Hi,

Can anyone recommend any long drop brakes? I want to upgrade my brakes on my road bike which is currently fitted with B'Twin own brand, have been looking at Shimano R650 and R451 and wanted to know if anyone owns either and would there be much of a difference between the 2 other than price??

Also, would just changing the pads make that much of a difference? have been looking at these

Clarks 55mm Caliper Brake Shoe | Chain Reaction Cycles

or am i better off just swapping the calipers??

Thanks

R650 calipers are 105/Ultegra level. These are going to be fine brakes.

Get two pair of dual compound or salmon colored pads from Koolstop and it will be about as good as it gets.

Before recommending a particular model, I'd strongly suggest measuring the reach you need. Doing so could save you from buying brakes that won't fit. Not all "long reach" brakes have the same reach.

Some companies' OEM pads are pretty awful. Replacing those with decent pads can make a very noticeable difference. If your bike already has dual-pivot calipers, I'd suggest trying decent pads before springing for new calipers. It's a low-cost, low-effort swap and might just be all you need. Kool-Stop pads are a forum fave and I've had good luck with them myself.

I throw in support for SwissStop pads. I have the SRAM pads which are made by them and after using them a bunch I love them. Certainly Kool Stop Salmons in wet weather are excellent but I have been quite happy with SwissStop and will probably continue using their stuff. As I am writing this I also realize I am using their disc brake pads on my touring bike and so far so good but I haven't had much riding on that due to work being done on it.



Never really been a Clarks fan it seems like entry level repair stuff mostly and with brake pads really being a cheap way to vastly improve braking I wouldn't want to go with entry level on that when you can have some higher quality stuff for not very much.

Hmmm

Ok, so those are "long reach" brakes, and should only be used if standard reach calipers aren't enough.

Looking at those brakes, they resemble older series Shimano brakes (6500/6600)?

https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/q...y-ultegra-spec

With the 6800, Shimano introduced a symmetrical dual pivot. I don't know if that makes much difference, but they are REALLY NICE

So, perhaps they're like Ultegra from a decade or more ago. Unfortunately not the modern 6800/R8000 Ultegra, or corresponding 105 (5800).

As far as pads, I've been really happy with the stock Ultegra 6800 pads, and perhaps they're using those same pads on other brakes.

My latest experiment are some "Lifeline" tri-color shoes from Wiggle.
wiggle.com | LifeLine M955VC V-Brake Shoes and Pads | Rim Brake Pads

So far, they stop well. I've had a couple of screeches, but not too bad, and nothing to worry about. These, of course, are V-Brakes (not specifically intended for road).

Hmmm... their "road" shoes look a lot like the Clark shoes, but half the price.
wiggle.com | LifeLine R470TC Brake Shoes and Pads | Rim Brake Pads

I didn't like the poka-dot pattern on those shoes. I have a fear that they could trap aluminum, sand, and debris, so I avoided those shoes myself.

Thanks for all the replies, will look at upgrading the pads first then as my brakes are dual pivot. Have looked at the Kool Stop and Swissstop, there are so many to choose from can anyone recommend a particular one?? I hardly ever ride in the rain if that helps!?

I prefer black Kool Stop pads.

On my rim brake bikes I have found it is important for good braking to keep the wheels true, minimize the gap between pad and rim an adjust the brake cable for maximum lever travel.

In addition, cables will stretch initially, and then over time, especially at the end of their life. So if the brakes are initially adjusted when the bike is new, or the cable is replace, they will be a little loose after the cable initially stretches. I like to re-adjust a new cable after a few rides. Then, of course over time the pads wear slightly and the cable stretches so that the gap between the rim and brake slowly increases. Occasional minor adjustments are necessary to maintain a small gap.

And after a few years the cables may start to lengthen as the strands begin to brake and more stress is given to the remaining intact strands.

Also a clean, grease-free, dirt-free rim is a better braking surface. And yes, not all pads are created equally.

Finally the angle of the pads make a difference in braking power. Slight toe-in is recommended by most, and the pad faces should be mostly parallel with the rim.

It's all basic stuff, but it all contributes to better braking, and when everything is working I tend to forget about it.