Canti cantilever brakes at a price point

As there is no single thread dealing with canti's and I'm in the market for some I thought I'd start a new one. There's stuff out there on other forums, but it'd be good to have something on here.

For the record I'm defining cantilever brakes as the traditional style rather than V-Brakes, and yes I know V-brakes are a type of canti.

Can anyone suggest a good pair of cantilever brakes which don't cost the earth (ie less than £50 ideally less than £40)? They're going to be for an all round tourer/sometimes dirt road bike... I guess I'm after the Shimano 105 of the canti world.

I found these Kore Cyclo Cross for £40 - writeups seem to suggest they're ok.

On one of the mech 'n fixin threads someone rated Shimano R550's - opinions?

Any others that I should be looking at? Older 2nd hand modles? Any others that are worth increasing my budget for?... or like callipers should I just be buying the best Shimano ones in my budget?

(Oh and please don't say Paul's - +$200 for a set of brakes is just silly.)

I've also noticed that there seem to be sightly different designs:

Is there anything that I should be looking for? - I'd have thought the 2nd pic would require less cable pull and be more responcive?...

...or is the 1st just a lower profile, therefore better on a rear for touring as its less likely to snag on paniers etc?

Any makes/models that are particularly tough to set up?

Cheers.

I have a set f these on an old MTB, they work well, not great but well.
Tektro 520 £23.99
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tektro-CR520-Froggleg-Cantilever-Brakes-Silver-/310208196167?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item4839d96e47

Forget about BR-R550.

Best option is a pair of Mafacs or Weinmans with new Koolstop Eagle Claw brake blocks.
If you're lucky, you can buy them for GBP 15-20 for 2 pairs / 1 bike. Sometimes with the rest of the bike for free.

Similar are Frogglegs and Spooky, but these are more expensive, but still affordable.
E.g.: http://www.2dehands.be/fietsen/fietsonderdelen-accessoires/overig/remmen-cyclo-cross-frogglegs-lite-69000279.html

http://www.bikegear.be/winkel/remmen/remmen-cyclo-cross-frogglegs-lite-wit

http://www.hargrovescycles.co.uk/products.asp?partno=27101

Also acceptable experience with Avod Shorty.

Tetro Oryx is not so good.

I find Tektro CR720 to be good. Using a set with Swisstop green pads and have enough stopping power to lock both wheels up on grass/off road (not that you would want to!).
A noticeable improvement over the Kore Sports that they replaced.
Both of these are under £20 I think, although the Swisstop pads were over £20 but they also make a positive improvement and I have only tried them in the dry so should be an even bigger improvement in wet if hype is to be believed.

I used the tektro cr520 for a while. Braking seemed OK. They were fiddly to set up and the springs needed to be bent in order to get balanced tension on either side.

Now using avid shorty 4, which are a big improvement. The link wire design I found a lot easier to set up than the straddle wire on the tektro.

I have the Tektro Oryx on my Day One and found they stop me adequately and coupled with the drop levers are such an improvement over the squishy V brakes supplied. Real easy to set up and I have had a rear rack on with no snagging either.

Worth noting that canti's are very dependant on setup so the same model could be seen as good or bad depending on who set them up/whether they knew what they were doing.

I clearly know a thing or two about them as my CR720s are perfect :-)

I'm using a pair of Shimano alivios on the front of one of my bikes, and they are not much cop. I suspect the problem is the pads not the setup, but they're cheap, and will do until those Froglegs appear in my stocking. Wouldn't recommend skimping.

Thats what I am using. I wondered if the reason they are not very powerfull is that I had just set them up badly but as you say I dont think the pads are great. I guess replacing them with these would help: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Kool_Stop_Eagle_II_Pair_Of_Inserts/5300003397/

IMHO Koolstop pads don't make a brake set a lot more powerful, but the brake sets are very durable. That counts in the area where I ride, because standard (Shmn) pads will disappear in < 10 miles./
Koolstops are very, very durable and offer still good power.
1st choice for CX.

Power: the shorter/flatter the straddle cable is, the more power you can apply to the rims.
Only problem is that it gives a bad feel, it requires a very small distance brake pad to rim and you have to pull a lot of cable.
So, it depends a lot on the levers you use.
Play with the whole setup, especially with the length of the straddle cable.

Thanks for all the imput.

I think I'm going to go for the Tektro CR520 or CR720s - seem to be good for the money.

Just umming and ahhing as it just sounds like the CR720s just come with better pads to start...which will eventualy get worn and replaced so why pay extra...

As for set up, this thread isn't the place for a indepth discussion, but I'm pretty tempted to pay an LBS to do it just to save the faff.

Thanks again.

Anyone got an opinion on whether these LX cantis are better/worse than Tektro CR520s? I recently purchased a nice old touring bike, which has some pretty ineffectual cantilevers on it and I'd like to switch them for something inexpensive, but more powerful. I've never had cantilevers before and I'm finding the choice bewildering.
(using drop bars with standard aero levers if that makes a difference)
Cheers

I know what you mean about the choice.

Still haven't fitted mine (Tektro 720s from here for ~£35), so I can't comment.

The Tektros got good reviews. But Shimano brakes are usually pretty good and £25 for a pair sounds cheap.

I know what you mean about the choice.

Still haven't fitted mine (Tektro 720s from here for ~£35), so I can't comment.

The Tektros got good reviews. But Shimano brakes are usually pretty good and £25 for a pair sounds cheap.

Cheers - interested to hear what they're like when you've fitted them - it may take me a while to get round to actually ordering anything.

The LX ones have the link wire thing, which looks much neater and easier to me, but then opinion on the web seems quite divided on them.
As long as it's adjustable with an allen key rather than a spanner I think I'd be happy. I've already had one scary cable slipping incident in traffic as I didn't tighten one of the bolts sufficiently.

Lets imagine for a second that I'm easily confused - these brake holders will only work with cartridge pads right?

If I wanted to run the pads that DC suggested (cool stop eagles), I could do that by removing the cartridge pad and holder, and re-using the spacers and nut just fit these right (wiggle sell a canti version, but whats the difference between that and 'threaded')?

If you buy a canti specific version they should come with all the spacers and nuts.

I just bought some Swisstop green from SJS for £20 for all 4 and they came complete.

Cool, so the pad and holder set style doesn't matter (cartdidge vs. whatever those eagles are)? Both will work with the Tektros?

Lets imagine for a second that I'm easily confused - these brake holders will only work with cartridge pads right?

If I wanted to run the pads that DC suggested (cool stop eagles), I could do that by removing the cartridge pad and holder, and re-using the spacers and nut just fit these right (wiggle sell a canti version, but whats the difference between that and 'threaded')?

The Tektro brakes you show here don't use a standard cantilever pad, they are using a v brake pad.
The pad you show is a cantilever pad but a v brake version of it should be available.

The Tektro brakes you show here don't use a standard cantilever pad, they are using a v brake pad.
The pad you show is a cantilever pad but a v brake version of it should be available.

Thanks, that's a perfect example of why I get confused. So assuming that I go for the SwissStops instead now, do I want the threaded or plain stud blocks for the Tektro CR720s?

For bonus confusion, if I'm swapping to cantis do I need to buy a new headset, one with a cable hanger? Will the canti set-up work without one?

Right, internet expertise time. Does anyone know where I can get rear cantilever bosses in titanium?

Planet X have their own brand frogslegs cantis on sale £20 for a set, perfec' for the start of the cross season!

Right, internet expertise time. Does anyone know where I can get rear cantilever bosses in titanium?

http://www.paragonmachineworks.com/storename/paragonmachineworks/ViewDept-261291.aspx

Andy, you're an internet genius and I owe you a pint.

Thanks, that's a perfect example of why I get confused. So assuming that I go for the SwissStops instead now, do I want the threaded or plain stud blocks for the Tektro CR720s?

For bonus confusion, if I'm swapping to cantis do I need to buy a new headset, one with a cable hanger? Will the canti set-up work without one?

You need the threaded brake blocks, as the blocks that come with the CR720s are threaded.

And you don't need to buy a headset to get a cable hanger you can get these for a fiver;

I have one of these and they have the added bonus of the allen bolt which means that once set you can take your stem off without losing your headset adjustment/forks falling out.

And you don't need to buy a headset to get a cable hanger you can get these for a fiver;

Anyone know where I can get cheaply get one of these for a 1" headset? I got the Tektro 520s in the end (which seem pretty good aside from the pads) and could get much better cable routing with a low hanger.
Can't find one for under £10 and it seems a lot of money to pay for what's a pretty simple bit of metal.