Pistard

My Road bike came with Tektro brakes, I really like to just chuck them for a better set, any suggestions?

BentLink

I'm kind of fond of Tektro brakes. I also like my Campy brakes, but they need a quick release at the lever. I salivate a little when I look at TRPs...never used them, but they win my design vote.

Bianchigirll 

Why? Is there something wrong with them? What kind of bike?

I haven't personally used them but tons of people are very fond of them. Are you haveing a stopping issue? Or do you just not like the idea of not having Shipmano brakes on your bike?

Chris Chicago

tektros usually looks so similar to shimanos i wonder if they are manufactured in the same building

xenologer

Shimano 105 or better.

Bianchigirll 

Why?

Davet

Is there something you don't care for regarding your Tektro brakes or is it a perceived lack of stopping power? If the latter, it will be cheap and easy to install a set of the correct Kool Stop salmon brake pads which should improve that facet of your brakes immensely.

lostarchitect 

Which Tektro brakes? Got a photo? In my experience Tektro brakes function as well as Shimano and Campagnolo. Changing pads will make a larger difference than changing calipers. Now, if you want brakes that weigh less you have options, but you will be spending a lot of money.

surreal

FWIW, there are very nice Tektros and there are crappy tektros. A few years back, "Bicycling" magazine would dis any bike with Tektro brakes in their reviews. Or, more accurately, they would dis the brakes on any bike that came equipped with Tektros.... I guess they hadn't sprung for any ads.

If your Tektros are, in fact, turds, you can totally swap them with ease. Just make sure you get the proper reach, and that they'll mount up with your bike (I'm guessing they're short-reach 39-49mm, with recessed mounting nuts...but measure/investigate before you order anything.)

As for recommendations for the replacements: I'd get pretty much anything Shimano, or nicer Tektros. I've never been able to forgive Campy for having single-pivot brakes, but some ppl can tune them just fine,

calstar 

I believe TRP stands for Tektro Racing Products. How much different is the performance of a TRP compared to a plain old Tektro of similar design, anyone know? Seems like it would not be that difficult to set up test (i.e. mechanical testing without physical rider input) where the"high priced spread" brakes were compared to the more pedestrian models. I'm not trying to change this thread's direction, just posing the question in general.

thanks, Brian

Andrew R Stewart 

Brakes are just a simple set of levers. So given the same dimensions (and most side pull calipers of the same reach have pretty much the same arm lengths) working differences are in set up and pads. The pad contribution has been discussed too many times for me to add more but the caliper set up is not frequently talked about. Here i really mean how the pivots and the slop the arms have on them are dersined/lubed/designed. I see MANY low cost side pulls (OK you might call them dual pivots, but the cable still enters the caliper on the side) with loose pivots with badly grimed/rusted up ones. Some of the designs don't allow a fine adjustment to the slop with out binding up the arm's movement.

With good cables/casings (and their routing), good pads and a well lubed and adjusted caliper a low cost brake will preform as nice as a brand name one. But if the low cost one can't be serviced and adjusted (I mean the pivots in this case, not the pad position and cable tension) well then by all means replace it with one that can. Andy.

FastJake

What specifically are you looking for in a "better" set?

- Lighter: I'm sure there are lots of choices. Expect to spend a lot.
- Better stopping power: make sure they're setup correctly and get Kool Stop pads. Nothing wrong with Tektro calipers.
- Snob appeal: this one needs no explanation.

BentLink

i didn't realize that, but a quick peek at the fine print on trpbrakes.com confirms. Still, Tektro doesn't have the stout CNC looks. My Tektros stop me just fine, and for way less than those TRPs.

Chris Chicago

https://trpbrakes.com/category.php?pr...d=183&subcat=0

wow. tektro going after the upper end of the market. so far up I wasnt aware it existed

Altbark

R540s on the bike I built. Work and look great. Al

FastJake

Holy crap. Not sure why those cost $600/wheel, my Dura Ace dual pivots weigh less without pads, a bit more with (didn't see whether the weight on those TRPs were with or without.)

Dave Mayer

Ummm.. I have several sets of Tektro road brakes, as well as several Campy and Shimano sets. Given that dual-pivot road brakes are very simple machines that pretty much have the same geometry regardless of the maker and model, I don't know what you're going to gain here. The high-end brakes are certainly lighter, and are generally set up better, but the differences are very small. Actually, because the high-end brakes are very much designed for low weight, I think that they are somewhat more flexy than the cheap models.

Some of the best brakes I've ever used are the Shimano RX100 and RSX models from about 20 years ago. Cheap and beefy.

One key benefit of the higher-end brakes are that they are cold-forged, and so are stronger. The low-end stuff is CNC machined, a sign of a small poor-boy manufacturer.

More advice: alu parts should be clear-anodized (silver) so it makes it easier to check for defects. The cheap stuff is colored in an attempt to add some bling to an inferior product. The really cheap stuff is painted.

dsaul

+1 on the Kool Stop salmon pads. The stock Tektro pads are as effective as pushing a block of wood against your rim. I replaced the stock pads on my R540's with Kool Stops and there is a world of difference in stopping power.

HillRider

+1 I have three different sets of Shimano DP brakes, one Dura Ace and two Ultegras, and one set of newer Tektro R539 and if there is a difference in performance (given the same pads) it's lost on me. The lever feel is similar and the bikes all stop just fine. The Tektros require a bit more effort because they are long reach but there is no flex or other defects.

I expect low end brake parts are cast, not CNC machined, particularly the mass-market stuff. CNC machines are expensive and relatively slow so they tend to be used for boutique stuff. Also, paint isn't always used to hide low quality. My two sets of 6400 Ultegra brakes are painted and I don't think Shimano did it to hide poor quality.

Grand Bois

Even the very cheapest of Tektros, the 800A's are excellent stoppers. They're just not finished as well as their more expensive models. I put them on my beater because I needed sidepulls with cable attachment on the opposite side from most other sidepulls. They're kind of ugly, but so is the rest of the bike. It's a theft deterrent.

fietsbob

What brake do you have, specifically? what did you pay for the Bike, if it's part of a low price point bike ,
I dont see the issue.
Get better, like, Koolstop Pads and that will make a big difference.

FWIW, Magura has re introduced the Hydraulic rim brake for road bikes, looks more aero
than the double acting slave cylinder, dual pivot they used to make..

the ones mounting on V posts work really well.