105 caliper - stupid idea?

Mad_Malx

Bought some 5700 105 calipers ages back, to replace no name originals. Shimano claim better pull ratio with the new new brifters I have. When I eventually got round to fitting them, I found reach was just too short, probably 2mm. Too late to return.

So - would it be madness to file down the slots to fit, or should I stick with the longer reach ones? Looks like there will still be a fair bit of metal left.

I already have non-series long reach, but they don't look as good. CBA with selling really.

me-109

It's a stupid idea. Far too dangerous. You should sell them to me for roughly half what you paid and cut your losses. Especially if they are black. ;-)

kajjal

Some people have done that but it would be safer to buy some r650 long reach brakes which are equivalent. You could sell the other to get some money back.

bill57

Don't even think about it. The forces generated trying to bring 80kg of rider and bike to a halt from high speed are enormous, and a piece of metal which seems perfectly strong under "no load" conditions can fail catastrophically under high stress. We take the performance of these things for granted because they work so well, but give no thought to the forces they are subjected to in achieving this. Just think about your brakes failing on a 45mph downhill.
As a compensation, they will also look rubbish, so there is your perfect excuse for buying a set of R-650's.

rolf_f

Of course, in the 70s and 80s, had forums existed then, and you'd asked the same question, everyone would have thought you an idiot not to slot them down but instead to buy new calipers. And nobody would have died either!

But these days everyone is scared to do anything that the instructions (which never used to even exist) don't tell you to do.........












BOOO!!!

marcusjb

You don't even need to go to the expense of the 650s (which are superb brakes), if you don't want to. 450s are almost identical - not quite as nice finish on the metal (but the same casting) and the plastic parts aren't quite as nice.

(I do have 650s on one of my bikes, but would have no hesitation using 450s if budget were tight)

Mad_Malx

Thanks guys. Much what I'd have said to someone else too, but it goes against my miser principles.
Do tend to agree with Rolf though ( I've just thought better of opening up the thread by making an analogy with about helmets).

I'll go with the 650s & keep the 105's for my 'sneak new bike into garage one part at a time' project.