Can I replace a Cantilever brake with a Vee or Calliper brake?
V-brakes will fit on the same posts that your cantilever brakes use. However there will be a compatibility problem with your brake levers. Cantilever brake levers have a different pull ratio that v-brake levers. Not knowing what sort of bike you have makes it difficult to advise on what to do. If you have brake levers combined with shift levers, the best thing to do is to buy what is known as “travel agent” adapters to change the pull ratio of your brake levers. They fit on the brake itself. If you have drop bars and brake levers that are not integrated with he shifters, it will be difficult to find brake levers that are compatible with v-brakes, so again, you need the adapters. If you have a hybrid or mountain bike and separate brake levers, just buy a set of v-brake levers to replace your existing levers. Caliper brakes are probably not an option for a bike that has cantilever brakes, the reach is probably too long, and the frame probably is not made to mount them anyway.
