Rim brakes for Campagnolo cross bike

[Master-Ti]

I have a cross / gravel bike with 2011 Campagnolo Chorus groupset. I'm looking for suggestions regarding brakes to match with the Campy levers. So far I've tried Avid Shorty and TRP CX8.4, but I was not happy with either setup.

I found the braking power with the Campy Chorus levers and Avid Shorty's to be frighteningly terrible and quickly replaced them with the TRP CX8.4. As I understand it, the TRP CX8.4 geometry was optimized for Campy levers. However I have 2 issues with this setup. First, at rest, the pads sit so close to the rims that anything that gets stuck on the tires or rims soon rubs against the brakepads. I can only imagine what would happen if the rim became out-of-true. Second, this setup provides almost immediate wheel-lockup power, almost catapulting me over the handlebars in a panic stop.

I'm concerned that my options will soon get limited as cross and gravel bikes are increasingly and understandably coming equiped with disc brakes, and I'd like to find a good solution before rim brakes become extinct. I was able to test ride a bike with Campy CX cantilevers that worked very well with the Campy Chorus levers, but sadly these cantis are no longer available.

I'd appreciate any experience and thoughts you might have.

Thanks in advance.

[ALAN Carbon+]

Out of curiosity what brake pads have you been using.

I have TRP mini v on my commute bike with Athena shifters and found swapping the pads to Kool Stop salmon helped with brake feel (doesn't fix the pad clearance issue though).

Are your Avid Shorty the ultimates? If so, were they set up narrow or wide?

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[simoncx]

Not sure how the trp min v are adjusted without seeing them but shouldn't they have a spring tension that you can increase on the brake and on the frame by moving it to a different hole in the canti mount? Sounds like the spring tension is too loose making the pads so close to the rim. I've used shorty ultimates and regular trp canti and both have been great brakes.

[Master-Ti]

I’ve used these brakes with the original pads only. I did consider trying the Kool Stop Salmons, but haven’t done so yet as it would not help the issue with clearance.
Regarding spring tension, I’ve adjusted them to being quite high, but I thought the issue with rim clearance is more an issue with the pull ratio of the brakes themselves, correct?

[Catagory6]

using TRP EuroX with centaur 10-speed levers
i guess it depends how well they're set up, and how clean the rims and pads are
certainly cantis aren't the greatest option for the 20% grades i was descending last summer up in vermont
but i assume that's just a function of the canti brake in general

your rim selection may also be a factor in spacing between the pads.
if you have wide rims, you'll get less space

[Mr.Gib]

I use the TRP mini V's on my gravel bike and they have been great. Yes they do sit close to the rim but even if they did not, if you mess up a rim, you have a problem with any rim brake. If it happens you have to release the brake and ride home without it. I am using recent Shimano levers so perhaps they pull more cable so my situation may not be as extreme as yours.

And I have never had an issue with "stuff" clogging the space between pad and rim. Even riding through a bit of mud.

And yes, mind blowing stopping power. But it should take about 5 seconds to get the feel of it. Should not be an issue.