brake that used to come on all mountain bikes (a longer-arm version) before everything MTB switched to disc. — Even the very expensive mountain bikes. For rim brakes V-brakes are about as good as it’s gonna get.

Unless you’re running massive tires, I think the mini-v would be a big improvement. Certainly it makes setup much simpler. Mine also stopped much better, though that may have been because I hadn’t been setting the cantis up perfectly.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@hozn 178688 wrote:

For rim brakes V-brakes are about as good as it’s gonna get.

Mini V’s though, right? Regular v-brakes have a different cable pull and require a stupid adapter for STI levers, which make them worse than cantis in my experience.

[hozn]

@TwoWheelsDC 178692 wrote:

Mini V’s though, right? Regular v-brakes have a different cable pull and require a stupid adapter for STI levers, which make them worse than cantis in my experience.

Yeah, correct. I was still talking in general (or about MTB) there.

I don’t have any experience with the adapters, but makes sense that it wouldn’t work as well.

[FFX_Hinterlands]

I’m perfectly happy with my Tektro Cr720 (wide profile canti brakes). If the toe-in is correct and they still squeal it could be something on the rim or brake pad. Just use a green scrubby pad to give the rims and pads a good wipe. Wipe again with rubbing alcohol (or a baby wipe).

There are tons of disk-braked bikes out there squeeeling away. The grass is always greener.

[dkel]

@FFX_Hinterlands 178696 wrote:

There are tons of disk-braked bikes out there squeeeling away. The grass is always greener.

This is true. My Straggler front disc squealed all the time till I swapped the stock BB7s for Spyres I bought used from Hozn for a song. Now they’re silent.

Speaking of getting things for a song, I’m actually a professional choirmaster, so if anyone has nice gear they want to part with for a song, let me know: I can hook you up.

[mstone]

@jrenaut 178686 wrote:

I believe you – I know you don’t mess around with your equipment. But that’s the style of brake on the kids’ bikes and my mom’s super cheap hybrid, so I assumed the entire style of brake was bad, not just the low end versions.

They’re actually direct-pull cantilever brakes, so not all that much different. The advantage is basically that the cable just pulls the two ends together directly, so there are fewer pieces to stretch and fewer things to adjust. You also don’t need to mount a cable stop somewhere above the front brake, which can be annoying with a suspension fork. The down side (as alluded to earlier) is that they have less clearance for big tires. Cheap brakes of any design are cheap because they spec thin arms, which flex and brake like crap. Cheap bikes almost always have direct-pull cantilevers because they’re the lowest common denominator for hybrid-style bikes, but that doesn’t mean that they’re inherently bad.

[n18]

I know that this has been answered, but this one minute YouTube video shows how to stop the squeaking after installing new pads. If it’s an old pad that keep squeaking, even if it’s dry, then the pads are probably totally worn and the metal part of the pad is rubbing against the rim. If you don’t replace it immediately, you end up like me, paying $90 for a new wheel, instead of $5 for new pads.

[ian74]

@n18 178733 wrote:

I know that this has been answered, but this one minute YouTube video shows how to stop the squeaking after installing new pads. If it’s an old pad that keep squeaking, even if it’s dry, then the pads are probably totally worn and the metal part of the pad is rubbing against the rim. If you don’t replace it immediately, you end up like me, paying $90 for a new wheel, instead of $5 for new pads.

Yay! New wheel day!!! There’s always a bright side, man.

[Author]

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