OK, time to 'fess up. I've had a road bike now for last few months and really enjoying it. either quick rides out or on the commmuting run. However the brakes are crap....15stone of 'highly tuned althete' I can stop on a dry road on the flat or uphill, but any moisture or gradient and I fear for my life, esp on the commute into Brum city centre. I know I'm spolit coming from 205mm discs on my MTB's ( even the commute MTB has 185 / 165 discs.)
Bike is a trek 2.1 with stock unbranded dual-pivot brakes. I know changing the pads would help, but is it worth going for 105 calipers? Or just a case of BTFU.
Cheers.
Been contemplating the same myself recently, the Sora's on my Giant are totally underwhelming.
General consensus when I asked is the pads are the most important bits. Cheap brakes come with cheap nasty pads, expensive brakes with much better pads. Comparing say 105/Ultegra/Dura Ace with lower end calipers I think really you're paying for a bit less weight, a nicer finish, and probably longer lasting pivots etc. I don't think you're getting any more power sadly.
The first step is to adjust all the clearances right down.
The next is to clean everything up, GT85 on the pivots, clean the pads up with detergent and some fine sandpaper, then do the same with the rims. New cables if needed.
If that doesn't sort it, try different pads. And if that doesn't work, get better brake calipers.
I'd definitely be looking at the pads first. I've got some cheap and nasty tektro calipers on my commuter which were awful with the original pads. I've just replaced them with koolstop blacks and it's made a huge difference. I run koolstop pads on all of my road bikes and can't recommend them highly enough.
try new pads but cheap calipers can be really poor (not soras IME) - as can cables
Can we just check, are you braking from the hoods? if so move to the drops for downhills, much more braking power/control down there. Also, are you getting enough 'throw' on the brakes before they bite? the dual pivot bit works on mechanical leverage and setting them up to bite very early means your losing a lot of power there too. Having said that, crap pads are crap pads and replacement should cost under £10 and will likely fit any brakes you buy in the future so there is no reason not to try some...
I moved from tekatro brakes to campag centaur, and the difference was massive. might have been pads, but they are soooo much better
Stato, braking on the drops for the downhills. would say pads are 3mm or so off the rim before lever is touched.
lever moves about 1/3 of available travel before brakes are on, ie, wheel will not move when bike is stationary with me trying to push bike.
Will give the new pads a go and see what happens.
Once you've got the brakes more powerful through some of the reasons suggested, consider fatter and/or stickier tyres. I'm only 11st and I notices the extra stability of 25c over 23.
Once you've got the brakes more powerful through some of the reasons suggested, consider fatter and/or stickier tyres.
I'll consider that when I can skid the front wheel under braking 🙄
would say pads are 3mm or so off the rim before lever is touched.
Move them in at least another 1mm. If the pads are rubbing get your wheels trued.
Then try some pukka stock Shimano pads. IMHO the likes of Swissstop which you may be recommended aren't worth it.
Clean and lube them, get yourself some Swiss stop green pads and you'll be sorted. My SRAM rival brakes struggled like yours at first but now lock up on demand.
They're certainly capable of stopping my weight and I'm heavier that the op
New pads. Sora calipers used to be ok.
Shimano Ultegra/Durace pads are great.
I've got Tektro Quartz brakes on my roadie with koolstop pads and they can stop easily and slow me with no scary moments from over 40mph into peaks bends
to the OP Save money all round, stick with stock pads and lay off the pies fatty 😀
I've got 105 calipers on the Allez (upgraded from Tiagra, which seized solid after 3 months) are both are utter toss frankly, particularly in the wet. The Dura Ace (7800) calipers on the Madone are absolutely superb. Still cost less than one decent MTB brake, I'd just upgrade once you've tried cleaning everything, pads, cables etc will help, but only marginally!
+1 Swisstop Greens.
Wet weather braking is as reliable as dry.
MM
I've got 105 calipers on the Allez (upgraded from Tiagra, which seized solid after 3 months) are both are utter toss frankly, particularly in the wet. The Dura Ace (7800) calipers on the Madone are absolutely superb.
Same pads? Same rims? Because the geometry of both is the same and there's more metal in the 105s, so they should actually be stiffer. If it's not the pads making the difference it's almost certainly the rims. I have RX100 (the level below 105 - what's now Tiagra?) brakes on my "winter" bike - which is what I'm doing most of my mileage on transporting kids round at the moment - and they work just fine to stop me and another 15kg of trailer.
I have a few roadbikes and the non branded/tektro dual pivot calipers are fine, even compared to 105 or Ultegra. The main difference is the spring tension, so they "feel" different, but when set up properly, they all work very well.
Get Ultegra brake blocks (about 8 quid a pair at CRC) and they'll be as good as you need. I tend to change them if they're a couple of years old too - they harden and loose their effectiveness.
Koolstop salmons are excellent in the wet and don't eat your rims like all the Shimano compounds. If you have shimano pads have a look at the contact surface.. there will be shards of alloy(from your rim) embedded in there... not good for your rims at all. 😕
I have recently swapped to [url= http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=55815 ]these[/url] and found them to be good in both the dry and wet and provide plenty of power from the hoods. They are much better than what was on there and i only have tektro dual pivots.
IMO Brake levers make a huge difference. I recently upgraded from sora plastic levers to 105 after trying loads to sort out the braking. Instant improvement.
new pads, minimal gap twixt rim and pads, clean working calipers etc all as suggested and make sure you are adapting your riding to the prevailing conditions, I know it's obvious but it takes longer to stop in the rain. If the brakes work fine in the dry maybe they are working as fine as they can in the wet just need a little more stopping distance, like car brakes i the wet.
I find tiagra, 105 and cenaruar all to be perfectly capable of stopping a road bike in the wet if they're set up properly with decent pads, never felt the need to upgrade to dura ace on a number of road and race bikes
ok, rechecked the rim clearance, was 1.5mm each side from rim to pads. Cleaned + sandpapered the rims/ current pads, no real difference so will do the new pads next..
so far in the thread we have Koolstop salmon, Shimano ulterga/Durace, Swisstop green and The Clarks triple compound as reccomended..
cheers for your help peeps.
Shimano get the most votes though.
Nah KS salmons all the way, as said before they don't eat your rims,
aracer - Member
Once you've got the brakes more powerful through some of the reasons suggested, consider fatter and/or stickier tyres.I'll consider that when I can skid the front wheel under braking
I can do that in the wet, and the OP said that he fears for his life in the wet, hence he would probably appreciate more grip to brake and corner, especially when commuting. I'm sure you know that all about the benefits and drawbacks of bigger tyres, although I'm not sure why you are rolling eyes at my suggestion or giving an opinion on behalf of the guy I was responding to.
One winter of rim brakes was enough for me:
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would say pads are 3mm or so off the rim before lever is touched.
That's WAY too far imho. They are pretty much having to call a taxi to the rim before anything happens.
pads pads pads pads pads pads pads
Koolstops dual compound are the bees knees. Swisstop green are a bit better but much more expensive.
0.clean your rims.
2.fit vee brake pads.
1. make sure cable routing is as good as can be.
3.fit wider tyres.lower pressure-more grip.better braking.
I've got OE 105s....don't rate them...nor do I rate road bikes in general
billyboy,invest a bit of love in both and you will.
I do a fair bit of riding in the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Dolomites. I have no problem having brake blocks sitting about 3mm from the rims. But then I'm only braking from 60mph into a hairpin so its not really the same. Just change the pads and see how you get on.
nor do I rate road bikes in general
That does seem to be a common theme amongst those who complain about road bike brakes.
Finally got round to putting the new pads in today, went for the clarks as reccomended by owenfackrell. A quick spin round the block after heavy rain was a revelation!! Pulled the front lever and endo'd the bike!!
Happy days! Might keep the road bike on commuting duties for a bit longer until the really crap weather kicks in.
Cheers all.