I have a Giant Defy 2 with Tekro brakes which I would like to upgrade. What a mine field! I would like to know what Shimano brake calipers are compatible with Shimano Tiagra 10 speed double levers (4600?) - Tiagra 4600 obviously but what about 105 or Ultegra?
It was certainly a lot easier once upon a time to swop bits around but progress always spoils things.
Shimano brake calipers
Re: Shimano brake calipers
I think the Defy needs mid-long drop brakes, because has got room for mudguards? If so, you should get brakes like the Shimano R451 (Tiagra class), or the R650 which are Ultegra class; essentialy a brake with 41-57mm drop, normal road bikes (with no clearance for mudguards) do use shorter brakes with 39-50mm drop.
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
Re: Shimano brake calipers
The Defy 2 takes normal 49mm drop brakes. I downgraded mine to a complete Sora 9-speed groupset and the brakes are quite good.
Cycling UK Life Member
PBP Ancien (2007)
PBP Ancien (2007)
Re: Shimano brake calipers
you can see a road brake compatibility chart here
http://productinfo.shimano.com/#/com/2.9?types=road&cid=C-453&acid=C-456
The story behind it is this; as of the early 1990s shimano road brakes have used 'Super SLR' (S-SLR) brake levers and until ~2008 any S-SLR brake levers (including all models of road STI) were compatible with any shimano dual pivot caliper.
However since 2008 shimano have trickled a new (longer cable pull) standard called 'New Super SLR' (NS-SLR) into their road groupsets. This process is now pretty much complete with the introduction of the 2400 Claris groupset. ST-4600 is part of the NS-SLR family.
Now if you try to mix S-SLR parts with NS-SLR parts you can have combinations that perform thus;
Brake levers...... S-SLR .................NS-SLR
calipers
S-SLR..............Perfect..............Weak braking
NS-SLR............Not permitted........Perfect
Now do check but you may need a ~55mm drop caliper which means that many (Most..? All?) of the current NS-SLR calipers listed in the compatibility chart won't reach; I think they may all be ~49mm max reach.
This leaves you with the longer reach calipers eg BR-R650, BR-R450, BR-R451. Unfortunately these calipers are all S-SLR type, which is permissible, but leaves you with slightly weaker braking. If you want long reach shimano calipers and perfectly matched (i.e. S-SLR cable pull) 10s STIs, then you should try and track down some ST-7800, ST6600, or ST-5600 STI units.
Of other brake calipers from different manufacturers it is difficult to choose because they do not acknowledge that there is any difference between S-SLR and NS-SLR brake levers. Having said that the Tektro R359 caliper (NB check the brake fitting carefully) looks more like a NS-SLR brake than a S-SLR brake to me.
In practice the MA of any one type of brake caliper varies with the required reach, so 'the same brake' can be ~30% more powerful on some frames just because the reach is shorter. This is a little greater than the difference between S-SLR and NS-SLR brake pulls.
The other important variable is the type of brake block; quite possibly you could get a significant improvement in your extant brakes by using better brake blocks.
cheers
http://productinfo.shimano.com/#/com/2.9?types=road&cid=C-453&acid=C-456
The story behind it is this; as of the early 1990s shimano road brakes have used 'Super SLR' (S-SLR) brake levers and until ~2008 any S-SLR brake levers (including all models of road STI) were compatible with any shimano dual pivot caliper.
However since 2008 shimano have trickled a new (longer cable pull) standard called 'New Super SLR' (NS-SLR) into their road groupsets. This process is now pretty much complete with the introduction of the 2400 Claris groupset. ST-4600 is part of the NS-SLR family.
Now if you try to mix S-SLR parts with NS-SLR parts you can have combinations that perform thus;
Brake levers...... S-SLR .................NS-SLR
calipers
S-SLR..............Perfect..............Weak braking
NS-SLR............Not permitted........Perfect
Now do check but you may need a ~55mm drop caliper which means that many (Most..? All?) of the current NS-SLR calipers listed in the compatibility chart won't reach; I think they may all be ~49mm max reach.
This leaves you with the longer reach calipers eg BR-R650, BR-R450, BR-R451. Unfortunately these calipers are all S-SLR type, which is permissible, but leaves you with slightly weaker braking. If you want long reach shimano calipers and perfectly matched (i.e. S-SLR cable pull) 10s STIs, then you should try and track down some ST-7800, ST6600, or ST-5600 STI units.
Of other brake calipers from different manufacturers it is difficult to choose because they do not acknowledge that there is any difference between S-SLR and NS-SLR brake levers. Having said that the Tektro R359 caliper (NB check the brake fitting carefully) looks more like a NS-SLR brake than a S-SLR brake to me.
In practice the MA of any one type of brake caliper varies with the required reach, so 'the same brake' can be ~30% more powerful on some frames just because the reach is shorter. This is a little greater than the difference between S-SLR and NS-SLR brake pulls.
The other important variable is the type of brake block; quite possibly you could get a significant improvement in your extant brakes by using better brake blocks.
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Shimano brake calipers
Many thanks Brucey and others who replied. Will try new blocks.