Shimano 3400 Sora vs Shimano R451 Tiagra

[Walden]

Hey,

These two brakes look identical, what is the main difference?

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/.Shim ... 112704.htm

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/.Shim ... 115807.htm

When buying 2, there is a big difference in cost, £28 v £40.

Thanks.

[student]

I'd go with the sora. The other one is a large drop model, so you can easily use it with old frames and 622 rims, or can fit mudguards under them, or thicker tyres (eg. 28mm) without an issue.

I know that you britons love commuter-tourer bikes with fenders, more robust tyres, but in the mainland that's rather a rarity.

One of my friends actually would need calipers like that, with long drop, simply because his frame was made in an era where the standard rim diameter was 630 rather than 622, and he couldn't set up properly the small drop calipers (BR-1055, the first dual pivot sh105 calipers),the brakepads kept touching the tyres first instead of the rim sidewalls..

If you don't have a frame suited for long drop calipers, or you don't intend to go with fenders, stay with sora. Cheap as hell, decent quality.

For long drop brakes I can recommend Tektros with better pads. The stiffness and spring-action of most of the tektro calipers are decent enough, but their stock pads are noisy and kill the rims in no time.

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/products/bik ... oad-bikes/

search here too. Also, I don't know how are the british prices, but here "home" SRAM Apex calipers in pair are actually cheaper than Tiagras.. : )

Don't go with campagnolo calipers unless you have ergopowers, those nasty ones come without quick releaser on the brake body..

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/shim ... aid:520076

Tiagras for decent price.. shipping to europe is 9euros as I know..

[Walden]

Thanks, I do have an old road bike with mudguards.

Very helpful, ta.

[meic]

Even the long reach (up to 57mm) like the Tiagra are often not long enough for the back brake of old 27" wheeled bikes.

I had to use a long reach on the front and a deep drop 57-75mm on the rear.

Like this one.

[Walden]

Just realised my frame can not fit calliper brakes, doh!

[bigjim]

I had to use a long reach on the front and a deep drop 57-75mm on the rear.

How do you find them for braking power?

Just realised my frame can not fit calliper brakes, doh!

Neither did mine till I drilled it out and fitted them.

[meic]

I had to use a long reach on the front and a deep drop 57-75mm on the rear.

How do you find them for braking power?

They are still on the bike 16,000 miles later. The deep drop are not as good as the long reach but they are a lot, lot better than the Weinmann Centrepulls that they replaced. I would not be so happy with one on the front but the shorter cable might make the difference needed.

There is/was an issue with narrow rims and fitting fatter pads would help to avoid the arms getting to a silly angle and not being long enough in the necessary dimension any more.

I think the bike stops better than on the other with STIs and Tektro CR720 cantis, but not as good as the bike with (any) cantis with straight bar levers, mini Vs or discs.