Adjusting cantilever brakes and brake quick release

[jellyphisher]

I have a set of Avid Shorty 6 cantilever brakes on my Redline Conquest Pro frame with a set of STI 8-speed shifters (probably 105, but there are no labels left).

My question is about adjusting the brakes. It seems that when I adjust the brakes to be close enough to the rim so that I don't have to move the lever very much before braking actually starts, then the cable is too tight to be even possible to use the quick release on the brake (to remove the wheel).

I found the tightest the cable can be and still allow me to unhook the quick release, but that makes the brake levers have too much travel for my taste.

Is there a way around that, or is that what I'm stuck with when using cantilevers and I'm just spoiled from my Ultegra brake set on my road bike?

[jellyphisher]

I never find strength to be an issue with modern brakes/brakepads. And I would rather get immediate braking. Also, I often have a finger or two
*behind* the lever, and pulling them in so far sometimes hits them.

That'd be fine. In that case I would like my levers to be closer to the bar all the time and just have to pull in a little to start braking.

Yeah, that's what I figured. Which means I have to put in the inline cable adjusters that the bike didn't come with. Grumble, grumble. I thought it was something weird about my bike, but I've been seeing lots of posts here about that lately.

[Wildcat_X]

http://sheldonbrown.com/cantilever-adjustment.htm
http://sheldonbrown.com/cables.html as well as the instruction shee that came with your Avid brakes. Make sure you chose the best straddl for your geometry. If you follow these articles well and use goo quality cables and housings you should be able to get your desire operation. Pay particular attention to housings precision length routing, and end preparation. I use Avid 6s on our tandem withou problems now that I have the cables and housings set right. INCA (Inlin
Cable Adjusters) or other cable adjusters will still help you get th adjustments you need/desire

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[yoda]

Since I startd riding in the late 80s, I've always set up my brakes so that when the levers are at full pull, they just barely clear my knuckles. Seems to work well. It isn't quite as important with V-brakes, but cantis are something else...

Added benefit is that you can compress the levers just a bit before you need them and the pads don't rub.

But that's just me. If you like it different, great.

[yoda]

I always have to ask people that like their brakes like you like them,
"why?" Your hands are strongest right before they make a fist... Why use the weakest part of your grip to activate your brakes?

If your hands are strongest right before they make a fist, doesn't it make sense to adjust the brakes so that they're strongest a little closer to your bars?

Back to the question at hand. What I've done is to run inline cable adjusters. You can unscrew them far enough to get the wheel out, then back in to get the feel you like.