Old bike with cantilever brakes?

[Roy Lime]

Having not ridden a road bike in years I bought an old one off a mate for a few quid to see if I could get used to them again. I'd guess it's late seventies vintage. Bizarrely, it has lugs for cantilever brakes. Although the rear looks normal, someone has cut down an old Weinmann caliper brake to fit the front. I thought cantilever brakes were a later invention. Does anyone know for sure?

[gazza285]

Cantilevers are much older than that, from the 1940's at least. Probably an old tourer or cyclocross frame.

[Roy Lime]

gazza285 said:

Probably an old tourer or cyclocross frame.

It's red and yellow . Very light though.

Seriously, I thought cantilever brakes were a 90s thing.

[mph1977]

Roy Lime said:

gazza285 said:

Probably an old tourer or cyclocross frame.

It's red and yellow . Very light though.

Seriously, I thought cantilever brakes were a 90s thing.

had them on a Raleigh kids 'MTB' in the mid 1980s ... (? a Mustang)

[thecremeegg]

Roy Lime said:

It's red and yellow . Very light though.

Seriously, I thought cantilever brakes were a 90s thing.

Sure you aren't thinking of v brakes?

[Roy Lime]

thecremeegg said:

Sure you aren't thinking of v brakes?

I'm not certain to be honest. Here is a pic.

[gazza285]

Nice cyclocross bike.

[BadgerBenji]

Definitely canti lever brakes, and on a cross/touring frame.

[gazza285]

Come on Benji, top routed cables and no rack mounts, cyclocross all the way!

Want to sell it?

[Roy Lime]

Thanks chaps, what sort of brake should I put on it?

gazza285 said:

Want to sell it?

Not really, I've just bought it. I'd like to make it look better though.

[gazza285]

Doesn't look as old as you think, maybe '90s vintage? Looks like it has modern brake lever/shifters? Any idea on the groupset?

[Roy Lime]

It says Shimano RSX on the front derailleur, Tiagra on the rear. The tubing is Reynolds 531 and it's very light. As far as I know someone knocked it together as a winter bike. I paid a few quid for it.

[BadgerBenji]

gazza285 said:

Come on Benji, top routed cables and no rack mounts, cyclocross all the way!

All very good points oops. Don't sell it to him OP, he will bend it, he is the uri gellar of cyclocross.

[gazza285]

RSX looks about right for a late '90s bike, not great kit, but not bad either. As for period correct brakes, something like Shimano Exage would match the RSX kit, but if you want some that work then I'd recommend some froglegs, or if you want more modern ones, Tektro CR720.

[Roy Lime]

You live and learn. I looked at the paintwork and 'Neil Orrell' font and immediately thought 1970/80s.

[gazza285]

Sort the brakes, get some knobbly tyres on it, and get racing...

[BadgerBenji]

gazza285 said:

Sort the brakes, get some knobbly tyres on it, and get racing...

Totally agree, it's an hour of hell/fun in equal measures.

[boyse7en]

I've got a set of Silver canti brakes that came off of my Orange P7 (1995) that you can have if they are any good.
They are Shimano ones, STX RC spec from memory.

[gazza285]

They are the right era, I'd go for them OP, but they'll not stop you as good as a set of Froglegs. Not that you need brakes for cyclocross racing, if you want to slow down just stop pedalling.

[av185]

Did cyclocross in the 70 s and 80 s riding a JC Parkes chromo molybdenum framed bike with Mafac Cantilever brakes. These brakes were more efficient than both centre pull and side pull varieties and furthermore were less prone to mud build up.

Neil Orrell was a bike shop located between Failsworth and Chadderton just off the Oldham road, North Manchester. Don t know if he built his own bikes, somehow doubt it. Pal of mine regularly used the shop.

Looks like you have a true classic!