Guess I am old fashion, but I want to run canti brakes...on my touring bike.
The talk nowdays is only about disks and I am completely new is this part of cycling.

So, I wonder, which CANTI brakes would be the best for a fully packed touring bike?
Should I go with the lightweight avid shorty's or the allround Shimano CX70 brakes or just a set of paul brakes just because they are pretty?
What are the pro's an con's except weight and price? Is there a big difference in performance?

I also run Canti's on my touring bike, but that's really more of a function of that's what mounts the old frame has. Canti's are an absolute pain in the ass to setup, because there's like three different axis to align, and if you don't get it right they squeal like crazy and don't stop that well. So finding a pair that allow you to adjust the toe-in in addition to the height and angle easily is a definite plus. I also had some pain adjusting my brakes because the bike was built for 27" wheels and I threw in 700C's, so the mounts were in the wrong spot. Honestly, if they'll fit on your bike, then maybe mini-V brakes are the better route just for the ease of setup. I've got a pair of tektro CR720's, and they suck terribly. Beyond that I don't know what to recommend. Cross guys probably know better.

I'm running Paul neo retro's on my cross bike and also have there touring brakes. I absolutely love them and I have found them very easy to set up. They should be plenty strong for touring.

If you use cantis you want Avid Ultimates or Paul's with Kool Stop brake pads.
If you use mini-v's you want TRP, the new Paul's or the new Shimano.

I'm running both TRP CX8.4s mini-vees and TRP 920s on my CX bikes - both have loads of power, but the CX8.4s are far easier to set up and adjust, particularly as mud clearance is less of an issue. I ride my CX around lots of local singletrack with plenty of drop-offs which means that you want plenty of control when hanging on the lip - I can do this with a single finger on each brake lever.

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Just ride

I have TRP on two bikes and recently I bought FSA for my 3rd cx bike.
They are as light and good as other high end brakes from other brands, but a lot cheaper

Canti's are not that hard to set up. Juyst get the straddle cable at the right height. Here's a good document that explains all.
http://www.circleacycles.com/cantilever ... ometry.pdf

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www.thecycleclinic.co.uk

I just swapped to a set of Paul Minimotos from regular Canti's and I am very impressed so far. Great stopping power and no fork judder. They are easy to align. The cable setup at the back is a little strange on my bike and its the only part I am not so happy with as it doesnt really lend itself well to a regular CANTi frame.

http://www.paulcomp.com/minimoto.html