Avid Ultimate Shorty fit issues?

[visscher]

Hi everyone

Just got the new Avid Ultimate cantis and started to set them up on my Moots cross bike....front went on the Alpha Q fork with no worries. The rear was a different story. Long story short the canti stud does not extend far enough extend beyond the brake body so that the brake will only tighten on to itself (no good at all!!) and not to the stud.

While all canti posts are standardized the "shoulders" appear to be variable causing a problem with fit. I have slid the brake body onto other bikes and forks and have had mixed results....in some the studs clear the brake body in others its about a mm or two short....all depending on the studs shoulders.

I guess there are two option to make it work...switch canti studs....or machine down the brake body. I am trying the first option before letting a machinist friend loose on the brakes!! Any idea on a nice aftermarket canti stud (moots gets theirs made by paragon i think so they are out)?

Any other similar fit issues?...any clever work arounds?

[ADP]

You were sold a front and rear werent you? We have them in stock at work, they are a different part code

[visscher]

yup got the rear on the rear and the front on the front....

[ADP]

I wasnt taking the p1ss there! Worth checking though

[visscher]

no, you had good advice...it was the first thing I checked when things didn't start to add up!!

[lancejohnson]

We have a few local bike shops that have drawers full of them. If you can find an LBS around you in a similar position, I would not worry about who made the studs, and just swap them out until you find one that works... Aside from that, there is a Canadian mail-order shop that is posted about up here semi-regularly that has Alu and Ti studs and seems to be the mutts nuts when it comes to lightweight 'cross small parts. Sorry I can't remember who that was now though...

[scooter916]

Toronto cycles has aftermarket studs, you may have to buy them and see if they work. I would suggest emailing or calling them first and telling them your situation and see i they would return them if they didnt work.

[mcatano]

There are two standards for canti posts (and probably a bunch of not-standards as well...): pre-2008 shimano and post-2008 shimano. The pre-2008 posts are longer and designed for mafac and diacomp-style cantis with external springs. I'm pretty sure the Ultimates need the longer, pre-2008 posts.

[ajh]

I had the same issue and I shaved off the lip that holds my spring retainer washer in place. The stud still meets the canti length standards but the lip I shaved meant the stud was actually 1+mm too short for these brakes.

[garth]

I had the same problems with my Indy Fab planet X. The front Avids went on my Alpha-Q fork without a problem. The rear was a different story so I called up Indy Fab and they told me to order the "Pre-2008" post from Paragon Machine works.

Here is the link...

http://www.paragonmachineworks.com/storename/paragonmachineworks/dept/261299/ItemDetail-10486046.aspx

[the_marsbar]

Does anyknow know if the Shorty Ultimates will work with Dura Ace 7800?

[ms6073]

The rear was a different story so I called up Indy Fab and they told me to order the "Pre-2008" post from Paragon Machine works.

Here is the link...

http://www.paragonmachineworks.com/storename/paragonmachineworks/dept/261299/ItemDetail-10486046.aspx

Curious. Although I modded the brake body to overcome the issue, I opted to order some to see the difference and I have to say that the pre-2008 posts would not resolve the issue as they are exactly the same length as the ones that came on my 2011 Giant TCX Advanced.

[mcatano]

There are two standards for canti pivot length (as much as you can call anything relating to bicycles 'standard'...): 2008-present Shimano spec and pre-2008 spec. MAFAC-style cantis generally need the older spec with the longer pivot post, but by all accounts the shorty ultimates are way fussier than TRPs or Pauls - they absolutely will not work with 2008-present Shimano spec pivots.

[ms6073]

The brakes work fine with the canti studs on the fork but not on the rear brake. As I posted earlier, I ordered the pre-2008 studs from paragon and they were identical in length to what came.installed on my 2009 & 2011 TCX's. Guess I need another set like what are installed on the fork.

[scooter916]

I mounted up 4 sets of Shorty Ultimates this past week, two sets on 2011 Crux carbons, and two 2009 Tricross Pro's.

No issues with the posts on the Spec frames and forks

All I can say is that they are far easiest to set up then the TRP EuroX that were removed. they are on par with set up as Pauls, nearly identical function.