I've got an awesome old adventure bike (Bruce Gordon BLT) and I'm kinda caught in a situation where my brake levers require too-much reach for my stubby fingers but it appears the only way to get short-reach levers is to downgrade from v-brakes back to canti brakes.
Currently have Cane Creek Drop V levers and Avid SD brakes, I would have to switch to Tektro RL341 levers and ??? canti brakes to get shorter reach. I know the RL341's will work for me, my wife has them on her bike. I don't know what actual brakes would be best, I want best possible stopping power, good heel clearance, durable and minimal maintenance.
Am I missing something here? Is there some way to modify my Drop V levers to reduce the reach?
+1 for travel agents. If you go that route just keep an eye on your cable to look for fraying and be aware that mud can be a problem that is easily resolved with a squirt or three of water.
bnystrom wrote:It doesn't appear that you have enough room in the rear for a cantilever brake and straddle cable.
Actually, I don’t have room for a Travel Agent! I have run both canti’s and A Travel Agent with V-brakes in the past, cantis work fine but the large size of the Travel Agent interfere with my rack stays. I have a Roll-a-ma-jig on there now, and it hits the stays too, but minimally.
after looking at some old photos of the bike on some trips doing stupid things when I had canti’s, I’m more convinced to retrograde my braking. It worked then, it’ll work now.
If the front brake isn't causing issues, I wouldn't change it. You should have plenty of room for a Travel Agent or Rollamajig if you need one.
In the rear, your braking power is limited by lower traction, so having a less powerful cantilever brake isn't as detrimental to your ability to stop the bike.
My girlfriend has small hands and we went through the same issues on her gravel bike. Like you, she was really in love with the bike, other than the braking issue. The ultimate solution was a new bike with disc brakes that she loves even more, though I completely understand why you wouldn't want to do that. Perhaps an option for you would be a new disc-brake-compatible fork and front wheel. That would substantially improve your braking power but would still allow you to take the bike apart for travel (I noticed the frame and cable couplers and assumed that may be a concern).
Although Bruce Gordon died a couple of years ago and his shop had closed a year earlier, a long-term employee is still maintaining an online business for their products. I suggest contacting them to see if they have a solution for you.
To be clear, I have used Travel Agents in the past, I'm not interested in using them again. People complain about how challenging canti brakes are to set-up, Travel Agent are worse. I've never been able to get them to work without the brakes being really spongy. The pulley gather dirt and sand and gets grindy really quick. I have one or two in the parts bin still, but I'd only use them if I have to.
I guess what I'm getting at is there a way to modify the levers I have now to reduce the reach, or am I just better off getting new brakes and new levers?
There are several ways to reduce the lever reach, such as the one near the top of this thread. The question is if you reduce the reach, will you have enough travel left to apply the brakes fully? Assuming that your levers are matched to your current V-brakes, it may work, but it depends on how much you need to reduce the reach. That's easy to test by installing some temporary spacers in the levers and readjusting the brakes. Your wheels will also need to be as true as possible, as you're likely to need to set the pads pretty close to the rims.
Well, I came up with a solution. It’s a bit of a kludge, but it just might work.
I spent about an hour in my shop fiddling around with different possibilities and finally noticed that I have a bunch of unused cable anchors. I cut off the hook that holds the cable to leave just a stub. Then I flipped the adhesive to what is supposed to be the top of the anchor, and stuck it on my brake hood in such a way that it catches the pin that holds the lever forward.
This provides just enough improvement in reach, and retains the ability to release the lever, which helps get large tires though the brakes. I am not sure if this will hold-up in the long run and it will be a couple months before I can test it out. If it falls off, no real harm done and I can try a stronger adhesive or superglue.
Well, I came up with a solution. It’s a bit of a kludge, but it just might work.