Brake Calipers upgrade

pinarellokid
pinarellokid Posts: 1,208
edited July 2014 in Road general
i want to upgrade me brakes on my bike, im currently using Campag centaur as i wanted black ones which would do for now, and its now time to spend a little money on getting better performance
Im currently looking at either chorus record or super record, all dual pivot.

im not interested in pad selection as pads can go on any set i go for

apart from price the difference in weight is Very minimal. but will there be a difference in performance, with them all being skeleton

or can i get better performance with something else..
Specialized S Works SL2 . Campagnolo Record 11spd. rolling on Campag Zonda wheels

http://app.strava.com/athletes/881211

Comments

  • DavidJB
    DavidJB Posts: 2,019
    I use record and they are great. Super record is pointless.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    DavidJB wrote:
    I use record and they are great. Super record is pointless.

    I beg to differ! I have Super Record on my Look. They cost £110 new which is far from pointless! And they have titanium bolts :lol:

    Basically, the performance of Record or Super Record will be identical to Centaur (or Veloce or Chorus or Athena) - and that is good! The only difference is weight. Plus, possibly, if you get to big mileages in all sorts of weather, I suspect the bearings will last better on the Record brakes. I have a pair of Centaur calipers which have put up with 22000 miles or so in all weathers and they can stick a bit. I dismantle them occasionally and dump them in an ultrasonic cleaner but they aren't quite what they were. The proper bearings of the Record might do better.

    But performance is identical as it would need to be - metal is the same, design is the same, leverage is the same. Standard pads are excellent. Incidentally, no point getting dual pivot for the back unless you are really, really heavy! Single pivot is generally better for the rear.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • pinarellokid
    pinarellokid Posts: 1,208
    where did you get super record calipers for £110 Rolf ??
    Specialized S Works SL2 . Campagnolo Record 11spd. rolling on Campag Zonda wheels

    http://app.strava.com/athletes/881211
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    where did you get super record calipers for £110 Rolf ??

    Months of Ebay searching for my posh bike weight weenie-ing project. I think I benefited from a high start price.

    The Ti bits go nicely with the 10 speed Record Titanium mechs and, more usefully, the calipers are this years ones with the new shoes so, hopefully, in ten years time when I need to replace the pads (or sooner if I dabble with home made carbon tubulars), it will be much easier!
    Faster than a tent.......
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    As Rolf F said above don't go for the dual pivot rear unless you weigh a ton. The balance of front to back power with the regular differential set (or whatever they call it, the ones with a single pivot rear) is spot on and very tactile, it means the physical input you give on each of the levers when braking is far more similar, and the feeling of the brakes as a set is great because of it.
  • pinarellokid
    pinarellokid Posts: 1,208
    so stick to Campag and single pivot rear,
    are there any other option which will give better performance before i upgrade??

    was looking at the planet x milled ones but dismissed them
    Specialized S Works SL2 . Campagnolo Record 11spd. rolling on Campag Zonda wheels

    http://app.strava.com/athletes/881211
  • cswitch
    cswitch Posts: 261
    mfin wrote:
    As Rolf F said above don't go for the dual pivot rear unless you weigh a ton. The balance of front to back power with the regular differential set (or whatever they call it, the ones with a single pivot rear) is spot on and very tactile, it means the physical input you give on each of the levers when braking is far more similar, and the feeling of the brakes as a set is great because of it.

    I'm light use dual pivot and they were fine. Read online about the other type...I went for dual pivot as came across several negative comments on them
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    cswitch wrote:
    I'm light use dual pivot and they were fine. Read online about the other type...I went for dual pivot as came across several negative comments on them

    They will be fine - just not optimum. If you can easily lock the rear wheel, then you are putting too much power through the brakes. Single pivot deliver less power and better modulation - hence the stopping power is less but the control is better. If you have enough brake power to lock the wheels with single pivot, there's no point getting a slightly heavier dual pivot with more pivots to sieze up if you do silly miles in bad weather.

    Obviously this applies to the rear only. DP best up front.
    so stick to Campag and single pivot rear, are there any other option which will give better performance before i upgrade. was looking at the planet x milled ones but dismissed them

    I don't think you'll get better performance but you might find some weight saving. Some people like the PX but others hate them. Probably means if you are patient you'll be fine but if you get cross and throw things in the bin quickly you won't!

    I'd haunt Ebay til a nice pair of unused Record or SR turned up. And, despite what I say about DP front and rear, I wouldn't necessarily turn my nose up at the perfect pair of DP at the right price. I just wouldn't seek them out in preference. Ebay still generates good stuff. If the vendor has been honest in their description, I've just paid less than £120 for a barely used Record 10 Titanium rear mech. Those are lovely and cost over £200 new.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • mercia_man
    mercia_man Posts: 1,431
    I'm light and use Record single pivot rear on one bike and dual pivot rear on the other. Both are fine and I would be happy to get a bike with either. The dual pivot rear and front set-up gives more powerful braking overall. The main advantage of single pivot rear is slight weight saving. Feel is very good with both set-ups.