105 or Ultegra brake upgrade?

apc1

Hi All

Have a Specialized Tarmac sport which I love but thinking of upgrading the calipers from the stock Spesh axis 1.0 to 105's or Ultegra's because both very reasonable at CRC/Wiggle etc at present. The rest of the groupset is 105 which I am very happy with and will not change.

Are Ultegra calipers worth the extra? 105's apparently perform pretty well according to reviews but for an extra £12 each could get Ultegras

dj58

I assume you are referring to the 5800 105 and 6800 Ultegra calipers? They were both redesigned to give increased stopping power compared to the previous models, the 105 model can be used with 28mm tyres the Ultegra 25mm. Both will be an improvement over you stock brakes. I think the Ultegra are worth the extra £12 if you don't mind the mismatch with the rest of you groupset.

southdownswolf

105 calipers with Swissstop pads

dj58

As above whichever model you buy, fit SwissStop FlashPro BXP Blue pads.
http://www.swissstop.ch/rimbrakes/flashpro/bxp/

bob6397

I have been really impressed by my 5800 105 brakes - even on the standard pads, they are much more powerful than the 3500 Sora brakes I had on my previous bike - which I put swisstop pads in. I am going to put some swisstop pads onto my new one though in the spring when I get it out again. I'm being forced to have a break from cycling until then

DKay

Just recently switched from 5800 calipers to 6800 for cosmetic reasons and I can honestly say that I can't feel any difference in how they perform. The 6800 calipers are definately better made, with less slop, although the 5800 items are still good quality. The standard Shimano pads work well in the dry, but they eat rims for breakfast in the wet.

Bozman

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19704714#p19704714]southdownswolf[/url] wrote:

105 calipers with Swissstop pads

+1

apc1

Thanks All for the replies, seems to be strong feeling 105's with Swiss stop is the way to go.

Cheers

DKay

I personally rate Kool Stop Salmons higher than Swisstops. Very similar braking performance, but last longer and are half the price.

superkenners

My Ultegra brakes seem to be far more effective than my 105s, really a big difference. Never really noticed difference from going from Tiagra to 105 some time ago but Ultegra a bit of a revelation. Not sure if shifters help too but worth £12 more for sure. That's running standard Shimano pads too, once they wear out will be going Swisstop...

rolf_f

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19706239#p19706239]DKay[/url] wrote:

I personally rate Kool Stop Salmons higher than Swisstops. Very similar braking performance, but last longer and are half the price.

Are you sure about that? As far as I can see, you pay about £10 for a pair of Kool Stop pads and £20 for two pairs of Swissstops - ie about the same price.

Giraffoto

Go with the 105 to match the rest of your gear, and spend the odd £12 on Kool Stop salmon pads.

DKay

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19708723#p19708723]Rolf F[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19706239#p19706239]DKay[/url] wrote:

I personally rate Kool Stop Salmons higher than Swisstops. Very similar braking performance, but last longer and are half the price.

Are you sure about that? As far as I can see, you pay about £10 for a pair of Kool Stop pads and £20 for two pairs of Swissstops - ie about the same price.

Must have missed that one and presumed that the Swisstop price was for a pair only. Happy to be corrected.