Question for the CX types on here. I have a Spec Tricross, which I really like, but it has V brakes(it had cantis but I really couldn't get them set up well). The STI levers I use struggle with the amount of "pull" to get them to work well. If I set them close enough to the rims to bite about midway through the stroke( smallish hands!) they can catch the rims when conditions are muddy, set with enough clearance means that the levers just run out of travel and catch the bars.... PX have mini Vs in at the moment for about £15 a set, will these have any more "throw" being shorter, or much the same?
They are also a nightmare to keep centred, needing adjusted after almost every ride despite keeping them pretty clean. I fancy the idea of a set of Pauls minimotos but at £110 an end its too rich even for me!!
What say you, if not the minis are there any good V brakes that are designed for STIs still around? I really like this bike but it's getting a little tiring now!
Mini Vs
Moderators: Bearbonesnorm, Taylor, Chew
Re: Mini Vs
If your bike had cantis before you'll need mini-vs to get the right cable pull, certainly with road STIs you will anyway. Also watch out for the arm lengths, not all mini-vs are the same, can be 85-95mm range and it makes a difference. I find the 95mm arm mini-vs a PITA to get well set up, generally too squishy-feeling and usually I like a bit of squish in a brake, to a point. I think most are 90mm.
Re: Mini Vs
Cheers James, these are 80mm and having had a quick check with a tape I don't think the wire will clear my beloved nano 40s! they should be ok with a 32mm CX tyre so not all lost. at £15 they are probably worth a try, certainly cheaper than a new bike.... I keep hovering on a couple of BUY buttons, which may be a little extravagant 
Re: Mini Vs
Dare I state the obvious...
That seems like a good reason to action the N+1 formula!
That seems like a good reason to action the N+1 formula!
Re: Mini Vs
I find that centre-ing the Vs on my Ridley Xbow is normally a case of just wiggling the arms back and forth a couple of times. If that doesn't stop "rim rub" then half a turn on the limiter screw should sort it.
With regards to STI lever / cable pull, I've heard that there is a pulley jobby thingamee that can be added to correct the cable pull length, this : http://www.evanscycles.com/products/qbp ... Gwod7OwOBQ I think
I don't have much of an issue myself. The pads bit around 40-50% of the way through the travel, when I get to 85-90% it's locked up. I could get the levers to touch the bars if I really wanted, but I might be crushing the rims by that stage.
With regards to STI lever / cable pull, I've heard that there is a pulley jobby thingamee that can be added to correct the cable pull length, this : http://www.evanscycles.com/products/qbp ... Gwod7OwOBQ I think
I don't have much of an issue myself. The pads bit around 40-50% of the way through the travel, when I get to 85-90% it's locked up. I could get the levers to touch the bars if I really wanted, but I might be crushing the rims by that stage.
Re: Mini Vs
Oh yes, I don't need much encouragement there , just running out of space for a start And as I said earlier, a somewhat extravagant approach....obviously I have 2 tabs open as I write this, can you guess what the other is?!
, just running out of space for a start And as I said earlier, a somewhat extravagant approach....obviously I have 2 tabs open as I write this, can you guess what the other is?!Re: Mini Vs
@ ootini, Pretty simple indeed, but when you are having to do it several times during a local 20-30km ride its a little tedious to say the least. They do seem to get "sticky" pretty quickly/regularly!!
Re: Mini Vs
Ah ok, that's odd. For me I centre them at the beginning of ride and that's it. Don't really need to do anything with them on the ride. Then again, I'm using my bike for mostly road riding these days.Gari wrote:@ ootini, Pretty simple indeed, but when you are having to do it several times during a local 20-30km ride its a little tedious to say the least. They do seem to get "sticky" pretty quickly/regularly!!
Re: Mini Vs
I stripped them off the other day, hoping maybe I could get them completely apart, but no luck, hence the look at Pauls Motolites.
Re: Mini Vs
I've got some mini V's on my Specialised Crux, they're TRP 8.4's with a Problem Solvers Travel Agents I had hanging around. Pads are Cool Stop Salmon, cables are the expensive Jagwires. I drilled out the internal cable stops in the top tube to give a full run of outer cable to the rear.
I've tried lots of different brake setups on different cross bikes over the years and this is the best so far. They're still rubbish, just slightly less rubbish than anything else I've tried.
Someone mentioned Ridley. I've got most of a Ridely Crosswind (no wheels) doing nothing in the loft if someone want's to make an offer.
I've tried lots of different brake setups on different cross bikes over the years and this is the best so far. They're still rubbish, just slightly less rubbish than anything else I've tried.
Someone mentioned Ridley. I've got most of a Ridely Crosswind (no wheels) doing nothing in the loft if someone want's to make an offer.
Re: Mini Vs
Cheers for that Pirahna, they stop fine, more than enough power to lock the wheels(how much more braking does one need?) its just the reach issue and the constant seizing.
What size is the Ridley, just out of interest you understand?
What size is the Ridley, just out of interest you understand?
Re: Mini Vs
It's a 56. The bottom bracket is quite high, I reckon you'd need to be maybe 6'2 to get a decent fit on it. I picked it up on Ebay but I'm a bit too short for it. I should stick it back on.Gari wrote: What size is the Ridley, just out of interest you understand?