Brake pads & Calipers

Oceanblue
Oceanblue Posts: 158
edited September 2012 in Road beginners
I have a Trek 1.5 and I noticed that the brake pads it came with are starting to have seen better days. I was thinking of buying new ones but noticed that a set of Tiagra calipers and pads comes in at £40. The factory fitted brakes on it or unbranded - should Taigra calipers be seen as an upgrade? Does it make sense to go for the new calipers as pads may cost £20 anyway or if I just go for pads what would you recommend? Thanks... :wink:

Comments

  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    My favourite caliber is 9mm. (In Austrian accent - Uzininemillimeter...)

    Your calipers are probably fine. Have you any reason to assume they aren't? If you get new calipers, then the pads supplied won't be £20 ones. And you can get pads for about a fiver.

    Either way, there is unlikely to be any rational reason to buy new calipers.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Oceanblue
    Oceanblue Posts: 158
    To be honest I thought that the new Tiagra Calibers may give me more stopping power and would also complete the Tiagra set lol :wink: So what pads are do people like? I'm a hefty person and more stopping power without spending a fortune would be great!
  • MattC59
    MattC59 Posts: 5,408
    See if you can get pads in 7.62mm, that should help. It's a standard widely used caliber so should be readily available.
    Science adjusts it’s beliefs based on what’s observed.
    Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    MattC59 wrote:
    See if you can get pads in 7.62mm, that should help. It's a standard widely used caliber so should be readily available.
    Good call. According to Guns and Ammo 7.62 caliber definitely does have good stopping power.

    Alternatively a lot of people like the Swiss-stop pads. I've not tried them. Cartridge variety should be better than plain blocks.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Oceanblue
    Oceanblue Posts: 158
    Do you know how long it took me to figure out what the heck you guys where talking about lol - its been a long flaming day lol ;-)
  • t.m.h.n.e.t
    t.m.h.n.e.t Posts: 2,265
    So what caliber would I need if I wanted to "stop" a tank? :lol:
  • Hoopdriver
    Hoopdriver Posts: 2,023
    T.M.H.N.E.T wrote:
    So what caliber would I need if I wanted to "stop" a tank? :lol:
    Koolstops in .600 Nitro Express
    http://www.My-Bicycle-and-I.com
  • t.m.h.n.e.t
    t.m.h.n.e.t Posts: 2,265
    Hoopdriver wrote:
    T.M.H.N.E.T wrote:
    So what caliber would I need if I wanted to "stop" a tank? :lol:
    Koolstops in .600 Nitro Express
    Thanks :lol:
  • Oceanblue
    Oceanblue Posts: 158
    Alright, alright forgive the typing error... So it would appear that Tiagra brake "Calipers" ;-) are not much better than the factory fitted ones and that Swiss or Kool Stop are the way to go with the original calipers... Anyone any other thoughts or advice? (Other than checking my spelling lol)

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