Replacing Centre Pull brakes with V Brakes

UncleFred said:

Hi I have a Cannondale CAD3 fully rigid which I use as a second bike and commuting.
It's about 10years old but I really like riding it however stopping power is a bit limited compated to my XC bike and even my Road Bike so I want upgrade to V-Brakes.

Can I just bolt a set of V Brake on or is there a conversion kit anywhere?

Yes, you can simply bolt the V-brake calipers onto your frame & fork as replacements for cantilevers, BUT ...

You will want to replace, minimally, the front/left-hand brake lever with one that is V-brake specific ... so you can retain the ability to modulate the brake(s).

Matching a rear V-brake with a V-brake lever is less critical since modulation is minmal. IMO, replacing the right hand (rear) lever with one that matches the "new" left/front lever is a cosmetic issue.

You MAY need new cables & housing depending on their current lengths.

Alf, I think you have your lefts and rights mixed up, Front Brakes is on the right and Rear Brakes is on the left. 🙂

Its Gears that are the other way. 😉

gclark8 said:

Alf, I think you have your lefts and rights mixed up, Front Brakes is on the right and Rear Brakes is on the left. 🙂

Its Gears that are the other way. 😉

Depends which country you are in! My Cannondale from the UK has rear brake on the Right, but my Trek MTB & Road Bikes which were bought in the US has rear brake on the Left. Makes it interesting when I change from one to the other!!!!

Ebay for new levers it is then.

gclark8 said:

Alf, I think you have your lefts and rights mixed up, Front Brakes is on the right and Rear Brakes is on the left. 🙂

Its Gears that are the other way. 😉

A la droite, ou a la gauche?!?

Rechts oder links?

George, I think you must have been setting up too many CX bikes, lately!

Regardless, FWIW, I set up MY bikes with the right lever/shifter actuating the rear brake/derailleur ... and, as gclark8 suggests, you may prefer to set up your bike's brake levers otherwise.

UncleFred said:

Depends which country you are in! My Cannondale from the UK has rear brake on the Right, but my Trek MTB & Road Bikes which were bought in the US has rear brake on the Left. Makes it interesting when I change from one to the other!!!!

Ebay for new levers it is then.

For continuity, I suggest that you consider (eventually) changing the cabling so that all three of your bikes are the same ...

Changing which lever handles which brake cable on a MTB lever is quick & easy because the cable can just slide out of (and, be reinserted through) the slot of the barrel adjuster on the brake lever's respective bodies ... a two minute "job" ...

Obviously, changing the cabling with most ROAD bike levers (the OLD, pre-aero Campy are the obvious exception if the levers don't have hoods) requires disconnecting-and-reconnecting everything.

alfeng said:

For continuity, I suggest that you consider (eventually) changing the cabling so that all three of your bikes are the same ...
.

I 've thought about it, but I like living on the edge!!!😄

UncleFred said:

Hi I have a Cannondale CAD3 .. I want upgrade to V-Brakes.

Can I just bolt a set of V Brake on ..?

You CAN, but it's not the ideal solution due to the shorter amount of cable pulled by a center-pull brake lever compared to a V-brake lever.

I've done it on a couple of bikes and personally I've never been troubled by the claimed loss of modulation this is supposed to cause, but for the rear brake there is an obvious risk of brake drag or the brake lever bottoming out before you get good braking.
If you'd like to try it there are a couple of things you can do to increase your chances of success.
1) check your brake levers. All but one (not v-brake specific) that I have measured have had 28 mm between the pivot point and where the cable attaches. If yours have more they'll work better (or less bad 😉 ) with V-brakes.
2) Make sure to use the best cable routing possible to get the least amount of slack in the system to begin with.

UncleFred said:

...on or is there a conversion kit anywhere?

Yes there is, look for a travel agent http://www.amazon.com/Nashbar-Travel-Agent-Inline-Adapter/dp/B000R2LQEK .

I prefer the angled sort that replaces the noodle as well, but this one should do the the trick too. They can be a bit susceptible to dirt but otherwise they work just as advertised.