Looking for ideas to use on a CX bike with flat bars, but possible changing to drops if I don’t get on with the flats.
Needs to clear a 35c knobbly. If I change to drops, I already have the levers (Record non-brifters of 9/10v era) so I *think* I need short pull calipers?

Atm I can’t see past Shorty Ultimates (what flat-bar lever?).
Or since I’m only buying one – it’ll be fixed wheel – could put something fancy on like a Paul Minimoto:
https://cdn.bike24.net/i/mb/78/67/e0/217764-01-d-414773.jpg

with one of their levers.

What am i missing?

The last word there is ‘more’ as in ‘thank god I don’t need to use them any more’.

Sounds like my fixed, I just use a mini V on the front, no clearance issues on a 35 tyre.

Minimotos look mint though.

TRP mini vees here. Can’t recall if I had the 8.4 or the 9. But sooooo much better than cantis.

What 2 tyred said – “thank god we moved on to discs”.

Assuming it’s not going to be used in proper CX mud (fixed so I guess not) then mini vees based on budget. Far better than cantis for me. Only problem was racing in thick mud where they didn’t give the clearance.

Use good pads and V brake blocks for improved performance.

Tektro mini V’s on mine, because I wasn’t paying 3x as much to have them with garish logos.

n.b. there’s about a million (more than 3 anyway) variations on “mini-V” for different road groupsets and BMX, TBH it probably doesn’t make much difference.

Cross is obviously a different kettle of fish, but I’ve not managed to clog mini-V’s even in winter on the bridleways round here. And they seem fine in the dry with decent pads, although the crap they pick up commuting blunts performance a bit so I usually give the rims a clean with degreaser and sand down the pads before a weekend ride.

TRP mini vees here too. 8.4s I think for SRAM road levers. I’m running 35c tyres with good clearance. Nice and powerful and don’t seem to get clogged up.

I just went to the shed to check and mine are 8.4s. I used them with Shimano 5600 then 5700 levers. Holding on to them in case one day I decide to put another rim brake CX bike together.

What’s wrong with regular V brakes, especially for flat bar? Cheaper and better. If you switch to drops and roadie levers get a ProblemSolver TravelAgent to replace the noodle.

The last word in rim brakes was/is Maguras. You can still get them for flat bars, and they are pretty bloody good.
No good if you want to switch to drop bars though!

My commuter runs TRP 8.4s with 32mm tyres and mudguards. With Swissstop BXP pads they are fantastic, powerful, controllable, silent in the wet.

For that reason I built a gravel bike with rim brakes also, on the basis that I could save money and weight over a disc brake build, avoid squealing in cold wet conditions, and rim brakes would be powerful enough for gravel and CX duties. I used Shorty Ultimates which feel great at the lever but not as powerful as CX8.4s. Lowering the central straddle wire has made them more powerful, and if I went for a 35c tyre instead of a 40c tyre I could lower it some more and achieve more power still.

If I decide the Shortys aren’t powerful enough for bigger mountain rides or loaded touring, or if they do start to squeal in the wet (haven’t tested them yet…) then could be tempted just to go back to mini-Vs on the gravel bike though, maybe CX9s for more clearance above the tyre. Any clogging with mud seems to be frame related and not brake related (e.g. it all clogs at the back of the fork crown, so am not sure if the style of brake would affect it).

If you’re willing to spend the money, the CX8.4s are lovely though, I got some anodised blue ones from eBay, Ti hardware, proper allen key tension adjusters, nice sculpted shape.

Might go for the mini vees then. 100 quid plus on a fancy brake is silly, for the use it’ll get. Discs not an option without changing the fork, which is one of the nicer bits on the bike (it’s a Cinelli Mash Work). Mud’s not a huge problem here, it’s mainly sand so drains well but grinds rims to dust.

If you’re willing to spend the money, the CX8.4s are lovely though, I got some anodised blue ones from eBay, Ti hardware, proper allen key tension adjusters, nice sculpted shape.

They were my first thought but they’d look weird on a skinny steel crown fork which is why I started looking at Pauls – not sure I care about enough about looks though

Also beware using Shorty Ultimates with modern rims, they can’t cope with wider external dimensions and you either need to butcher the (proprietary) pad holders with a dremmel and mess around with different sized washers, or you need to prepare from a standard SRAM spare parts price gouging (something like £50 for a set of pad holders designed for wider rims, possibly more).

Edit: too late, but if you’re going for Mini-Vs invest in good pads, they’re worth it. Swissstop BXP

The £20/ set Tektro RL520 drop brake levers (Cane Creek also do a near identical set but with softer hoods I think for a bit more) are designed to work with standard MTB V brakes if you want to use longer arms. Correct pull ratio.

I run a set with XT V brakes on my Salsa commuter.

The Magura hyro’s I think were the best but would likely be over braked on a skinny ‘crosser.

There are a set of rockinghorse dung coated hen’s teeth on the ebay just now
.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/1022792662
.
Not mine by the way

There are a set of rockinghorse dung coated hen’s teeth on the ebay just now
.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/1022792662
.
Not mine by the way

Blimey! I have a set of those on my Pompino. That’s the kids inheritance sorted then 😆

What’s wrong with regular V brakes, especially for flat bar? Cheaper and better. If you switch to drops and roadie levers get a ProblemSolver TravelAgent to replace the noodle.

What’s wrong with them is that they are not cheaper or better and need the travelagent bodge if using drops.
Another vote for mini V from me. Less modulation than canti’s but at least they work.

I used these https://www.bikester.co.uk/bike-parts/rim-brakes-accessories/v-brakes/5381.html ages ago and they were super powerful, i think as they have a proper brass bushing which doesn’t corrode.

I actually think they had more power than hydraulic discs in the dry.

Only this is you need to run an inline cable adjuster with drop levers, more so you can adjust them to get the wheel out without letting air out of the tyre.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Drop-Bars-Magura-HS66-Hydraulic-Rim-Brakes-Set-For-Road-Tandem-CX-Touring-Bike/372972752508?hash=item56d6e88e7c:g:jFcAAOSw-eleNmDz

Although discontinued, so spares probably an issue!

afaik – V’s/mini-Vs are the best current option. Choose a set with the best- length arms for your setup. They typically run closer to the rim than cantis (depending on both your preference and ) and require regular adjustment so probably worth installing barrel-adjusters on the noodles. I think TRP do a set with some included, but I read somewhere that can you can install the barrel-adjuster from DiaCompe Flexie noodles onto the end of a regular noodle (?)

*edit (note to self read all other responses before hitting send )

Watching thread with interest as (all being well) I have a set of Tektro RX5 arriving tomorrow to replace the barely-effective old Altus cantis on my tourer. Is it right that I’m better to immediately replace the Tektro pads before install? Will probably need to re-true the wheels anyhow. That’s tomorrow gone then 🤣

ajantom
Blimey! I have a set of those on my Pompino. That’s the kids inheritance sorted then

I’ve got a set that’s been sitting in the attic for years, and I just took them down a couple of days ago to fit to my Pompino when I put drops back on it.

Now I’m going “Mmmmm”.

Does eBay beckon? 🙂

The only problem with mini-Vs is that the straddle cable runs close to the tyre and if you want to run a mudguard, it makes it difficult to avoid rubbing on it if you use a 40mm tyre.

Magura do still make hydraulic rim brakes if you do want to go down that route. HS33R

No love for Shimano CX50/CX70s? Happy with mine. Got the CX50s, then when the blocks wore out, the CX70 cartridge/blocks, then Swiss Stop blues.

Couldn’t get mini v’s to fit round mudguards, as above. Got a pair of Tektros (926) I could sell for not much…

@nedrapier….how much do you want for the tektros please?

I put tektro bmx mini vs on mine, think they cost £7 an end and even with stock pads they worked better than any cantis I’ve ever tried. (allegedly the TRPs are the exact same part just with a little bit more machining and finishing, don’t know if that’s actually true)

They did have a bit less cable clearance than cantis would- which might be a thing for actual proper cyclocross use- but it never caused me any bother, even in bad mud the limiting factor for clearance was the fork/frame, and the pads themselves

Oh, and some people complain they wear the rims faster than cantis. But that’s just because they can actually create some friction.

Brenin beener 15 quid posted? Unless you live Guildford-ish? Username suggests maybe not!