What long brake calipers with Campag groupset?s

I'm running Veloce on my winter bike with a pair of Tektro R539's and SKS Chromoplastics.

I ahve to say that I've been hugely disappointed with the Tektro 539 brakes which I have on my Kinesis T2. Even with Swissstop greens or Koolstop salmons they are poor and awful in the wet. This is on newish Ambrosio rims. About to be upgraded to Shimano R650.

Funny thing is the "extra deep drop" Tektros, the R559, as on my old steel frame, are excellent, same rims, same pads.

Best available deep drops if you believe all reviews are Shimano R650 but I guess if you're a Campag man you wouldn't be seen dead. . .

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Is it not time to grow up and forget about these Shimano/Campagnolo nonsense? If the Shimano are the best ones, that's the ones you should buy... end of the story.

On what basis? Who says they are?

Not that it matters if you are putting Shimano brakes on an otherwise Campag bike but it does the other way round. Campag have a better mechanism for opening the calipers for getting the wheel out (doesn't adversely affect brake performance if you are daft enough not to reset the lever after putting the wheel back) but that does mean that putting Campag brakes on a Shimano bike has problems. So you can't assume that everything works with everything else.

Besides, it's not all about brand loyalty - as much about the hideous fugliness of Shimano kit! And it all looked so nice 20 years ago

I only suggested the Miche brakes because they are very very good. With standard pads they are lacking bit but with good pad (aztec road plus for example)) they are fantastic, real bite in the wet. I see no reason to spend the extra cash on R650's which are good if I can avoid it otherwise that's what I would have. My other comment about keeping it Italian was a joke. My word sense of humour failure lets calm down a bit

Take reviews with a pinch of salt. the only review that is worth anything is the one that you make with your experience by trying kit out.

thecycleclinic wrote:

Take reviews with a pinch of salt. the only review that is worth anything is the one that you make with your experience by trying kit out.

I do, of course, but when I'm spending hard-earned cash and I have a choice of two products, one of which has hundreds of "apparently" independent, objective, positive reviews (which, even allowing for the pinch of salt, will plausibly contain a percentage of accurate reviews) and the other of which has very few, I'll do the only realistic thing and buy the product that seems to have a good word-of-mouth reputation.

Your alternative would be fine if I had the access to each product to "try it out", on a zero cost basis of course.

In my experience, online reviews, such as the huge number on Wiggle and the like, are usually quite close to the reality, so until that changes I'll take the advice of the online reviewers and keep taking (very small) pinches of salt with them.

On reflection, the Tektro R539s, which I mentioned had some raving reviews, have a fairly hefty share of lukewarm and negative reviews too, but my budget was limited at the time so I took a punt.

Had the same issue myself and went with the Tektro Tektro R539's nowt wrong with them .

I have the cheaper R450s on my racelight Tk. They are every bit as effective as the standard drop Tiagras on the other bike. When the all in one moulded brake blocks eventually wear out I may replace them with some cartridge type holders and inserts.