Quantcast

shifter repair question

Krash

Chimp
Jul 29, 2013
3
0
I've got an old Trek mountain bike (from the 90s) that has a broken right (back) shifter, and I think the front shifter is bad also. It has a Shimano Deore LX shifter set (3x/7x) and CANTILEVER brakes. I'd like to fix it for as little as possible. Anyway, I was a shifter/brake lever combo set (shimano EF-51) on Amazon for about $30 that has rave reviews, but... it is for a V-brake. I think with my cantilever brakes, the v-brake levers won't give much braking power?
Am I right and would this be a mistake?
Looking at the current brake lever/shifter combo on my Trek, I'm not sure if I can remove just the shifter? And would the EF-51 then attach ok?
Any good ideas on a low-cost solution?
 

Krash

Chimp
Jul 29, 2013
3
0
I've got an old Trek mountain bike (from the 90s) that has a broken right (back) shifter, and I think the front shifter is bad also. It has a Shimano Deore LX shifter set (3x/7x) and CANTILEVER brakes. I'd like to fix it for as little as possible. Anyway, I was a shifter/brake lever combo set (shimano EF-51) on Amazon for about $30 that has rave reviews, but... it is for a V-brake. I think with my cantilever brakes, the v-brake levers won't give much braking power?
Am I right and would this be a mistake?
Looking at the current brake lever/shifter combo on my Trek, I'm not sure if I can remove just the shifter? And would the EF-51 then attach ok?
Any good ideas on a low-cost solution?
Bump...
Anyone have any thoughts on this? Specifically, if I put the shifter/lever set on and it is for V-brakes and my old bike has cantilever brakes, will I have poor braking?
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,191
media blackout
the difference between canti's and v-brake levers is the cable pull. v-brakes are liner pull, canti's are not - the levers pull much less cable (can't remember exactly how much). you couldn't use canti levers with v-brakes (they don't pull enough cable). in theory you could get away with using v-levers and canti brakes, but it wouldn't be a great setup. it would be super finicky, you'd pull the lever a tiny amount and it would lock the brakes up.
 

GodSmack

Chimp
May 27, 2013
88
0
BC
Been there done that. shell out the 30 bucks. The brakes will feel ok. You can get v brakes for close to nothing because nobody uses them. Hell every old timer probably has a set hiding in the basement collecting dust.
My commuter bikes uses canties with v brake levers.