Cantilever brakes

Despite chitter chatter about disc brakes taking over the cyclo-cross world, the vast majority of CX bikes, for the meantime, are equipped for cantilever brakes and a quick look at the fields of Flanders suggests that cantis are still king for the top-level racer. And at this price and in this colour these TRP RevoX Carbon Cantilever Brakes are for the serious racer.

Forza's cyclocross Cirrus Pro CS Cantilever brakes are really very very good cantilever brakes, stiff and powerful, probably the best I've tried.

Check to see they fit your bike first though. As I'll explain in detail below, I had issues on some bikes, and not others. Having said that, when they do fit, they are good, so we'll ignore that detail for now.

If you don't mind the fiddly set up, and the brakes actually line up with your bike and wheel rim combination these Forzas are a good buy.

Cantilever front brake - never used did not fit my bike Boxed.

£60.00 posted

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Marketed as a road series, Jagwire Pro Cantilever pads aren’t compatible with the latest generation of wide-arm cross-type brakes but they are the perfect performance perk for older Shimano M-system brakes and others employing 7mm thread bolts. The cartridge design means they can be upgraded for something condition-specific should you prefer, but the standard compound has inspiring confidence in all weathers.

Tektro's 720 are the best cantilevers I've used with drop levers and would be choice upgrades for the lower profile original equipment (OEM) type often fitted to mid range production cross/multi sport and Audax bikes. That said their broad profile and sharp styling doesn't look out of place on older mountain and touring mounts either. Frankly, there's no reason to pay more unless addicted to exotica or desperate to shave every last gram.

I seem to remember seeing some pictures of new cantilever brakes from one of the trade shows recently covered on road.cc which had some adjusters built in, but I can't find them. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

With their shapely magnesium arms and titanium hardware TRP’s Euro X are either the last word in lightweight bicycle jewellery or gratuitous extravagance-especially since the carbon variants work out £40 cheaper. Mere mortals with mid-range mounts are better served by aluminium patterns and pad upgrades but weight conscious, elite cross racers with deep pockets and a passion for exotica won’t be disappointed.