Have managed to get some Tektro RX3 mini V’s. my question is – would they be an improvement over my cantis?

I’m currently using Curve cantis with kool stop pads and tektro drop levers. These seem ok but don’t give much condidence when going down hill and wanting to stop, they only seem capable of gradually slowing.

Would the mini Vs provide more power and confidence? Ive heard reports of mini Vs feeling a bit ‘wooden’ is this right, how do people rate them etc?

Anything better? can’t go down the disc route as its an old non-disc frame

Cheers

I found mini vs to be a great improvement over canti’s in terms of stopping power, but much worse in terms of mud clearance.

Fitted mini V’s to my Pompino as a replacement to those frog leg cantis that it came with. Works really well. Ok, I have to pull the levers in a bit further before the pads reach the rim but I can very easily lock up the wheels if I want to. The cantis were pants.

Just a few points to think about. Mini V’s (obviously) have shorter arms which means that they have less mechanical advantage than regular V’s. However, there doesn’t seem to be a standard arm length for mini v’s. I have seen lengths from about 80mm to about 95mm. The longer the arm, the more like regular v’s they will be and the more cable you will have to pull with ordinary levers. I would get the shortest length arms since they will still be much more powerful than ordinary cantis.
Mud clearance, the the cable is at the same height as the uummmhhh, bit of the frame that goes between the chain-stays above the tyre so no real problems with mud clearance.

Hope that helps.

I tried both on my tricross. Cantis (both Avid shorty and Frogg Leg style). Cantis give more rim clearance and a wooden feel and are less powerful. Mini Vs need to be set close to the rim, use more lever throw and have a more spongy feel but are more powerful. Simple case of more mechanical advantage.

Vs were better in my opinion but ultimately, I swithced to discs but that’s a whole other STW hot potato!

I switched to discs on one bike but use V’s on the Tricross as it came with them. I very much prefer the feel of canti’s.I see wooden as firm and V’s feel horrid and spongey. Only using the V’s as the canti’s are on another bike and I am too tight to buy more. The canti’s I did use were old fashioned Weinmann ones with great long arms.
I did experiemnt with old fashioned exposed cable levers. These gave more feel to the V’s.

Mini-Vs can feel wooden with mtb levers. They work better with canti levers IMO.

I found mini vs to be a great improvement over canti’s in terms of stopping power, but much worse in terms of mud clearance.

Ditto.
I’ve gone to a mini v front and canti rear. The mini v on thefront will sort any judder you might have.

Mini vees are the work of the devil.