[dogfuel]

My gravel/cross bike has Avid Single Digit (Mountain bike) brakes with the appropriate long pull road levers (Tektro R540, bike is a SS so no shifter issues). Works fine.

What is the disadvantage of this vs cross-specific mini-v brakes (TRP)? The weight difference is VERY small, so I'm inclinded just to keep 'em and enjoy the greater clearance with the mountain brakes, but didn't know if this put me at aome mechanical disadvantage or if there was some other drawback to this setup that I'm missing.

Thanks!

 

[Surestick Malone]

I think you answered your own question: The shorter CX brakes are made to work with the leverage of the road levers found on CX bikes.

 

[dogfuel]

Thanks... that's what I thought... as the levers in use are designed for long pull (atypical for road levers), It looks like I'm not at any disadvantage w this setup.

 

[AlexCuse]

Probably at an advantage on more technical terrain

 

[Marc2211]

I installed TRP 8.4cx brakes on my cx bike at the weekend. *Much* better braking power than my Avid Shorty Ultimate Cantis, but a total pain to set up - my wheels are *slightly* out of true, and I can't seem to set up the brakes without slight pad rubbing ( I spent a day on this at the weekend).

My wheels are only ~6 weeks old and have taken very little punishment, so I have no clue what I'll do when they are really bad and properly warped... I'd say that this is possibly a big mechanical issue to come.

Roll on my next cx bike, which *will* have disk brakes (I can't believe that I was convinced against this last time around) :s.

 

[Walt Disney's Frozen Head]

two things why they aren't used (much):

as mentioned.... Cable pull. You'll see some people use the "travel agent" to overcome this.

secondly - mud clearance. This is why canti's have remained the general spec on non-disc rides.

 

[Marc2211]

secondly - mud clearance. This is why canti's have remained the general spec on non-disc rides.

I do wonder about this reason in reality. (Not a criticism of your post, just a general thought!)

I always do wonder how many people with CX bikes actually ride 'real' CX, or even get them muddy. I know that I use my bike mainly for long rides where there are different surfaces (eg ride starts on river path, then up in the hills, singletrack section, then a road blast home), fast commuting and generally as a 'bike for all conditions' - I have never done a real CX race.

For all of my riding (except maybe deep midwinter, but then I take my mountain bikes), the TRP mini-v have been a much better solution than Cantis.

 

[jrm]

Thats what im using on my pompino and they're more than enough brake. Only place they come up short is on long descends where youre constantly dragging the brake in order to check speed. I have mine set up with digit levers and a mary bar. fun as ****

 

[Andy_K]

I always do wonder how many people with CX bikes actually ride 'real' CX, or even get them muddy. I know that I use my bike mainly for long rides where there are different surfaces (eg ride starts on river path, then up in the hills, singletrack section, then a road blast home), fast commuting and generally as a 'bike for all conditions' - I have never done a real CX race.

In that case, there's no reason at all not to use full-size V-brakes if you have the levers to do so.

Beyond that, even for those who do race in the mud, this reason is marginal. Mini-V's with short pull levers have exactly the same mud clearance issue as full-size V's with long pull levers, and I know a number of people who use mini-V's in the notoriously muddy Cross Crusade series.

Here's a picture of my bike after a particularly muddy race:

If you look close you'll see that's a traditional cantilever brake under there. The mud clumped on the brake was definitely slowing me down. A V-brake would have had less mud clearance, but I'm not sure it would have accumulated any more mud. Disc brakes might have helped if the pads survived the race.

My thinking is that with the kind of mud that clumps on your brakes the difference between 2mm clearance and 7mm clearance might not matter.

 

[real ss budgie]

work very well ..

but a total pain to set up - my wheels are *just slightly* out of true, and I can't seem to set up the brakes without slight pad rubbing..

and i needed a cable stop to use trp's on the swiss cross