Cantilever brake set-up question:

Tom Nakashima said:

What is the best way to set-up Cantilever brakes between a straddle cable and carrier, or to use
the Z-Link wire? Does one have the advantage/disadvantage over the other?

This is for a road bike: I have the Dia Compe 986 brakes and will be using them with Dia Compe SS7
levers on a Rivendell curved "Dove" bar. (just a city bike) I may in the future go with a drop bar
and Shimano road aero (non-STI) levers.

This has been posted a few times.

bontrager.comrants.aspOpen ↗

I've got an old 'racer' that I've brazed some canti bosses on to. I've tried the method he describes
here. Works well. I'm really pleased with them.

GarryB

Quoted message said:

-tom

Tom Nakashima said:

What is the best way to set-up Cantilever brakes between a straddle cable and carrier, or to use
the Z-Link wire? Does one have the advantage/disadvantage over the other?

The link wire system can slighly increase available travel, becaue there are no open bends in the
cable when the brake is in the "rest" positoin. With systems that use a yoke and separate transverse
cable, the transverse cable usually sits with a curve on either side of the yoke. When you apply the
brake, some of the available lever travel is consumed in straightening out this curve. A properly
installed link wire system doesn't have this problem.

The main reason for the development of the link wire system, however was to avoid wheel lockup in
the event the main cable should break. There were a rash of such accidents in the 1980s, where the
main cable would let go, then the transverse cable would snag on the knobs of MTB tires, causing
lockup of the brake and ensuing accidents (and lawsuits.) The link wire (and, later the "v brake"😉
were developed primarily in response to this problem.

The only disadvantage of the link wire system is that you don't have the fine adjustability
of length of the "virtual" transverse cable, though link wires are available in a decent
range of sizes.

Quoted message said:

This is for a road bike: I have the Dia Compe 986 brakes and will be using them with Dia Compe SS7
levers on a Rivendell curved "Dove" bar. (just a city bike) I may in the future go with a drop bar
and Shimano road aero (non-STI) levers.

You might find my Cantilever articles useful.

For practical advice, see:

sheldonbrown.comcantilever adjustment.htmlOpen ↗

For the theoretical background, see:

sheldonbrown.comcantilever geometry.htmlOpen ↗

Sheldon "Cant Stop" Brown +---------------------------------------------------------+
| "Contrariwise," continued Tweedledee, "if it was so, | it might be, and if it were so, it would
| be; | but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic!" | --Lewis Carroll, "Through the Looking Glass" |
+---------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton,
Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts
shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

Thanks Sheldon for the brief history and "links" (no-pun) to the Cantilever sites. I particularly
read the article on "Mechanical Advantage" To my surprise, I didn't know you can "Overdo it" with
brakes, coming from a single pivot side-pull brake rider. As I can't recall ever locking em up. I
also like the advice of the link wire because it eliminates the cable play as when using the
yoke...makes sense. Very useful information. thanks, -tom

"Sheldon Brown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tom Nakashima said:

What is the best way to set-up Cantilever brakes between a straddle

cable

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and carrier, or to use the Z-Link wire? Does one have the advantage/disadvantage

over

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the other?

The link wire system can slighly increase available travel, becaue there are no open bends in the
cable when the brake is in the "rest" positoin. With systems that use a yoke and separate
transverse cable, the transverse cable usually sits with a curve on either side of the yoke. When
you apply the brake, some of the available lever travel is consumed in straightening out this
curve. A properly installed link wire system doesn't have this problem.

The main reason for the development of the link wire system, however was to avoid wheel lockup in
the event the main cable should break. There were a rash of such accidents in the 1980s, where the
main cable would let go, then the transverse cable would snag on the knobs of MTB tires, causing
lockup of the brake and ensuing accidents (and lawsuits.) The link wire (and, later the "v brake"😉
were developed primarily in response to this problem.

The only disadvantage of the link wire system is that you don't have the fine adjustability
of length of the "virtual" transverse cable, though link wires are available in a decent
range of sizes.

Quoted message said:

This is for a road bike: I have the Dia Compe 986 brakes and will be using them with Dia Compe

SS7

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

levers on a Rivendell curved "Dove" bar. (just a city bike) I may in the future go with a drop
bar and Shimano road aero (non-STI) levers.

You might find my Cantilever articles useful.

For practical advice, see:

sheldonbrown.comcantilever adjustment.htmlOpen ↗

For the theoretical background, see:

sheldonbrown.comcantilever geometry.htmlOpen ↗

Sheldon "Cant Stop" Brown +---------------------------------------------------------+
| "Contrariwise," continued Tweedledee, "if it was so, | it might be, and if it were so, it
| would be; | but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic!" | --Lewis Carroll, "Through the Looking
| Glass" |
+---------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton,
Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts
shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗