nhluhr

I recently got a Giant Rapid 3 to bridge the gap between my trusty mountain bike and carbon road bike for things like riding to the grocery store, commuting, etc.

It's a perfectly modest bike with entry-level components all around. The shifting is best described as clunky and noisy compared to my dura-ace and XT counterparts on my other bikes but I can deal with it.

My main issue is the Tektro R358 Dual Pivot brakes. They have enough stopping power but I can see the arms flex a LOT under braking - enough so that the pads actually swing towards the tire. I can't adjust the pads any lower else they'd be riding off the bottom under lighter braking.

Would a simple upgrade to something like Shimano 105 calipers be beneficial or is this mainly a function of the (presumably) longer arm dual-pivot brake to reach around the 28c hybrid tire?

AdelaaR

If there's one thing you have to trust on your bike it's the brakes.

cranky velocist

30mph + 200 or so pounds is not likely to create enough force snap through an aluminum break arm or break cable manufactured by a reputable company who is wary of lawsuits.

I'm not disparaging better breaks -ever- but you should trust the factory standard, otherwise the bike would be unuseable.