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Anybody use Mini V brakes with travel agents?
 

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

2/14/18 9:50 AM

Anybody use Mini V brakes with travel agents?

I put mini V's on my bike with campy ergo and theyt are too powerful, and need more travel, really. They sit extremely close to the rim and bite like a dog. I was wondering about travel agents as I have a set in the box and it would allow me to set them wider and reduce the power a bit.

I wanted a little more power than the cantis that were on there but these are just too strong for my tastes.

The third option is to go to disc brakes as my frame/fork are setup for both.

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Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5094
Location: Nashua, NH

2/14/18 12:04 PM

Which brakes and pads?

There are two lengths of Mini-Vs and IIRC, if you use the ones designed for Shimano levers with Campy, you end up with the problems you describe, too much power, poor modulation and very little clearance. The issue is that the arms are too long, which provides tremendous leverage, but little pad movement.

We've got TRP Mini-Vs on a couple of 'cross bikes, mine with Campy and Linda's with SRAM, both with Kool Stop salmon pads. While the pad spacing is fine on mine, it's tight for her since she has small hands and needs the levers adjusted inward quite a bit, and the pads set close so the levers don't bottom out. Neither of has any trouble with modulation. Perhaps a pad change might help that.

Travel Agents would likely just add more cable drag and reduce the braking power to what you get with cantis. Linda tried them on full-size V brakes and neither of us was impressed with their performance.

Since you have the option of discs, I would go that route. The difference is really substantial, especially in wet conditions. I've seen cable/hydraulic-hybrid disc brakes that are supposed to be pretty good, but I don't recall who makes them.

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

2/14/18 12:33 PM

the brakes I have are Pauls Mini motos. I tried the TRP 8.4's which are similar to the Pauls but not as high quality. I _think_ the Pauls are 85mm arm length.

The problem is I have too many brakes in my parts box. 3 Sets of Pauls canti's, these Pauls mini motos and 2 sets of discs- I Spyre road and a set Of Avid BB-7 road.

I only have 1 road/gravel bike.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19063
Location: PDX

2/14/18 1:51 PM

What brake lever are you using, and do you want to part with the Spyres?

IMO, the pulleys are wonky, bit I used them on a CX and the Tandem [XT Vs] with full V brakes.

Still very close pad adjustment to rims, but good stopping. In the case of the CX, I went from pulleys/XT V to no pulleys/Tektro 926al with same old STI, and the pad/rim proximity adjusted is improved a bit.

One shot deal install, once you kink the cable coming in the pulley. I have a set laying about if you want to try it out. Good quality stainless brake cables are a little thinner than galvey cables. Avoid the non stainless with the pulley I suggest.

My Salsa CX has old pull Shimano STI and Tektro 926al that with Dura road pad carries and Salmon Pads work really well.

I think with newer pull Shimano levers it would be a bit better setup. In that VS the setup with old pull to not have the pads crazy close, it has the lever 1" from the bar full pull. That said, they stop great.

So unless you like/must have minimal lever pull on your brakes, nada problemo. If I actually rode that CX bike I'd stick 5800 on it. But since I got the disc Strong, Chilli Con Kermit lays dormant.

___
The other issue with the min Vs to consider is how close to the tire the straddle cable is, and what tire limitation are imposed if you want to get chunky.

The Salsa has 42C [about 39mm] Speed rides, and if they had a knobby center instead of diamond file I'd be nervous about it.

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

2/14/18 6:05 PM

I suspect the Spyres are better than the Avids, so I' don't want to sell them. It seems that I'm hoarding brakes at this point, but I guess I am keeping my options open.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19063
Location: PDX

2/14/18 6:12 PM

Let me know if you'd like me to send the pulleys to try.

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

2/14/18 6:46 PM

I have a set of Travel agents in the parts box. If i rode in mud I would not consider them, but I only do wimp rides these days.

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