Best cyclocross bike under £1000 and other CX chat

Does anyone know about the cable pull ratios for the breaks on apex vs DA 7800?

Just trying to work out if I will have similar problems on my intended bike, and then if the bb7 or the hope v twin will be the best option.

The hope system is'nt that different from a standard hydraulc disc brake. The only extra bit is the cable to the lever. So it should be as robust as every Hope product.

When the Hydrualic sti's come out. Just extend the lines.

Is master cylinder cooling a consideration?

Has anyone tried the new(ish) shimano road leavers with a V brake?

As they pull more cable I was wondering if performance might be acceptable.

FWIW I thought the stock pads on the 720s were fine, and didn't feel as noticeably poor as say a stock shimano pad.

But then I was only really commuting on them and riding in the snow, so I was never really using them at any real speed.

Really? I've got 520's and the pads are so so shit. I'm just going to get cheap Clarke dual compound ones.

Howard, I've got a miniV if you need, is that for your rear?

Yeah the canti on the back is just hopeless - probably because the 5700 shifters pull too much cable. A mini v will do nicely. What you got?

Standard Tektro

Really? I've got 520's and the pads are so so shit. I'm just going to get cheap Clarke dual compound ones.

720s have different pads (and some shoes) to 520s. It's the only difference AFAIK.

Has anyone tried the new(ish) shimano road leavers with a V brake?

As they pull more cable I was wondering if performance might be acceptable.

add travel agent and you'll be fine.

To be fair Howard, if you lever's pull is slightly higher than normal, you might get away with it. It just means your pads will be closer to the rims so your wheels need to stay nice and true. You'll benefit from a higher mechanical advantage (higher force against the rims) which is more stopping power.

either that or you will end up with grabby brakes where however hard you pull the brakes will not seem to work properly.
Running pads closer to the rim may be okay for road use but as soon as you are off road (presumably will be on a cyclo-cross bike?) the continual rubbing of grit and dirt between pad and rim will get you reaching for your cantis.
One of the really good points with cantis is that the pad can be a large distance from the rim yet not affect braking whereas even with a matched set of levers and v brakes this cannot be done and the pads always end up too close.

Thanks guys - I know all about the mechanics of it - it's just after James's query I went back to the tech docs and it looks like the 5700/6700/7900 leavers pull significantly more cable than than their predecessors - so much so it explains why my 5700 + BB5 front behaves very differently to others (i.e. lots of modulation, no grab, but not quite as much power as expected).

And why my 720s just don't work when set up with the straddle cable where I want it.

I'd be happy to swap back and forward with cantis for racing - my crosser gets used for touring and road training too.

don't you wish that the cooper cx had arrived for you?

i am seriously contemplating the hope hydraulics now

Yup - it would have been very, very nice :)

Get the Hope. You know you want it.

FWIW the Uncle John I bought came with 105 shifters (5700) and Decore LX v-brakes.

It was horrendous. Literally on/off braking.

From memory when I fixed the straddle cable on my 720s where I thought it should be (following sheldon's advice) it didn't really work.

I think this was the position they worked in: http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/ad106/hugo7_photos/IMG_0305.jpg

Hah seems like I have a choice between on-off braking and zero braking. I like it.

My set up at the moment:

Straddle cable just clears fender (when it's mounted). Pads are Kool Stop thinline
On the hoods: adds a bit of drag but the front does all the work
On the drops: using the grip of death there's a bit of bite

Paul Minimoto designed for drop bar;

^ Surprising amount of clearance on that for a mini-v.

don't you wish that the cooper cx had arrived for you?

i am seriously contemplating the hope hydraulics now

I've got the crosser today if you want a go?

It's locked up in Farringdon currently (I hope!)

^^^^ in the end I got my 720s to work well - and even managed to elimiate the brake judder from the carbon fork... but I think some of that may have been luck.

For things like this it might just be worth going to a decent LBS and paying them for the trouble of getting it right.

Also those paul's look seriously nice!

I don't think it's possible to get them how I want them - remember I'm trying to get fender clearance here and the frame is good for monster cross which leaves little scope for getting the angles right.

I don't think I can create more mechanical advantage and the extra cable pull on the leavers is just compounding the problem.

Agreed though those Pauls... who knew brakes could be sexeh?

Neil

I am working out west all day, but thanks for the offer.

What size rotors do people use on cross bikes for front and rear?

Just get some 160s

Although I've just set the longbike frontwheel up with a 203mm, as wheel as my fatbike front wheel with a 203mm.

Looks badass.

neil

i am working out west all day, but thanks for the offer.

What size rotors do people use on cross bikes for front and rear?

160 f/r

Neil

I am working out west all day, but thanks for the offer.

What size rotors do people use on cross bikes for front and rear?

Shimano make a couple of Cantilever brakes now. Surely they will work with X700 series stuff?