Rubbish brakes

[Xiorell]

The tektro brakes on my road bike are a bit cack, need a big handful to stop!
New pads or go the whole hog and replace the calipers with 105s or something (which I was gonna do last year it didn't)

 

[tyred]

Clean the rims and pads first. Look to fit better pads. Koolstops seem to be recommended although I haven't used them myself.

It also depends on what you are comparing them to. Caliper brakes will never compete with disks, Vs or decently set up cantis.

Despite what some will probably say, I honestly don't believe there is much difference between different calipers. The leverage is a function of the reach, the longer the reach the poorer the brake, no matter who made them.

Also make sure your cables are free and work a little light oil into the brake lever and caliper pivots.

 

[Xiorell]

Ah the rims are spotless, cables etc all mint
That's a point, seems to be a load of different koolstops ( green yellow pink etc) what are gonna do the best for general riding (bit of everything from commute to bombing down hill)

 

[BSRU]

I have black koolstops on my road bike but it never goes out in the rain, great stopping power when it's dry but completely crap in the wet, including when it's foggy.
On my all weather bike I use koolstop salmons, great in the dry and wet.

 

[Alun]

It also depends on what you are comparing them to. Caliper brakes will never compete with disks, Vs or decently set up cantis.

I've found dual pivot calipers to be on a par with v brakes, and far better than cantis (wide or narrow) in all respects.

 

[Xiorell]

The v brakes on my old hybrid were pretty awesome really. These road bike brakes just seem like they should be slowing me down more than they are, the levers travel right and the pads contact the wheel as I feel they should they just don't stop fast enough

I'll try to track down some salmons then (eBay?) before swapping the whole calipers

 

[Mr Celine]

I replaced the tektro front caliper on my roubaix last year with a 105. It made a huge difference, but still not a patch on v brakes as I've just reminded myself the scary way on the first fast downhill since getting the roubaix out for the summer.

The tektro pads were rubbish and the caliper seemed to be made of something flexible like rhubarb. The rear one was adequate so I didn't bother upgrading that.

 

[biggs682]

you ought to try my old steel rimmed equipped Phillips with old centre pull brakes in the wet or damp , then you can comment on poor brakes

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I've got Tektro calipers on my fixed, Pearson, and although they work well enough they are nothing special, even with Koolstop salmons fitted. My geared bike, Verenti Kilmeston, has SRAM Rival calipers on it and are noticeably better than the Tektro ones, I've got Salmons on the geared bike as well.

 

[ushills]

Go for the salmons, added them to my bike and breaking is now great!

 

[Deleted member 1258]

you ought to try my old steel rimmed equipped Phillips with old centre pull brakes in the wet or damp , then you can comment on poor brakes

I did a lot of miles on bikes fitted with centre pull brakes, they weren't to bad, we used to fit outer cables made for mopeds. The worst ones were the old side pull brakes, it used to feel that I would be better off putting my foot in the spokes to stop the bike.

 

[Broadside]

The tektro pads were rubbish and the caliper seemed to be made of something flexible like rhubarb. The rear one was adequate so I didn't bother upgrading that.

Aren't front and rear calipers identical, it is just the way they mount to the front fork or rear bridge that makes them different, i.e. just different length bolts? I may be wrong but I think the actual caliper is identical.

 

[Mr Celine]

You need far more stopping power from the front brake than the back. So the tektro calipers are adequate for the back, but not for the front.

 

[Broadside]

Ah I see! I misunderstood in what way they were inadequate.

 

[rb58]

Is it only the brakes that influence stopping power, or is the wheel rim construction also a factor?