Brakes

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goldielox
Posts: 31
Joined: Sun Feb 16, 2014 3:43 pm

by goldielox

Doing a new road build and wondering what brakes to get, what are thoughts on tektro 741, ultergras any others without breaking the bank

by Weenie


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Grill
Posts: 662
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:12 pm
Location: Oop North

by Grill

EE is the best. DA on a budget.

mimason
Posts: 654
Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:43 pm
Location: Florida

by mimason

EE is probably breaking the bank. What group set? Otherwise Ultegra is a great performer. There are some nice 7900 DAs On the cheap too. Used brakes are a good option if you can find some lightly used or take offs.

BikeAnon
Posts: 399
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:36 pm
Location: NY USA

by BikeAnon

Grill wrote:... DA on a budget.
This forum is good for a laugh like this.

What other bike gear forum considers your "low budget" choice the top-of-the-line product from a top-of-the-heap company? :wink:

That said, when it comes to brakes, I'll agree with the other people. Get used or last-gen Dura-Ace or Ultegra.

Even with DA 9000 levers, the older brakes work great. I know the pull isn't "optimized", but it's still better than most anything else in the history of cycling.

I ran DA 9000 levers, SRAM levers and DA 7700 levers with DA 7700 brakes. They all worked well, but best with the 9000's.

I recently got DA 9000 brakes to match my levers. Really good, but not a world of difference above the 7700s. And, the newer calipers are heavier than my old ones.

I had Tektro brakes with 105 levers. They were "functional".

There is zero chance I'd ever put Tektro brakes on a bike I was building for myself. Not with the cost and availability of Ultegra and DA brakes. This is one area where spending an additional $50 is going to net the biggest real-world benefit you'll get for your money on a bike (IMO).
Last edited by BikeAnon on Wed Mar 16, 2016 3:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

Wookski
Posts: 1416
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2016 5:51 am

by Wookski

DA9000 can be found pretty cheap these days otherwise ee for the WW build. Stay away from trp, tektro etc as they offer poor modulation, power etc.

BikeAnon
Posts: 399
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:36 pm
Location: NY USA

by BikeAnon

I wonder how cheap full DA has gotten. Maybe I don't even want to know.

I can't remember what site I was on today, I saw full Ultegra group (cranks, chain, brakes, levers, cables... a FULL group) for $550. No chance I'd build a bike with Tektro.

tinozee
Posts: 764
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2011 7:53 am

by tinozee

Go on ebay for DA calipers. I agree get DA either latest or last versions are great. BikeAnon is right on about them. Personally I like to get the best stuff I can afford and keep it for several years rather than mid-range and waste time wanting upgrade. I guess there are different personality and consumer types too. I tend to go gung ho with cycling and ride so so so much that the parts become secondary to the body, and keeping it in top form. But parts like Dura Ace and other top tier stuff like Red and SR are going to keep working when you need it to. Set it and forget it. I also hate wasting time day dreaming about upgrades. Go all in and be over it. I also never mess with boutique parts I am more of a factory kit type of guy. But to each his own, and I still love browsing Fairwheel!

audiojan
Posts: 795
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2006 1:38 pm
Location: New Hampshire

by audiojan

Echoing the others, EE are by far the best brakes, just amazing performance. D/A are excellent, either current 9000 or prior 7900's. If you have a Campy drivetrain, stick with Campy Record, just really good brakes, no need to stretch the budget to SR (unless for vanity reasons)
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mpulsiv
Posts: 1384
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:17 pm

by mpulsiv

He was asking something without breaking the bank. EE and Dura Ace in not in the picture. Tektro 741 is $60 brakeset. Stay away from Tektro due to poor performance. Get Ultegra or Dura Ace, if you can afford it.


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vejnemojnen
Posts: 406
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2013 7:11 pm

by vejnemojnen

what about sram force? :) way lighter than ultegra, and cheaper as well.

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Synnove
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2015 10:45 pm
Location: PDX

by Synnove

If you want something substantively different, look in to hydraulic calipers; the modulation is beyond comparison. You can find Magura RT8s on eBay for good prices.

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