(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best bike brake calipers

Just a heads-up, but check that the plastic collar between each brake arm and the fork (i.e. on the brake boss) isn't cracked. Most, not all, Exage cantilevers came with an underengineered plastic ring there. If that plastic ring is cracked, you'll never get the brakes adjusted right. For some reason, Shimano decided the return spring that gives your brake arms tension should be fitted through a hole drilled through the plastic collar. The tension invariably causes the ring to crack and split wide open. Cracks tend to be on the underside of the plastic ring, and can be straight enough to be mistaken for a design feature. You can often see the crack widening and narrowing as you squeeze the brake levers.

The fix is to buy new brakes. V-brakes won't work well because your levers are engineered around a different cable pull ratio than cantilever levers. The easiest replaement option, then, would be cantilevers without Shimano's plastic collar.

These worked perfectly fine on my mountain bike right up until the day I sold the entire bike:
https://www.amazon.com/SunLite-Sunlite-Alloy-Cantilever-Brake/dp/B016QRKKRI

Thank you.

I currently have the spacer kit: https://www.amazon.com/Avid-Post-Mount-Brake-Adapter/dp/B009P3LYU8?th=1&psc=1

Any advantage for the bracket over the spacers?

These are the Shimano T610 calipers you'll need to select a front and a rear, and I would also suggest new Shimano/Jagwire brake cables at the same time. You should find them a big improvement over what's on there now.

The pads are in a holder that is bolted to the caliper. These Tektro holders dont come with those type of washers. Its just all flat. There are no adjustments like what is capable with convex washers.


I read that the Ultegra 6500s didn't have this type of washer, either. I'm going to assume this is right, since I can't find info that states the 6500s are caple of these types of adjustments, and the 6600s can

I've got butterfly handle bar, so MTN style levers.

If I got Spryes, is this what you would recommend? https://www.amazon.com/TRP-SPYRE-Mount-Mechancial-Caliper/dp/B074FQ4MXC/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1541529965&sr=1-4-fkmr1&keywords=Spyre%2BMTN%2Bdisc%2Bbrakes&th=1&psc=1

I was thinking maybe these and/or maybe these for the front. What do you recommend.

I'm currently converting two 10 speeds with original 27" wheels to use 700c. The bead seat diameter of a 27" wheel is 630mm. A 700c bead seat diameter is 622. A total of 8mm, so the rim will sit 4mm further from the brake. The brake reach is measured from the center of the brake mounting hole to the center of the rim braking surface. Measure your current brake reach and add 4mm to find out what you'll need.

I'm using these because I need a 60 and 62mm brake reach.

All the ones I have used were Tektro double pivot side pull brakes. They just vary in the length of the arms. Usually this one. Make sure you get the hex nut or the recessed nut version, whichever that you need. They make the same brake shorter and longer reach. Also in made in black finish.

http://www.amazon.com/Tektro-R539-Pivot-Brake-Caliper/dp/B007QMK2DU/ref=sr_1_6?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1416054824&sr=1-6&keywords=tektro+brakes+r539

Good eyes and thanks! I originally had a different stem on it, but decided to replace it with an extra stem I purchased for my mountain bike to give it a heavy look in the front stem. Using these Calipers Was worried they would look tacky, but worked out in the end.

Try this page. I just bought these from amazon.

Tektro makes a long reach brake that worked perfect. Just need to drill out the back of the fork a tiny bit so I could fit the larger style mounting bolt through.

How are this brakes?

http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-BR-4600-Tiagra-Caliper-Silver/dp/B005DTQGJ2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370018038&sr=8-2&keywords=Shimano+brakes

and

http://www.amazon.com/SRAM-Apex-Brake-Caliper-Set/dp/B003RLLDV4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1370018353&sr=8-6&keywords=Tektro

this?

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https://www.amazon.com/SRAM-Force-Rival-Caliper-Mounting/dp/B0050VFNTM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1540573034&sr=8-2&keywords=sram+brake+nuts

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Dia Compe Goldfinger

http://www.amazon.com/Dia-Compe-TECH99DS-Gold-Finger-Bicycle/dp/B004XYJ4TW

Regular old Shimano Deore T-610. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EUH1JTA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ABfPDbF6PM9MR

> It has the fork and frame predrilled for brakes and comes with a set of brakes F/R

Now that you mention it, the page does say it comes with Promax RC-462 brakes - somehow I didn't notice that.

I came here to say this. And if OP doesn't want to spend 120 USD for the pair of R650 (which are 105 level), they can get the similar R451 calipers (which are Sora/Tiagra level) for half that price. I'd rather have either of those than the Tektros.

https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-BR-R650-Front-Brake-Caliper/dp/B001GSKOTC

Problem solved, long-reach calipers. I put these exact ones on my old 70s Peugeot http://www.amazon.com/Tektro-R556-Reach-Brake-55-73mm/dp/B0028MZ9BS

• Dia-Compe Gran Compe 9000 Ti Caliper Brake 39-51 mm Drop - Black (122gr)
  
  125 gr => https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/brakes/front-diacompe-gran-compe-9000-ti-caliper-brake-3951-mm-drop-black/
  
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• Dia-Compe Rear Track Frame Brake (200gr ?)
  
  188 gr => https://www.amazon.com/Dia-Compe-BRS101-Pivot-Caliper/dp/B0041X3I4C
  plus the weight of 2 adapter plates
  

Removing the fender changed how the brake nut sunk into the frame. You'll either need a brake washer, or a shorter recessed brake nut. Any bike shop will have both of these parts, often times buckets of discarded ones.

I replaced mine with these generic canti brakes - comes with the arms, a yoke cable, and pads but no brake cable. It is a less of a headache to go with these than v-brakes, which require different brake levers (long vs short pull), and I didn't want to go down the rabbit hole of upgrading everything.

https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Alloy-Cantilever-Brake/dp/B016QRKKRI