Do calipers make that much of a difference or is there something else going on?
08-10-13 | 06:13 PM
#1
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From: MD
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Do calipers make that much of a difference or is there something else going on?
Bike A.
Aluminum brake track
SwissStop GHP2 pads
Sram Red calipers
Bike B.
Aluminum brake track
SwissStop GHP2 pads
FSA Gossamer calipers
Huge difference in stopping Bike A vs Bike B.
Aluminum brake track
SwissStop GHP2 pads
Sram Red calipers
Bike B.
Aluminum brake track
SwissStop GHP2 pads
FSA Gossamer calipers
Huge difference in stopping Bike A vs Bike B.
08-10-13 | 06:16 PM
#2
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From: Ffld Cnty Connecticut
Bikes: Old Steelies I made, Old Cannondales
Could be the angle that the pads hit the rim are different. Also, different brand rims could have different grippines ... not sure.
Also I think different brake levers have different amounts of cable pull, so perhaps the lever/caliper combination could affect braking. In other words, the amount of force required at the lever could vary depending on the calipers. Brake cables, housing & routing affect braking effort also. So, all those little things could add up to a noticable difference.
Also I think different brake levers have different amounts of cable pull, so perhaps the lever/caliper combination could affect braking. In other words, the amount of force required at the lever could vary depending on the calipers. Brake cables, housing & routing affect braking effort also. So, all those little things could add up to a noticable difference.
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Last edited by Homebrew01; 08-10-13 at 06:20 PM.
08-10-13 | 06:18 PM
#3
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I checked the toe on bike B and it looked ok. Calipers are centered. The rims on Bike B are Reynolds Solitude and they are basically new. Edit: Levers are Red on bike A and Force on bike B (although older Force). Routing should be pretty close to as both bikes share the same bar make and size. The only difference is carbon on Bike A and Al on Bike B. But I definitely hear you on the variables, I was just curious Red vs FSA alone in this case was a big difference. I am not gonna go and spend money on new calipers, but might keep it in mind if I see a deal out there.
Last edited by jkuper; 08-10-13 at 06:36 PM.
08-10-13 | 08:02 PM
#4
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From: Houston, TX
Bikes: 1990 Romic Reynolds 531 custom build, Merlin Works CR Ti custom build, super light Workswell 066 custom build
Nah, why would the calipers, the mechanism responsible for transferring the stopping power from your hands to the bike, make any difference? That's just plain silly.
08-11-13 | 03:30 PM
#6
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Assuming an equal and proper setup with pads/rims/cables, the levers will make the biggest difference...given a like caliper design, stiffness will be the biggest variance between the two, but that's a near-negliable factor between the calipers in question.
08-11-13 | 04:05 PM
#8
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From: California
Bikes: Salsa Casseroll
It could be the caliper. I switched from Tektro R536 to Shimano R650 and notice a difference in feel. The Tektro arms you could see flex as you squeeze the caliper, the shimano arms are thicker and flex less, and also have a slight mechanical advantage because the arm where is cable attaches is longer.
08-11-13 | 04:27 PM
#9
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I just checked both front and rear pads. Turns out the fronts had too much toe-in and only about 1/3 of the pad in the front was making any real contact with the rim. Sometimes the answers are obvious but it's always easier to ask the 41, lol!
