jambo Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Recently purchased a Curtis T1, both frame and fork have v-brake mounts I have a full front XTR setup with the linear arms and standard pads for modulation and stoppies. On the rear i am running an avid 5 full setup with Plaz, cnc backings and XTR carbon booster. I`m looking for advice on setting the brakes up.Best cables to use?lube to use?Should i run the xtr on the rear etc?I basically want to setup what I've got the best possible without having to replace any of the major parts or spend to much cash.Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Trials 31 Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 Yeah, move the XTR arms to the rear. And put the SD5's up front. Although I'm running SD5's front and rear and it's not bad. First thing though, save up for some new pads on the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jambo Posted September 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 To be honest i have a pair of plaz pads for the front but they are to bloody good there either on or off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Trials 31 Posted September 20, 2009 Report Share Posted September 20, 2009 To be honest i have a pair of plaz pads for the front but they are to bloody good there either on or off.Not sure why you want modulation on the front. I don't like crap pads on the front because when I put the front wheel on something and hold the brake the wheel slides off the obstacle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross McArthur Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 Not sure why you want modulation on the front. I don't like crap pads on the front because when I put the front wheel on something and hold the brake the wheel slides off the obstacle.The standard XTR pads are great on a smooth Mavic 721. The Curtis James is running is a total street beast. It won’t be used for gaps to front etc... The Plaz pads on the front will only honk on and off and have no modulation.James, I think you're best bet is to get some WD40 run down the inside of the hose and you'll be on to a winner. Obviously the cables will stretch over time, more so in the first few weeks of usage, so just keep on top of the maintenance of the brakes.You could maybe try to shorten the rear outer (and inner of course) to give a more responsive feel.If you big hitting V lovers out there (Ali and Rowan (that’s all I can think of right now)) would like to help James out, that would be fab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisRider Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 Any bmx linear slick cable seems to be good enough, i personally use odyssey.Lube wise, some thin oil, such as finish line, works best for me. Wd40 is a touch to thin and isnt a proper lubricant. Dont use grease, it dries up over time and gets really sticky, so you lose the light feeling.I find xtrs shite, anything with a parallel push system tends to be poo compared to a standard arm setup. Use the xtr upfront and keep the sd5 at the back for sure. If you can, use the xtr lever for the back brake as they are mega comfy compared to the sd5 levers (which are ok i guess). If you can swap the sd5 for a deore pair of arms, that would be ideal, i have found deores to be superb brakes for the money.Other than that you should be fine, ive been using v brakes for years now and i cant see why anybody would run a magura over one. Take your time setting it up, and getting the arm tensions even without being too high a tension to keep the nice light and comfy feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiuSliS Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 I'd say XTR set up. Plus why would you use oil? If the cable is good and quality made there's no need for oil. Nokon cables the BEST there is (in my opinion). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forteh Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 Im using an sd7 with coustsinks on the front, superlight grind so it modulates like a disk in wet and dry. Using a shimano M-system cable at the moment and seems pretty good, I just use normal light oil to lube it once in a while. Not used one on the back though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Burrows Posted September 21, 2009 Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 Any bmx linear slick cable seems to be good enough, i personally use odyssey.Lube wise, some thin oil, such as finish line, works best for me. Wd40 is a touch to thin and isnt a proper lubricant. Dont use grease, it dries up over time and gets really sticky, so you lose the light feeling.I find xtrs shite, anything with a parallel push system tends to be poo compared to a standard arm setup. Use the xtr upfront and keep the sd5 at the back for sure. If you can, use the xtr lever for the back brake as they are mega comfy compared to the sd5 levers (which are ok i guess). If you can swap the sd5 for a deore pair of arms, that would be ideal, i have found deores to be superb brakes for the money.Other than that you should be fine, ive been using v brakes for years now and i cant see why anybody would run a magura over one. Take your time setting it up, and getting the arm tensions even without being too high a tension to keep the nice light and comfy feeling.All that advice is spot on really! XTRs are far too flexy for the back, so stick with what you've got and maybe get some new cables. I've been really pleased with my A.Bikes Co. linear cable but they are all pretty much the same. Just make sure its a linear as they compress less than standard cables and give a firmer feel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jambo Posted September 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2009 Cheers for the advice boys. I was shocked how good the rear v was to be honest a little sticky feeling at the lever but I've ordered some linear slick cables to sort that i hope. Keep your eyes peeled in bike pics, ill hopefully have it up when i get my seat post made up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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