Powerful long drop (57mm) calipers - recommendations?

[hondicusp]

Is anyone able to recommend a set of long drop brake calipers (57mm) which provide good stopping power? Tektro seem to do a number of models ranging from about £30 to £50 but reviews seem to indicate they dont have a great deal of power.

[johnb]

Selection of threads on your topic here.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&cl ... 20&bih=533

[RickH]

Shimano do several long dual pivot callipers - I've got BR-A550s (looks like the current model is BR-R650) on my current (otherwise Campag Centaur) bike & have been pleased with the stopping power of those (apart from their tendency to eat rims on the wet, gritty hills round these parts until I found some different pads that seem kinder to the rims but, importantly, still work). They are £45 here, so in the right ball park compared with the Tektros.

Rick.
(edit: correction made, should have been R650 not A650)

[robc02]

I also have Shimano R650 on one of my bikes. The braking is excellent - powerful and well controlled. The finish, including chrome parts is very durable; mine have been through several winters with daily use and are still as good as new.

[hondicusp]

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

Rick, am I right in thinking that you are using Centaur levers then and have just swapped the calipers?

[RickH]

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

Rick, am I right in thinking that you are using Centaur levers then and have just swapped the calipers?

Yes - I'm using the Centaur levers. My LBS fitted the Shimano callipers as the frame needed longer ones (Kinesis Racelight frame with clearance for 28mm tyres + mudguards) & Campag don't do long reach. But the mix works just fine.

Rick.

[robc02]

Thanks for the info, much appreciated.

Rick, am I right in thinking that you are using Centaur levers then and have just swapped the calipers?

Yes - I'm using the Centaur levers. My LBS fitted the Shimano callipers as the frame needed longer ones (Kinesis Racelight frame with clearance for 28mm tyres + mudguards) & Campag don't do long reach. But the mix works just fine.

Rick.

What a coincidence - I'm also using Centaur levers and Kinesis Racelight frame!

[honesty]

I have R650's on my Thorn audax, and really happy with them at the moment. Only been out in the wet a few times, but they seemed to be able to cope well with the hills round here. Picked them up for 40 quid each from Chain reaction cycles, who seem to now be doing them for 35 quid each...

[KevinH]

I have the cheaper R450's on one of my bikes and the one time I really really needed to stop, they did me proud.

As the only substantial difference between the R450's and R650's is the supplied Blocks/Shoes, I think they are a bargain at £21 for the pair. ( here )