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Has anyone used these? Have they anything to share regarding whether they are a worthwhile investment? If you were getting some brakes for a road bike what would you get instead?
I've got the slightly cheaper non-CNC version.
+ very light
+ come with swisstop pads
+ as powerfull as stock shimano brakes
- not as powerfull as shimano brakes with swisstop pads.
Would I buy them again, probbaly if I wasn't matching a groupset or didn't already have 105 or better Shimano.
Got them on my RT-57 build, only thing not SRAM Red. Good brakes. No handy lever to spread the calipers for removing the front wheel though, unless I'm a total idiot and have been doing it wrong.
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No handy lever to spread the calipers for removing the front wheel though
<StupidQuestion>Is that not what the red lever does then? </StupidQuestion>
I have some, though I don't use them since getting a whole groupset
They worked fine IMO
(red thing is a cam, to make them work more like dual-pull - it's pretty easy to disengage the cable from the red lever for getting wheels out though)
I have the forged versions, which are fiddly but okay and recently I bought the CNC version.... BEWARE, the geometry of the CNC version is not the same as the forged version and they are much less efficient. Have a careful look at these pics and you will see why they don't work very well; the distances between the vital pivots are shorter on the CNC version, which works at a greater mechanical disadvantage. I was so disappointed that I resold them straight away on Ebay.
Forged:
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CNC:
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I had the forged versions and they were fine but required a fair old squeeze on steep downhills, especially in the wet. I originally bought them because they were nice and light.
I then bought a bike with Ultegra calipers and the improvement was massive. I nearly went over the bars on these, and had a few unintended stoppies going into roundabouts - the Ultegras were so much more immediate and solid.
For a lightweight build used on flat-ish terrain they're fine, but I would accept the extra weight of the Shimano's for the superior stopping power.
I'd get either the new 105 (5800) or Ultegra (either 6700 or 6800) - I have each of these on different bikes and they're generally excellent.
Had mine for 18 months without any problems. Setting them up is a fine art but once you have mastered it then they work fine. They are very light which is a winner for a weight weenie like myself.
Yes I went back to Ultegra, so much more powerful. A neighbour has Campag Chorus though and they are amazingly good, really superb.
I have some on my black and red RT57.
Probably not as good as the 105's on my wife's bike, but they is anodised red and hence must make me faster.....when coupled with the red skewers of course!
I have the CNC calipers on my TT bike and they don't really stop much.
I have the forged calipers on the road bike and they're ok, bought because I couldn't find any 7900 calipers, but am on the look out.
The CNC calipers look and feel better quality definitely.
The 5700 105 calipers on g/fs bike are better stoppers.
I used these on three builds. The current bike has sram red calipers and they feel much more positive and powerful than these.
Thanks for the feedback. Stopping is the primary requirement (controversially) and if thats not where they excel then they're not for me.
No, the CNC brakes are hopeless. I fitted the slightly better forged brakes on my wife's roadie because she's light, wouldn't be doing any hard braking and seldom cycles. But they are light in weight.