I've been thinking of upgrading my brakes from the crappy stock tektro ones, as it seems like I almost get hit by a car on every ride. On my rides, I descend through a residential neighborhood with pretty steep roads, and I often have trouble completely stopping at stop signs/lights. This coupled with drivers who don't like to wait for cyclists makes for a panicking me.
I am assuming these brakes and better pads will result in better performance. Are there any specific brakes I should look for? Weight (and to a lesser degree, money) is not a factor.

I found a pair of new 105 brakes -pads included- on CL. How much should I be expecting to pay? asking is $75.

IDK why.

However, I personally would NOT want to buy "brakes" off of CL...

I would much prefer to go to a LBS for something that important. I mean if anything goes wrong, who do you take it up with...CL, the seller...That could get dicey!

Just call up Mikes Bikes and ask them about the most appropriate brakes for your bike. Then just go pick 'em up!

- Slim

The best thing you can for your current set up is KoolStop salmon pads, will increase stopping power dramatically.

What he said ^^^.

The Tektro calipers are not bad but they're supplied with crappy pads.

It's not the brakes.......

+1.
They made a world of difference on my Cane Creek Sc-3 brakes that came stock on my bike

Although better pads should always be the first equipment upgrade, I agree -- there's no reason to be trying to break speed records and use such heavy late braking in a neighborhood with signed intersections.

OP, quit riding so fast around there. Find another route to ride faster.

Slow down in that area if you know there is danger ahead and the capability of your brakes..

But I am really amazed by the stopping power of my Ultegra 6700 brakes...

Proper brake setup can make a huge difference. I think that the Shimano 7900 pads are superior to Koolstops.

I paid $75 + tax for ultegras at an LBS just recently, but they also charged a bit for installation.

I do think though that you're giving your Tektro brakes a bad rap. My road bike is a stock Giant Defy3 with Tektro brakes. The pads that the brakes came with were not great - it wasn't that they didn't stop well, but they wore down extremely rapidly.

For $10, you can swamp out the pads (it's super easy) to something like KoolStop or DuraAce and it'll give all the braking you can get. (The cheap brakes weigh more than the pricey stuff, but grip just as well - it's just a cable that your finger pulls, it's not like the Dura Ace brake generates more force on its own.)

My TT bike is the one I replaced the front brake on to ultegra. I did not replace it because I was upgrading - I only replaced it because I sweat so much on it last year during indoor training (before getting a custom bike thong for TT bikes, as the regular bike thong didn't fully cover the front) that I completely corroded it and it wouldn't even budge.

Of course, if you like new shiny things, a brakeset is not a particularly expensive part of the bike (unlike shifters and cranks) so go for it.

I agree with replacing pads before getting new brakes. But your description makes me wonder if your's are even adjusted correctly. I've used dual pivot tektros and nashbar brakes (which are probably tektros too) with stock pads and when set up correctly I could lock up the wheel. Modulation was not good, though. I do have some shimano single pivots on an old bike that have trouble getting enough force to lock up when it's steep, not that I'm trying to but I like to get maximum usable force. So yes to Kool Stop or Swiss stop pads but also make sure your cables are tight enough and your shoes are properly angled.

I bought an essentially new Ultegra 6600 set for 40 dollars off craigslist. The guy had a Mikkelsen and Tarmac SL2 in his garage where he just upgraded to full 6700. I would trust myself over Mikes Bike any day. It's easy enough to know if a brake is going to work or not, just squeeze the darn thing. The problem with the Tektro is that the brake pads suck majorly. I do prefer the modulation of the Ultegra, though, very well built

Thanks for the replies.

I was looking on amazon and there are so many koolstop salmon pads - I have no idea which one to get.
I looked at my brakes (Tektro R580) and there isn't a place for the huge bolt thing that comes out of many of the pads in the pictures.

I went to Mikes Bikes a couple of weeks ago for a cable swap and they didn't have any salmon koolstops - or any koolstops for that matter.

In a panic stop, like the one I had yesterday when Mr. squirrel decided to dash in front of me, Dura-Ace are tops.

Those are mountain bike pads. You want these https://sheldonbrown.com/harris/brakeshoes.html#dura
But like I said, the 7900 pads are even better: https://www.performancebike.com/bikes..._1078025_-1___

You should be able to get 7900 pads from any bike store.

Whatever pads you get, make sure the brakes are set up correctly. The pads should contact the rims at about 1/2 the lever travel or a little less. Both pads should hit the rim at the same time. Clamp on the brake and look at how the pads sit on the rim. They should be in the middle of the brake track, and the pad surface should hit the rim squarely, not at an angle.
Last, set the pads up to be toed in just a little. I do that by positioning the pads, then clamping the brake on with a business card under the back edge of the pad. Loosen the fixing bolt, let the pad move, and then tighten the bolt again. If you do it right you should have a very slight toe in.

Where in Palo Alto are you finding steep descents?

Just get the Dura-Ace pads, then. $10 on Amazon. Done. Work great. They are an order of magnitude better than the crappy pads that come stock on Tektro brakes.

Thanks.
I'll try the 7900 pads.

I'm in Los Altos Hills - the main one I'm worried about: the road that the Palo Alto Hills Country Club is located (Alexis drive) is pretty steep with a stop sign at the bottom and no stop sign for the cars on Page Mill, which is the intersecting street. If you go deeper in LAH - past 280 there are some steep roads but less traffic.

I didn't like the Tektro brakes that came on my Allez either. Even if the calipers worked ok, the barrel adjusters sucked and the pads sucked worse. So I got a set of SRAM Apex brakes. $60 for the pair and they come with Swiss Stop pads. I couldn't be happier.

If your Tektros don't have that little screw that holds the pads in, you're not going to be able to use most replacement pads without buying the shoes as well. Kool Stop has a set that comes with shoes and 2 sets of pads (one black, one mixed).

Don't bother. They'll make more squirrels.

He did it wrong. You have to bunny hop and come down on their neck with your back wheel.

That's a pricey zip code. Either you or your folks make some good bucks.

I haven't been up/down Alexis, but I'm positive your Tektro brakes + DA will be more than adequate. If you want some serious brake-testing descents, try the Bohlman/On Orbit descent in Saratoga. A good stretch of 20% and a whole lot of twisty 10-15% to burn off your brake pads. Climbing it is lethal as well.