Mini Front Racks and Canti Brakes

[Ginz]

Hello All,

I am curious to hear your experiences with mini front racks such as
the Nitto Mini or Mark's Rack and cantilever brakes.

I currently have Nitto Mini-style rack with a post that mounts through
the fork crown. I'm using Tektro CR720 high profile brakes, older
Suntour mtb levers and a Problem Solvers wide yoke. Having tried a
number of different brakes, I found that I needed this exact
combination to get the yoke high enough (above the rack post) and
simultaneously have enough mechanical advantage.

I am thinking of setting up a Hunq'a with a Mark's Rack with Paul mtb
levers and the Shimano low profile cantis. Has anyone tried this
setup and does raising a standard yoke above the rack post reduce the
mechanical advantage too much?

Any advice is appreciated!

[PATRICK MOORE]

Ginz: if you decide to sell the Nitto, I may be interested. Thanks.

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[Garth]

Hi Ginz,

   I wouldn't recommend the low profile type of canti's as the high yoke does reduce the mechanical advantage. On my Bombadil with a front mount Mark's rack I tried the CR720's, Sun Tour XC Pro's, and Shimano M730's and MC70's(from 1983).  I the XC Pros were the only low profile, and did not work worth a hill of beans....they need a lower yoke point. I ended up using the vintage MC70's on the front, the M730's on the back. Yes ... I care not if I have to mix and match canti's :) Whatever works. I don't know .... I'm not real impressed with the Cr720's .... I guess I'm old school with liking full post canti pads for the super adjustability.

[Minh]

I had both a Marks Rack and now a Mini mounted on my SH (bought the
Marks incorrectly), i think you will have a harder time getting the
yoke low enough with the Marks. I have IRD cantis with the Mini Front
now, and i think the yoke is too high, front-brake does not have the
lever feel that the CR720 i have on another bike. I can't think of a
solution for this other then switching to v-brakes. For me i have a
roundabout solution as i'm switching to a campee front on my SH but
then i'll have the same problem when i move the mini to my
quickbeam....

[Ginz]

Thanks, Minh. I was wondering if the IRDs might be wide enough to
create the right mechanical advantage. I guess they are not. I
propose a bracket for the Mark's rack with a big square opening for
the straddle cable.

Many of the photos on the Rivendell site show the small front racks
with caliper brakes. The photos with canti brakes simply show a
higher yoke. I wonder if they are not pickey about the feel at the
lever. Or, maybe the mtb-style levers have a little less mech
advantage than drop bar levers?

Canti brakes make my head hurt!

Ginz

[stevep33]

I have IRD cafams paired with a similar Nitto M12 rack (crown hole
mounted). The IRDs work perfectly, very powerful - my first choice
canti brake. I use a regular hanger and straddle cable instead of the
Y-wire that comes with the brakes. The Y-wire will probably
interfere with the rack mount at the crown.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27988383@N06/5644352361/in/set-72157623989323883

CR720s were underwhelming in this same setup.
My other bike has an M12 with TRP EuroX brakes. The EuroX brakes are
well made and perform just fine, but I haven't been able to adjust
them in a way that gives as much power as the IRDs.

[MSmith]

I'm running Paul touring cantilevers with Cane Creek levers on my Allrounder.  They have a great feel and the straddle cable clears the mini-rack's strut just fine.  It looks like the IRD's have similar geometry.

There's no good front-on shots here, but you can see the setup in profile:

<http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2007/cc360-michaelsmith0807.html>

Cheers- Mike in So. Boston, Mass

[Minh]

Np, i will add that i think the stopping is fine how i have them setup
now, but they're not as 'tight' as when i didn't have the rack and the
yoke lower. Lever feel is a pretty personal thing.

On Aug 22, 11:47 am, Ginz <theg...@gmail.com> wrote:

[CycloFiend]

I've been running standard Shimano with Shimano road levers. The yoke sits
maybe an inch above the Nitto Mini front rack post. Braking is good.

I would think that running Paul MTB levers (for canti's - NOT for LP style
brakes) would be an even easier setup. Those things have plenty of gumption.

- J

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[Ginz]

Thanks, J. I'll try the Shimano/Paul setup and see how it feels.

I thought of attaching the Mark's Rack to the Hunq's rack bosses on
the fork blades. Maybe the nitto diving board struts would work.
Anyone tried this or similar?

Ginz

[Garth]

I'm not sure what you mean Ginz.  Here's my current setup on the Bombadil FWIW.  I love Mark's rack for all the various options you can use to mount it.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/h73J1s1UBSvvmsz1MEhSbXCp3kpjgA87sF6gwBMK7cM?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ykizoIa1bmJuQSThS8eqyXCp3kpjgA87sF6gwBMK7cM?feat=directlink

[Ginz]

Garth,

That's the setup I would like to try. Thanks! Is it nice and sturdy?

Ginz

[Garth]

Yes .... super solid.  Since the struts can be mounted inside/outside of the rack, it took me a number of tries to get the perfect one for this bike.... but once I figured it out it's awesome :)  

[Bob B]

On my Bombadil with a front mount Mark's rack I tried the CR720's, Sun Tour XC Pro's, and Shimano M730's and MC70's(from 1983).  I the XC Pros were the only low profile, and did not work worth a hill of beans....they need a lower yoke point. 

Garth or anyone else: have you tried the low-profile CX70s with a Mini Front Rack? This was the setup I was planning for a Hunq I'm building up, but when I was poking around old threads here this bit got more a little worried. 

[Shoji Takahashi]

Hi Bob B:

I have a 48cm Hunqapillar with CX70 cantis and sometimes a Mini Front Rack. Brakes work great (and I much prefer CX70 over the Tektro CR720s they replaced).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stakx/23278928000/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stakx/14635282251/in/datetaken/

Good luck,

Shoji

[David Banzer]

I'm using the same IRD Cafam canti's on my Clem. I took off CR720s and installed the IRDs as the CR720s stuck out and interfered with mounting front panniers on a Pass & Stow rack.
As an experiment, I left the main brake cable installed in the yoke at the same point and just adjusted the straddle cable, so the yoke was at the same height for both brakes.
The front brake had noticeably less MA, while the rear felt the same. The P&S rack is mounted with a bolt at the fork crown, and I do have some distance to lower the yoke. I may get 2 Nitto struts and nut/bolt assemblies for the P&S rack and mount them to the top of the fork crown on the Clem to get the yoke a little lower, though it's certainly works well as it is.
Oddly, I put the same CR720s on BMC Monster Cross and they stop noticeably better than on the Clem.
David
Chicago

[Michael Hechmer]

I have the Mark's Rack on my Ram with CPs, Marks rack & Pauls Neos on the Trek, and a VO rack with Pauls on the Saluki.  I have also run the M32's with Paul's cantis.  Of all the setups the nitto mini rack and Pauls Neo 's were far and away the easiest to deal with.    Mark's Mini is a fine rack but it sits high, and has no easy way to attach to a fender.  Racks that attach to mid fork braze-ons look the most elegant, but racks that attach to the canti studs give the easiest access to the brakes. Our tandem has the Nitto Campees which attach to the brakes & offer optional panier attachments may be my most favorite, but perhaps overkill for most people.

Michael

[Dave Johnston]

I'm using CX-70s with a Paul straddle yoke set just above the crown hole mount of a Nitto M-12 and I think it works great, but I'm not that picky about canti straddle cable heights.

-Dave J

On Monday, May 2, 2016 at 3:23:43 PM UTC-4, Bob B wrote:

[Ginz]

I, too, have a 48cm Hunqapillar with CX70 Cantis and the Nitto Mini.  Now, on my fork, I have to use the Tektro Fork-Crown mounted cable stop to prevent chatter and moaning.  I tried a million different setups -- v brakes, pads, etc.  Nothing else stopped the noise.   I have a dia-comp straddle carrier positioned just above the rack post and just below the Tektro hanger.  

It's a tight fit but works fine.  Not perfection, but fine, and I'm picky.

Eric