I’ve got a Triban 3, and I’ve swapped the brakes for 105 calipers (model 5700 if memory serves). The pads are triple compound ones. It’s got a 2300 groupset on it, which has the levers with little shifter buttons rather than a second swing lever behind the brake lever. All the pad clearances are fag paper tight.

Anyway, I hired a Felt Z85 whilst I was on holiday, and it had 105 levers with no name calipers. The pad clearances were pretty big, but the brakes seemed to work a lot better than mine. Braking from the hoods was a lot easier.

Is there something simple about road brake setup that I’m missing, or do I need to start looking at my pads and levers? Or have road calipers just got better since 5700 was current?

“All the pad clearances are fag paper tight.”

thats your issue right there.

road brake levers need movement in them so you can get a hold of them and give good modulation.

Or have road calipers just got better since 5700 was current?

Shimano changed the pull ratio on 5700 – it may be that your levers aren’t moving the right amount of cable for the calipers you have.

road brake levers need movement in them so you can get a hold of them and give good modulation.

This definitely helps when on the hoods. My levers just about touch the bars if I pull them tight. It used to murder my fingers before I realised this.

Pads will help again.

Right, looks like it’s time to loosen a few cables! One thing I did notice was how much easier it was to brake on the hoods and how I wasn’t having to stretch my fingers half to death. Feeling a bit thick now 😆

What is with everyone dissing road brakes, I have to slacken mine(105) to avoid skiddage and such.

Op- clean the rims, clean the blocks, as much movement in the lever as possible without it hitting the bar. Set the brakes up so the block is slighlty pointing in towards the front and all of the pad meets the braking surface.

Four words are all that is required here, as follows:

Sheldon Brown – Mechanical Advantage

http://sheldonbrown.com/calipers.html

Read and learn and go forth and spread the good word, for Sheldon lived and told us everything we need to know (and then some) and his word lives on into the lifetimes of our children and our children’s children (and our children’s children’s children). Herendethelesson.

Bit of a hijack, anyone recommend a good brake pad for Ultegra brakes, my pads are coming to the end of their life, Swiss Stop black? (for alloy rims)

Swissstop green flash – the bestest by far.

Swisstop Green have always worked well for me, even when I was over 18 stone!