Road Cycling - more expensive brakes = more stopping power?

though ive never tried any other brakes than these stock ones i have here are more expensive brakes more expensive because of their weight savings or do they really stop you faster?

coming from my mountain bike (which had regular alum specialized linear pull brakes) , my roadie with its stock Ultralights are quite weak. i can practically throw myself off my mountain bike whereas my roadie i cant (not that i would wanna).

koolstops = more stopping power

it's weight savings - light parts that are strong are expensive. a modern dual-pivot caliper with kool-stop pads is the standard in max power.

koolstops = more stopping power

+1

OEM Tektro dual pivots + Kool Stops > Dura-Ace + crap pads.

My higher priced Campy Centaur don't stop as well as my (very cheap in comparison) 105's...:cry:

Really?

I find almost no difference in stopping power between my centaurs and 105's.

Do the Centaur and 105 brakes that you two are talking about have the same pads?

kool stops eh...good to know!

i see tektro makes carbon ones...i dont suppose they are as strong as alum no?

Can you lock up your wheels with your current brakes? If so, then the way to get more stopping power is better tires. A truism from auto racing is that tires stop the vehicle - the brakes are the mechanism that converts momentum to heat, but without good tires the quality of the rest of the braking system just doesn't matter.

If you are having trouble modulating your brakes (ie, keeping them from locking up but still be hard on the brakes) or are experiencing fade on long descents or repeated stops, then better pads might be your answer.

JB

kool stops eh...good to know!

i see tektro makes carbon ones...i dont suppose they are as strong as alum no?

They're carbon-wrapped, so their strength is probably similar (and thus not an issue). If you'll notice, they're also heavier than the all-aluminum one's too. See (http://www.tektro.com/02products/09qb.php)

If your brakes can lock up your wheels, you can't get any more stopping power. If they can't, then a stronger set of brakes would give you more stopping power.

Expense is usually related to weight, but nicer brakes are sometimes easier to modulate than crappy ones. Stopping poser has alot more to do with your brakepad compound.

If you want light weight and stopping power look to Zero Gravity or KCNC, both are very good choices.

It's a bell shaped curve. Really cheap brakes stop poorly (e.g. Tektro) Expensive brakes (e.g. Dura Ace) stop well. Really expensive brakes (e.g. Zero Gravity) stop poorly.

It's a bell shaped curve. Really cheap brakes stop poorly (e.g. Tektro) Expensive brakes (e.g. Dura Ace) stop well. Really expensive brakes (e.g. Zero Gravity) stop poorly.

I have to dissagree. I ride Zero Gravity (I came from Campy Record dual pivot) with Campy Record Levers and I can send myself over the handlebars if I'm not careful with the modulation. I think that those that say ZG's lack stopping power have them set up poorly.

(although when I had them hooked to a DA lever I had to use more hand strength, but IMHO this is because of the poor design of the DA hood/lever position)

(although when I had them hooked to a DA lever I had to use more hand strength, but IMHO this is because of the poor design of the DA hood/lever position)

Dura Ace levers attached to Dura Ace brakes work beautifully. Can lock both wheels easily with 2 fingers, and modulate them anywher short of that.

And the problem with ZG's comes from the D/A levers?

I have had DA and Campy Record but nothing compares to Mavic SSC brakes for shear stopping power..

They do have a quick release so they are better if used with campy levers but will work ok with shimano..

http://www.roadbikereview.com/mfr/mavic-inc/brake-calipers/PRD_28360_2480crx.aspx

I guess I should have worded that better.

Campy Record Levers + Zero Gravity + Swiss Stop or Kool Stop pads = My 190lb fat butt coming to hault in a big hurry.

I did not experience the same braking power with this same setup using DA Levers. Although I did not set up those brakes, so the problem could have been the set up.

I am just not a fan of the DA hood/lever position regardless of the brakes they are attached to.

One of my bikes has Cane Creek levers and Sora calipers with Kool Stops. I can lock them up from the hoods. It's the Kool Stops, baby.

koolstops = more stopping power

I highly recommend KoolStop pads- I have the orange/black pads on crappy Tectro calipers on my road bike and the stopping power is fantastic.

I don't even know what pads I have on either bike. But the Tektro lever/brakes stop way better than my Dura Ace lever/brakes. But I know it's a pad thing, and not mechanical.

swissstop pwns koolstop.

swissstop pwns koolstop.

Yeah, that. I think. I've never used KoolStops, but I've got the Green Flash Swissstop's on a couple bikes and they are absolutely da bomb. I've never thought that there was too much difference between many equipment options -- for example, it doesn't matter what chain I use, they all feel the same to me -- but switching from black Shimano pads to the Swissstops was an utter revelation.

Swiss stops are nice too. Big fan.

as a buddy likes to say, racin bike are fer goin, not stoppin

.

as a buddy likes to say, racin bike are fer goin, not stoppin

.

Can't hold your speed as late just before a turn if you have $hit brakes.

It's a bell shaped curve. Really cheap brakes stop poorly (e.g. Tektro) Expensive brakes (e.g. Dura Ace) stop well. Really expensive brakes (e.g. Zero Gravity) stop poorly.

Is it bash Zero Gravity time again? In my experience, Zero Gravity brakes work great, and with SwissStop pads they are amazing.

Oh yeah, SwissStop on carbon rims are the bomb. KoolStop on carbon rims are the suck.

Is it bash Zero Gravity time again? In my experience, Zero Gravity brakes work great, and with SwissStop pads they are amazing.

Yep, I agree. They are easy to center with a 13mm cone wrench too. That was really the only trouble I ever had. I'm only selling mine because I just want Red brakes to complete my group. I prefer the feel of SRAM brakes to Zero G but the 07-Ti calipers are fantastic nonetheless!

And my Tektro brakes sucked, even with KoolStop pads.

I don't doubt that ZG brakes properly set up and with good pads brake acceptably, but I also doubt that anybody buys them because they think it will upgrade their braking performance.

I don't doubt that ZG brakes properly set up and with good pads brake acceptably, but I also doubt that anybody buys them because they think it will upgrade their braking performance.

Ah, but you said that OG's "stop poorly". I do not claim that they are any better than Dura-Ace; the extra cost is purely weight savings. But they do not stop poorly. period.

great amounts of info!! thanks guys!

I figure that I vacillate between 178 and 185 lbs., and if Zero G stops me more than adequately, they'll probably be great for more than 90% of cyclists. I got them to get my bike under 16 lbs. They are light and stop well.

Ah, but you said that OG's "stop poorly". I do not claim that they are any better than Dura-Ace; the extra cost is purely weight savings. But they do not stop poorly. period.

My assertion was they're not as effective as D/A. From all the accounts I've heard, they're close to as effective with the right pads and set up, and potentially much worse without the right pads and setup.

"Stop poorly" may have been a poor choice of words. But I think there's a pretty decent case to be made that D/A brakes stop better than uber light, uber expensive brakes. So i'd stand by my bell shaped curve analysis that at a certain point braking performance drops off with increeased price, as the focus swithces to weight rather than stopping power.

coming from my mountain bike (which had regular alum specialized linear pull brakes) , my roadie with its stock Ultralights are quite weak. i can practically throw myself off my mountain bike whereas my roadie i cant (not that i would wanna).
Apple and Oranges.

With a MTB, u need strong brakes. A RB, if u have the need to use the brakes this often you are doing something wrong. Don't take your RB to the Slickrocks!

Apple and Oranges.

With a MTB, u need strong brakes. A RB, if u have the need to use the brakes this often you are doing something wrong. Don't take your RB to the Slickrocks!

Have you heard of cars and traffic? I want the ability to stop my road bike as fast as possible when a car pulls out in front of me, oblivious to my presence.

Have you heard of cars and traffic? I want the ability to stop my road bike as fast as possible when a car pulls out in front of me, oblivious to my presence.
That sounds more like a commuter bike then.

That sounds more like a commuter bike then.

multiple bikes = rich people.
me = eating out of trash cans every end of the month

i ride my road bike through the city, up them hills, wherever thats not rocky. so yes i do use my brakes alot, otherwise ill get totally owned in intersections.

I have to dissagree. I ride Zero Gravity (I came from Campy Record dual pivot) with Campy Record Levers and I can send myself over the handlebars if I'm not careful with the modulation. I think that those that say ZG's lack stopping power have them set up poorly.

(although when I had them hooked to a DA lever I had to use more hand strength, but IMHO this is because of the poor design of the DA hood/lever position)

I have to disagree, I have the 07' zero grav's and with swisstop pads, a perfect setup, and carbon wheels, it's downright scary in the wet.
I'm talking a good 500ft to stop at 35mph in the rain.

If regular shimano (or whatever group you have) pads were that dangerous/risky, wouldn't there be a recall or something similar?

Having both a high end (for Tektro) set of 700 series Tektro dual pivot calipers and a set of Dura Ace dual pivot calipers, I suspect there is a very little difference in mechanical advantage and efficiency between the two models of dual pivot calipers. On another note, I believe Tektro makes the Cane Creek calipers and Cannondale calipers. I have even read here on bike forums that Tektro makes the Shimano calipers as well, but have never really confirmed that to my satisfaction.

Anyway, before upgrading from a mid range, dual pivot caliper to a more expensive dual pivot caliper to try to improve stopping power, I would first look at changing/adjusting pads, fine tuning cable routing and making sure I have a good, low friction cable/housing combination if I was having a problem. JMO.

I have had DA and Campy Record but nothing compares to Mavic SSC brakes for shear stopping power..

They don't have a quick release so they are better if used with campy levers but will work ok with shimano..


I purchased the Mavic SSC brakes for my Fuso build. They really are beyond ridiculous in the amount of stopping power. The leaf spring makes a substantial difference, you can feel it just squeezing the lever while the bike is stationary. Anyone can go flying over the bars from most any brakes, it's just with the Mavic brakes you can from using a pinky finger on the lever. There is no comparison between them and the Skeleton Chorus brakes on my PF RS or the Ultegras that I used on a Trek 5200. They are not cheap but not outrageous either.

Perhaps more expensive brake pads = more stopping power.

SwissStop are amazing.

Dura Ace levers attached to Dura Ace brakes work beautifully. Can lock both wheels easily with 2 fingers, and modulate them anywher short of that.

+1
Plus D-A pads are pretty good, as opposed to ultegra pads which are way too prone to carbonizing on hard braking. With good pads the main difference IMO is in lever design, the caliper itself seems to work the same to me. 105 works fine too, but is more uneven under hard braking and somewhat more prone to locking up.

Late last fall I rolled downhill past a couple of guys on mountain bikes who looked like Bolinas-Fairfax road was their big adventure of the year, and they shout out at me that riding so fast on such a steep, twisty road with 'those brakes' was dangerous. Yeah, my little D-A brakes and Ksyrium ES clinchers with GP4000S tires won't stop this 160lb rider from a fairly mundane 35-40 mph, but their budget V-brakes and knobbies on pavement will stop what must have been well over 200 lbs. Maybe 250 lbs with bikes and backpacks. :rolleyes: