Crossbikes- Let’s talk brakes

[jabberwocky]

My CX bike has discs (also a Lemond Poprad, coincidentally).

Cantis are what most CX bikes use, and unfortunately tend to not be that good. They are finicky to setup, so you could just have a setup issue. Depending on whats on there, upgrading to a decent canti like Avids shorty might help. Or you could try a better pad like koolstop salmons.

V-brakes fit the brake bosses but use a different cable pull than cantis (which use the same pull as road brakes). If you’re singlespeeding, a few mfgs make brake lever hoods with MTB pull you could try, but I’m not familiar with any traditional brifters that do so. I do think problem solvers makes an adapter that converts cable pull; I have no idea how well it works.

Last upgrade option would be to upgrade the fork to something with disc bosses and run a mullet (disc front canti rear).

[TwoWheelsDC]

@GuyContinental 23170 wrote:

I had a fantabulous commute this morning on a CX bike- Hit the WO&D from Arlington to the Difficult Run trail near Hunter Mill and then rode up around and through Lake Fairfax Park before rejoining the WO&D at Michael Faraday. Some OK MTB trails in there that were made pretty dang exciting by the utter lack of braking power on the bike… apparently braking is more of a suggestion than a requirement in CX.

So, I had such a great time (arrived at work an hour late muddy, bloody and grinning ear-to-ear) that I bought the bike (a well used Lemond Poprad) from the owner for a MTB detour/foul weather commuter. Now I need to upgrade the brakes, ’cause I ain’t digging this not gonna stop thing. Frame does not have disc bosses so I suppose that there is some sort of v-brake setup that will work.

Ignoring weight & mud clearance and keeping in mind the lack of disc bosses what is the best way of amping up CX braking? I’m willing to spend some cash for performance.

Brake earlier

Seriously though, I don’t know if there is a good solution. I also commute on a CX bike and have one particularly large descent on the way home. If it’s raining, I just have to keep my speed down and pretty much ride the brakes the entire time, which just wears the brakes down faster. I also go through brake pads like it’s my job. Right now, I’m using what I believe are the newest Shimano version of the Kool Stop salmon pads. They worked pretty well when they were new, but after a couple hundred miles, it’s time to replace them again. This time, I might go for actual Kool Stops and see how those stack up. I think for me, it’s not so much the braking power, it’s the mushiness that cantis have when using brifters. On the days I use my road bike with dual pivots, I inevitably yank the brakes expecting some give, but the bite is immediate and I about fly off my bike…definitely highlights the crapiness of cantis for me every time I switch bikes!

[GuyContinental]

@TwoWheelsDC 23176 wrote:

Brake earlier

Eventually I just stopped bothering- it was like ohmygod! it’s a log! I can’t stop!!!! I’m gonna dieeeee… and somehow that was fun.

[jopamora]

Congrats on the new to you bike. The Poprad is a nice ride and it has a fun name. New brake pads will help, but probably not the stopping power you want.

[GuyContinental]

@jabberwocky 23175 wrote:

My CX bike has discs (also a Lemond Poprad, coincidentally).

Cantis are what most CX bikes use, and unfortunately tend to not be that good. They are finicky to setup, so you could just have a setup issue. Depending on whats on there, upgrading to a decent canti like Avids shorty might help. Or you could try a better pad like koolstop salmons.

It has Shorty 4’s on it but the pads have seen better days- I might even borrow a car shortly to go on a pad quest. I did the mullet thing on a MTB SS for awhile, nearly lost an ear during a faceplant. Still, if I dialed the disc out enough it might be worth a go- the longer wheelbase of the CX might balance out the end-potential.

[elcee]

@GuyContinental 23170 wrote:

…

So, I had such a great time (arrived at work an hour late muddy, bloody and grinning ear-to-ear) that I bought the bike (a well used Lemond Poprad) from the owner for a MTB detour/foul weather commuter. Now I need to upgrade the brakes, ’cause I ain’t digging this not gonna stop thing. Frame does not have disc bosses so I suppose that there is some sort of v-brake setup that will work.

Ignoring weight & mud clearance and keeping in mind the lack of disc bosses what is the best way of amping up CX braking? I’m willing to spend some cash for performance.

I have a couple of bikes with cantis – one with Avid Shortys on it. In both cases, the best upgrade was to install Koolstop Salmons, and both bikes stop as well as the sidepulls on my road bike.

In general, though, cantis require a lot of fiddling to get right. You’ll have to play with pad toe-in, straddle cable length, different hangers, etc. to find the magic combination of stopping power and quiet operation.

I haven’t tried any of these, but there are V-brakes that are compatible with road levers:

http://paulcomp.com/minimoto.html

http://www.trpbrakes.com/category.php?productid=1040&catid=185

http://www.trpbrakes.com/category.php?productid=1120&catid=185

(Remember that brake levers have slightly different pull ratios, so certain combinations of V-brakes and levers won’t work as well as others.)

P.S. If you haven’t read this yet, here’s all that you need to know about cantis:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/canti-trad.html

[DaveK]

Both of my cross bikes couldn’t stop for… crap. No matter the pads, etc. I’m going to change the current one to mini-v brakes as soon as I get around to it. I’m assembling the parts to change it to SRAM anyway so while it’s under the knife I’ll do the brakes as well.

What to do about stopping? Plan ahead…

[GuyContinental]

The Interwebs give a lot of cred to the little cheap Tektro 926 linear pull v-brakes plus kool stop pads-

Brakes- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002F91TP4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=A2TE9IQP68MWQU

Pads- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CJZ0Q2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

With adjustable 90 deg noodles and some new cables I’d be under $80 for the attempt. The Paul’s are super sexy but wow, they aren’t cheap ($130/per… I did say that I was willing to spend money though .

How does the mullet CX work out? Is it tough to balance braking power fore and aft? I really want stopping power irrespective of weather…

[DaveK]

@GuyContinental 23226 wrote:

How does the mullet CX work out? Is it tough to balance braking power fore and aft? I really want stopping power irrespective of weather…

I’d do that if it weren’t for the expense of a new fork. Balance between brakes really isn’t an issue since you shouldn’t be using your rear brake much anyway. 90% of stopping power should come from the front, and I’ve always found mechanical discs easier to modulate that hydraulics.

[vvill]

Not a CX bike, but I have Tektro mini v brakes hooked up to Shimano brifters on my folder (actually just one brifter – the right side, Tiagra). I haven’t been particularly happy with the performance esp in the wet though that might be just that they’re not well adjusted.

My next bike may well be a CX/commuter mostly because I would like something with disc brakes for going downhill in the wet – I’m only going to look at ones with disc mounts. My MTB had disc brakes back in the early 2000s – it’s sort of strange that road/cross bikes have taken so long to catch up.

[DaveK]

@vvill 23267 wrote:

Not a CX bike, but I have Tektro mini v brakes hooked up to Shimano brifters on my folder (actually just one brifter – the right side, Tiagra). I haven’t been particularly happy with the performance esp in the wet though that might be just that they’re not well adjusted.

My next bike may well be a CX/commuter mostly because I would like something with disc brakes for going downhill in the wet – I’m only going to look at ones with disc mounts. My MTB had disc brakes back in the early 2000s – it’s sort of strange that road/cross bikes have taken so long to catch up.

Blame the UCI. And all us Freds who want the bikes just like the pros ride.

[Dirt]

The cantis on my cross bike work flawlessly and have from day 1. Disc brakes work better on pavement, but are too much for dirt road rides (which is what I use the cross bike for). The huge braking power combined with the small contact patch of cross tires make it way too easy to lock up on dirt roads at high speed. I know most people don’t use their cross bike in that way, but they work perfectly for the riding I do.

[Greenbelt]

I’m a big fan of disk brakes for commuting — glad to see them on cross bikes now, since cross bikes can be very good for certain types of commutes (like mine!).

[jopamora]

Dude, did you buy this bike?

[bluerider]

I took off Avid Shorty 6s and installed Avid Ultimates on my Blue Norcross EX. Love them. Mega power, easy modulation, and great adjustability. They were a huge upgrade over the original brakes. They can also be setup wide for mud clearance or narrow for power. TRP and Paul make nice cantis for cross bikes as well. But for the price Avid Ultimates can’t be beat in my opinion.

[Author]

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