With a decent amount of height adjustability these Tektro 866A cantilever brakes are ideal for a 650B conversion on a 26″ wheeled touring or MTB frame.
The pad holder slides up and down in a slot offering just over 21 mm of movement. The difference in height between a 650B rim and a 26″ rim is 12.5 mm (584 mm minus 559 mm, divided by two) so these can in a number of cases be set up to work with the larger rim size. The maximum pad centre height is 35 mm from the centre of the brake bolt – if you are able to accurately measure the height with a 26″ wheel, and it us under 22mm then you should be able to use these with a 650B wheel-set.
Of course the Tektro 866A cantilever brakes are great regardless of wheel size and are super value and easy to adjust. They look very similar, from a distance, if you squint, to the 90s high end Grafton and Campagnolo Record/Icarus brakes too, and whilst the finish is nowhere near as good they’re probably less likely to crack.
- Full set of front and rear brakes with pads and straddle cables
- Model 866A
- Silver only
- Low profile for good heel clearance
If you are looking to convert a 26″ frame to 650B we also have some great quality rim brake wheels available here.