Howdy. I’m currently running basic Shimano ST-2300 levers with Avid BB7 callipers.

A colleague has just brought in a 105 equipped bike (rim brakes) and the lever feel is night and day – simply feels much nicer and lighter to use.

So is the difference in the brake type or the levers, or both? If I were to upgrade the gears to 105 spec would there be a noticable difference in use and feel?

Ta.

when was the last time you oiled/greased/replaced the cables?

Both bikes are new – mine is only two weeks old.

Have you adjusted the cable tension? Might have stretched a bit since you got it – worth playing around with before spending money on new bits.

All my mechanical callipers (bb7 mtb and bb5 road) have been very light to use – I would imagine you have cable routing/friction issues or your brake levers are carp.

hang on, st2300, with bb7’s?

that’s an interesting mix, what bike is it?

I’ve got the Shimano 2300 levers with BB5s – they’re pretty crap despite lots of fiddling! I’d thought of upgrading to the BB7s, but doesn’t sound like they’re much better. Or does it come down to the levers then?

wild guess:

you get 2300 on cheap bikes, there’s a chance the cable-outers are rubbish/feel rubbish.

Rims brakes always feel nice – very little cable outer to get in the way.

I’d suspect maybe a routing or ratty cable issue with yours rather than the levers or calipers.

I’m running 105 levers with BB7’s and very happy with the way they feel…. Having said that, if I were you, I would probably try some new cables on the existing levers before splashing out on replacing them….

I have 2300 levers with rim brakes on one bike and would class the lever feel and ergonomics as very good indeed so I wouldn’t expect that to be the problem. tbh, in terms of the brakinf feel, I can’t imagine what could be changed by going to 105. after all, they must run the same cable pull ratio as they are expected to operate the same range of brakes.

try looking at the cable first, but perhaps the calliper is set up poorly or is a little stiff. try unhooking the cable and moving the calliper’s lever arm by hand. it should be very smooth with a spring-loaded resistance.

Will try the cable replacement route first – thanks for that advice!

The bike is a Jamis Nova Sport – my new commuter. I’ve changed the calipers from the standard Tektro to BB7 roads.

billytinkle – Member

The bike is a Jamis Nova Sport – my new commuter.

they look awesome!