[Closed] Mini V Question

and it’s hard to unhook the noodle should I need to fix a flat on the road.

I think you'll always have this with mini vees as they run really close to the rim (otherwise braking is shit) - If you have a punc then the tyre is flat so you don't need to unhook the brake to get the wheel out. Once fixed, put wheel back in and then pump up.
I hated mine, went back to cantis 🙂

Thanks Simon, that makes sense.

I have road levers that have a pretty short pull on them to run V brakes (tektro 926) - am I right in thinking I can afford to run the pads slightly further away from the rim as a result? At the recommended 1mm gap there's not much lever throw at all.

I run loads of rim clearance on my mini-vs, basically as much as the lever throw will allow! No problems unhooking them or getting wheel in or out.

I had them on my old Caad-x - I put inline adjusters in the cable so you could get the wheel out with a quick screw of the adjuster

I've never used mini-Vs, so take this with a pinch of salt, but I'd have thought putting another washer (or two) in there each side would open the brakes up enough that the gaiter would be less compressed. You could still keep the ~1mm gap between rim and pad that way. Normal MTB Vs look and feel better when they're set up V-shaped rather than U-shaped, in my opinion anyway.

I've not done it but lawman's suggestion.looks good to me.

Also use a 135° noodle assuming your front brake is on the right.

If you can find a better gaiter like Shimano they are way softer/lighter. I often left ones like that off bikes when I was a wrench in the 90s.

What Simon said, including the last sentence 🙂

I've gone canti on my gravel bike, for mud clearance during CX season as much as any thing.

Worth it just to own a set of Avid Shorty Ultimates, lovely bits of kit (with exception of proprietary pad holders...)

Thanks chaps, much appreciated. Lots to think about there!

I only went for V brakes because to me they look a lot less complicated than cantis. I've got them set up now so I have just enough clearance to unhook the noodle.

With me running mini Vs and V brake specific levers, there's not a lot of modulation. Is there a problem with running them even further out from the rim? Is that what you've done @13thfloormonk ?

If you’ve got V-compatible levers why haven’t you just used normal V-brakes? Then all your problems go away.

If you’ve got V-compatible levers why haven’t you just used normal V-brakes?

Rather stupidly I thought I'd need V brake specific levers even with mini Vs.

Ah, no. Mini Vs are designed for standard road levers. I’d go and buy some cheap Vs 🙂

I only went for V brakes because to me they look a lot less complicated than cantis. I’ve got them set up now so I have just enough clearance to unhook the noodle.

It's true, even good cantis are just a touch more fiddly than I care for, I keep looking enviously at the mini-Vs on my commuter and thinking how good they would look on the gravel bike, but then, I like having the clearance for mud that Cantis offer.

And yeah, unfortunately you need road style levers! You can still get Ultegra flat bar levers, I used them for racing CX on a flat barred bike but using TRP Spyres road discs (don't ask, I can't even remember why I ended up with that combo...)

Just a few days ago fitted (then unfitted!) new Mini-Vs off the tourer. They never even saw the road after I saw the tight clearance, the old cantis went straight back on! Levers were on the bars before braking. Pads sit 2mm from the rim. Not ideal for roughstuff touring IMO. Unless, as OP asks, I am doing something wrong...

Ah, no. Mini Vs are designed for standard road levers. I’d go and buy some cheap Vs 🙂

Cheers Bez - swapped the levers for some normal road ones and they're fine, a bit more modulation rather than on/off.