Gege-Bubu

What makes caliper brakes good? Just the weight?
I understand the stopping power is mostly the pads, right?

I have a set of older DA calipers and compare to another set I have Tektro, the DA are more adjustable.
Can you recommend a set of caliper for new built, I have heard good things about planet X calipers, but should they be $100?
Thanks!

Marcus_Ti

There are different kinds of caliper rim brakes...As is often Sheldon Brown explains it pretty well:

Installing and Adjusting Caliper Brakes

Are you running a Shimano or Campy group? I figure Shimano since you say you dave some DA calipers lying around...

Price is in the weight and the quality, also in how good the action is...any well adjusted brake should be able to lock your wheel, the question is how much gradual control you have to get there.

dr_lha

Ultegra 6800 calipers are excellent, I hear the 5800 versions are too.

Gege-Bubu

Thanks
I will not argue, since I have not used them, but 7900 has adjustment bolt that will help to center the calipers. As I can see on the pictures 5800/6800 there is no such adjustment. Having extra option for adjustment will make the proper installation much easier.

Ayers

The 6800 calipers do have the centering adjustment screw. I got mine from Merlin for 85 dollars delivered, both front and rear.

Instructions for Ultegra BR-6800 caliper set....

https://si.shimano.com/php/download.p...003-02-ENG.pdf

dtrain

paired with what STIs? ...7900?

Lazyass

How are they more adjustable?

Ayers

Mine are paired with 5700 STI's. I built my Cannondale from a bare frame and collected stuff by buying cheap from Merlin and Ribble. My wheels were 10 speed so that's the direction I went rather than 5800 series.

In the document I linked in my post above, there is a chart that shows what STI's are compatible with the 6800 calipers. I should say "Shimano certified compatible" since many folks have used non recommended levers and had acceptable results too.

ST-9070
ST-9071
ST-9000
ST-6800
ST-5700
ST-4600
ST-3500
ST-2400
ST-R460
ST-R353
ST-R350

dtrain

Yeah, I have 5800 calipers on both my bikes. One bike is full 5800, the other is 5700 (besides the calipers). The braking is pretty solid on both - but has a nicer feel with the 5800 STIs and polymer cables. Still, the set that is paired with the 5700 is still much better than the Tektros it replaced.

Previously, I ran 5500 and 6600 brakes with Kool Stop pads. 5800/6800 pads seem better then Shimano's previous efforts. The super SLR vs. SLR stuff seems overblown. But why not match it up if you can?

trailflow1

You can centre the brakes quite easily by the main attachment bolt that goes through the fork. The 9000,6800,5800 calipers do have an adjustment bolt aswell.
Watch this video from 1:20 to get a better idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku6Y5XSpjFI

Gege-Bubu

DA have Centeringadjustment bolt but the Tektros do not have it.

Gege-Bubu

Thanks for the video link, I always set and adjust my calipers by the main bolt, but it is just easier to have extra adjustment bolt for minor tweaks.

dr_lha

It's trivially easy to centre 6800 calipers. However they come with an centering bolt, I just never needed to use it.

BoSoxYacht

I concur.

I liked my old 7800 calipers, but the new 6800/5800 calipers feel much better. Some of that could be the decade of wear on my old DA calipers, but the difference is noticeable.

The Planet X calipers are lighter, but I doubt they work as well.

Lazyass

Ah. I've personally never used that to adjust calipers.

hueyhoolihan

for the most part, the rigidity of the arms that hold the pads is what makes a good caliper brake, IME. thin, flimsy arms, and a lack of secure attachment points on the frame, can cause addition lever travel per braking force. meaning the caliper must be, among other things, adjusted closer to the rim. it can also promote squealing. i've found single-pivot caliper brakes from reputable manufacturers adequate.

BoSoxYacht

I've used the adjustment screw, but it's not really a big advantage.

Rook24V

Easiest trick to adjusting the centering of the calipers:
Slightly loosen the caliper mounting bolt, to allow the caliper to rotate slightly, if stiffly. Center it as best as you can visually, then squeeze the brake lever. Tighten the bolt. Release lever, caliper stays centered.
(did this yesterday on my 6800 caliper)

dtrain

5800's are ridiculously cheap at Ribble with the 10% off. Under $45, but you have to spend more to qualify for the 10% (and free shipping). Maybe get two pairs and flip one?

BoSoxYacht

Or just get some tires. It's hard to beat UK tire prices, and you can never have too many tires.

dtrain

^ 5800 pedals are <$62.

Bunyanderman

eebrakes
New 2015 eebrake front/rear pair | eecycleworks

Deontologist

Even cheap caliper brakes are good. I am using the caliper brakes that came stock on a Bikes Direct bike. They are so cheap that the BD website doesn't even bother calling out the brand name of the brakes or their model number.

Only after I swapped out pads did I realize they were Promax calipers. To give you a sense of where Promax lies in the bike parts hierarchy ... these are the same brakes that appear on Wal-Mart bikes. Such as the GMC Denali road bike. Even Tektro is a step-up - at least in terms of price.

So ... they suck right? No! Not after I swapped out the pads! And applied some proper braking technique.

I accidentally ordered some XLC brand pads which were a little more than 2 dollars a pad (about 9 dollars for 4 pads). I meant to order the gold standard, Kool Stops, but I made a mistake and ended up with the XLC pads.

I have been using the XLC pads for a week with absolutely no issues. Bite was increased SIGNIFICANTLY over the cheap stock Promax brake pads. Sure, the caliper itself might be heavier than Shimano's cream-of-the-crop and the arms might be a bit flexier, but I sure hell am satisfied with the braking performance as is. I ride fast in city traffic and I weigh 185 pounds, and I often am hauling stuff around in my backpack. I've never had any issues with not being able to stop in time. I also have another bike with Tektro calipers and Kool Stop pads ... there's really not a significant difference between the two in terms of stopping power.

Also I almost exclusively use the front brake. Using only the front brake gives you maximum stopping power.

Gege-Bubu

))))) Thanks, but no, thanks )))))

Gege-Bubu

Thanks, I got to try it!