Ultegra 6700 braking much better than 6600?

Eaglehighcycling
Eaglehighcycling Posts: 8
edited April 2013 in Workshop
I currently have a bike that has Ultegra 6600 on it, and when I tried different bikes with 6700 shifters and brakes, I noticed a significant increase in power/modulation of the brakes. I was pretty impressed and really enjoyed the feel.
My question is, is it a good idea to upgrade to 6700 shifters/brakes (because the new shifters pull at a different ratio and are not compatible with the older 6600 brakes) to get that better power/modulation?

Or, I just haven't gotten new brake pads since 2008, and since they don't have that much wear (nothing super-noticable), should I get new brake pads? Will that have a significant effect?

Also, I'm pretty sure the 6700 shifters will work with the older 6600 drivetrain.

Comments

  • Wirral_paul
    Wirral_paul Posts: 2,476
    5 year old pads with hardly any wear - they'll be nice and hard by now then!! I'd just replace the pads with some high quality ones from SwissStop etc.

    Time spent servicing your existing brakes would be worthwhile also - checking all the cables and pivot points to ensure it all runs smoothly. Its amazing how something as simple as lubricating the cables and ensuring there are no tight bends etc can make to the feel of your brakes.
  • crankycrank
    crankycrank Posts: 1,830
    Try new pads before shelling out the cash for new shifters and brakes. If your rims have an alu braketrack try the Swisstop Green (or I believe the very latest version that just came out is a blue version, check their website) Or the Koolstop Salmon pads. Much better braking power than what are probably the OEM pads you have now. Part of the better braking feel you experienced with the 6700 brake is due to the fact that Shimano used a different and better pad compound than the 6600
  • Thanks! I'll definitely try out some newer pads then!
  • ADIHEAD
    ADIHEAD Posts: 575
    Shimano say you shouldn't use 6600 levers with 6700 breaks. I'm sure there's some of you who'll say they do and it's fine though :roll: I've 6600 on one bike and the brakes were fantastic with standard pads and Durace wheels, not so good with Mavics for some reason, they seem to work better with Koolstops than Shimano's . Just try different pads as people say, unless you particularly want the new levers with the hidden gear cables?