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Servicing
Bicycle Caliper Brakes

by Sheldon "Stop!" Brown

This page is a place-holder for an article not yet written.

Compatibility/Interchangeability

Cantlever Type	Frame Studs	Levers	Cable Routing
Direct Pull V-Brake ®	Below the Rim	Long Pull Low Tension	Cable comes in from the side. Lower housing stop is on one of the cantilever arms.
Traditional Center Pull		Standard Short Pull High Tension	Cable runs down the bicycle's center line. Lower housing stop mounted on frame/fork, either special braze-on, or mounted to the seatpost bolt.
U-Brake Cantilever	Above the Rim (Rare)
Roller-Cam Cantilever
Caliper Rim Brakes (All Types)			Varies, sidepull or centerpull.

Lever compatibility

Direct-pull cantilevers require special brake levers. Direct-pull brake levers pull the cable twice as far, half as hard. It is not generally safe to mix and match levers/cables between direct pull and other types for this reason.

• Conventional brake levers used with direct-pull cantilevers will usually not pull enough cable to stop in wet conditions without bottoming out against the handlebars. In dry conditions, they either won't work, or will grab too suddenly.

• Direct-pull brake levers used with any other type of brakes will feel nice and solid when you squeeze them, but you'll need to squeeze twice as hard to stop as you should, so unless you are a lightweight rider with gorilla-like paws, this combination isn't safe either.

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