This is why we should have an Andrew Blake Appreciation Day
that photo on your site must have been taken from your good side…
Yep, disc brakes it is then. I need an aspirin after reading all that.
Nice rack. Is that held on with P clamps or braze ons?
Did you make all your videos with a GoPro?
Blakey & other V brake gurus,
Which std V Brakes & Levers would you recommend? I’m building my wife a flat bar go-anywhere bike and have been looking at the following:
- Avid Single Digit / Speed Dial 7s / SLs
- Shimano XT BR-T780s
- Shimano LX BR-T670s
Thanks,
D
Pauls>anything
Seriously not much benefit going XT over deore apart from a little weight and a little in ergonomics at the lever? I think? You’ll notice a bigger difference in getting a nice solid pad backing.
I don’t know shit about MTB v brakes 
But it’s very very hard to beat Shimano at good quality brakes and levers, be it caliper, vee or disc, so I’d start there. Even the M590s will be fine.
If it’s a budget build, CRC are clearing M510 vees for $10
Shimano Deore V-Brake M510 | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com
Add some M590 levers for $30 and you’re done
Shimano Deore M590 V-Brake Lever | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com
I’m not a guru by any means, but my Single Digits have been running awesome for the last 10 months or so. Stock pads wear out quickly, though, so fang some kool stops in there.
Awesome, thanks guys.
With Mrs Dice request for silver components, I think I’ll get the LXs. Seem pretty reasonably priced, I reckon.
Shakes, would love the Pauls but spending $300+ on brakes is a bit too $$ for this build.
That’s what I am now running after giving up on my Canti’s. Standard pull, so you don’t need to change levers.
First post updated with all of the info, including the as yet hard to get ahold of Shimano 90mm mini Vs.
+1 Single Digit 7s - some folks don’t like the ‘graphite’ colour. Pads are ok but do wear quickish as Lemontime says.
Speed Dial 7 levers are adjustable between canti/caliper and linear pull. Good for BB7 MTB calipers (mech disc brake).
FR-5 levers were available in matte black (FR-5) but seem to be hard to find now.
Where is the best place to purchase adjustable noodles?
Take it to the linear pull brakes thread. This thread is for mini Vs!
Adjustable noodles on JensonUSA / Planet X.
Speed dial levers aren’t adjustable back to true caliper pull either btw.
Just test fitted some tektro RX-5’s (85mm arms)to my Easton ec-90x forks, cable will clear a 40mm tyre with 5mm or so and don’t even have to deflate tyre to fit the wheel in.
Haven’t hooked it all up to see if cable pull/rim clearance is ok.
Setup the RX-5 mini-v’s on my Cx bike.
Cable pull is fine with Campy levers - 10spd Veloce. Rim clearance is pretty low 1.5-2mm.
HEAPS more stopping power than the CR-720 canti’s.
Wouldn’t wanna actually race with them, but for a CX bike that sees no mud they’d be on my agenda.
Sooo… gonna go back to Canti’s during winter and maybe mini-v’s for summer.
Also if your running CX interrupter/cross top levers and Campag brake levers you don’t need a barrel adjuster for the v’s as there is a barrel adjuster on the inline brakes and the brake release on the campag levers is enough to get the QR on the V’s undone.
Have to say this but after reading this thread I bought the Tektro 926AL mini V’s.
My word what a difference on my CX.
I had Avid Shorty 4’s, they were good in that they made a lot of noise just before I hit people or objects with my bike.
I swear I lost count the amount of times I scared people because of the noise they made right next to them…
Off-road the shortys were okay everywhere else crap.
These mini-v’s wow braking modulation on and off road. Had to get use to the power (compared to shortys) but other then that great.
I know the clearance isn’t great but if it’s that muddy that they block the wheel I’m fucked up already.
Also cheap upgrade!!
Was going to spend heaps on expensive brakes but not anymore, bring on the cross season.
Thanks to the guys who let me know about this brake set up works great very happy.
I just fit some TRP 8.4’s to my cx bike, heaps of power and no shudder on my lite full carbon fork.
Using Campag 10spd Veloce levers.
Front lever feel is ok - not as good as with a canti, little ‘squishy’ and you can pull the lever back a long way but you come to an abrupt halt way before then.
Rear is a little worse - mainly due my rear rim having an un-true-able hop in it. so have to run them a little wider, lever feels soft and squishy but again the rear locks up way before the lever gets to the bars, less modulation compared to cantis, have to be quite light with pressure at the lever.
Having the QR at the lever with campag makes it really easy to use the QR on the brake itself, barrel adjuster at the noodle is good too. Pads seems pretty good, but only ridden down the street. Pads compleetely clear the fork (easton CX90) so getting an inflated tyre out is no probs.
They are much pricier than tektros but getting nice pad holders and a inbuilt barrel adjuster is nice and makes the price a little more reasonable compared to tektros where you would have to spend another $20-30 to get those things (least thats what I tell myself) and they are red!