Would slapping my XTR v brakes on my crosser to replace the wussy canti's make the breaking unbearably powerful due to lever ratios? Would I get banned from a cross race?!
Hmmnnn.
I've got v's on my Specialized Single Cross. you do need a 'travel agent' type thing to use them with normal road levers though.
They'll work but as you say, without travel adaptors, they'll be too squidgey to work well and will be rubbing most of the time.
A friend uses v-brakes/travel adaptors but he's a yank from California and when he moved here, he found that the bearing in the adaptor tended to move less freely (mud!) so that they didn't work very well.
It also reduces clearance above the tyre which may or may not be an issue depending on what/where you ride.
You can also fit Mini-v's such as these [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=34580 ] http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=34580 [/url] - they can be used with Road levers and are a lot more powerful than canti's.
I fitted some on my cross bike and they transformed the braking, but when it got muddy they completely clogged the wheels, so I went back to Canti's, and am learning to "carry my speed" through corners 🙂
Ison do some travel adjusters to run V's, that's what I'm putting on mine. About £8 each I think.
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All ok on mine!!!
I have V's on mine and ceramic rims. Dia Compe do drop bar brake levers that pull an appropriate amount of cable.
I use one of the aforementioned Tektro Mini-Vs on the front, where its never caused too much in the way of mud-related issues (and works well)
Wouldn't use one on the back though...