(Part 2) Best bike brake parts according to redditors
We found 521 Reddit comments discussing the best bike brake parts. We ranked the 261 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Yes, like this!
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https://www.amazon.com/TEKTRO-Reach-Calipers-55-73mm-Silver/dp/B01N99BGKO/
Is this your first bike?
You should really check out the beginner advice thread and the $200-600 thread in addition to this one. There's a lot of helpful advice in there including SIZING. KNOWING YOUR SIZE IS SUPER IMPORTANT SO KNOW THAT FIRST.
Also, if you're in this price bracket and you don't already have the essential bike accessories:
Note there are other options for all of these that could allow you to save money/space/whatever, but you won't go wrong with what I linked. I'd really suggest having these even if it means you go down a price bracket on the actual bike, they'll all come in handy.
New Bikes
Used Bikes
Another great thing about this price bracket is the used market. I daresay it is easy to find outstanding value bikes used in this price range if you know what you're doing. I helped a friend source this for $1100 and we were being choosey! Again, if you need help post in the questions thread or just PM me because I like helping people with this stuff.
The set-up:
Front brake, lever, + cable.
They look so classy for the money. Link for anyone interested
Just a heads-up, but check that the plastic collar between each brake arm and the fork (i.e. on the brake boss) isn't cracked. Most, not all, Exage cantilevers came with an underengineered plastic ring there. If that plastic ring is cracked, you'll never get the brakes adjusted right. For some reason, Shimano decided the return spring that gives your brake arms tension should be fitted through a hole drilled through the plastic collar. The tension invariably causes the ring to crack and split wide open. Cracks tend to be on the underside of the plastic ring, and can be straight enough to be mistaken for a design feature. You can often see the crack widening and narrowing as you squeeze the brake levers.
The fix is to buy new brakes. V-brakes won't work well because your levers are engineered around a different cable pull ratio than cantilever levers. The easiest replaement option, then, would be cantilevers without Shimano's plastic collar.
These worked perfectly fine on my mountain bike right up until the day I sold the entire bike:
https://www.amazon.com/SunLite-Sunlite-Alloy-Cantilever-Brake/dp/B016QRKKRI
they make fake levers for the stoker on tandems
[These] (https://www.amazon.com/Origin8-Alloy-Cable-Stop/dp/B00RNFTZQA) (or similar 'cable stop clamps') will slowly ruin your paint (p.s. Don't forget to measure your frame tube diameter(s) and buy appropriate sized clamps), and they can migrate slightly, requiring more regular adjustments to keep shifting spot on, but allow for you to add index shifting to bikes missing / with damaged cable stops.
Your LBS is right, fully housed shifting cables will generally give you Walmart bike shift performance, so these types of clamps can improve that, at the cost of greater maintenance requirements.
My other pertinent question is what is the rear dropout spacing? That's another factor that can limit how many gears you can have. If it's not at least 130mm, 5/6sp is the most you can possibly expect, if you're lucky. 135mm+ gives you many more options. Hope this helps!
Link:
Cane Creek Ergo Stoker Levers (Pair), Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZTNXDW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Qh.kybBE7VME5
Modern brake pads can be adjusted to face the rim at an angle. These are great and include the half-sphere washers necessary for that kind of a setup.
Those are long-pull brakes. You don't need long-pulls on a track or road-geometry bike. They're also single-pivot, which is an outdated and totally shitty kind of mechanism. And they're also way too cheap.
Get one of these instead, and a Tektro trigger if you like. It'll cost more but you'll like it more.
https://www.amazon.com/TRP-Retro-Brake-Lever-Silver/dp/B005H418I2
Get those. I have the non retro version on my singlespeed and they're great, but the retro version would look so good on your bike.
There unfortunately is not any standard caliper thickness.
Potential solutions include:
I think that the only real solution is using very thin spacers (for the cassette) and shims (for the rotor). Otherwise you're just running up against minor differences in spacing between hub manufacturers.
Adjusting the brake levers entirely depends on the model of lever. There's no generic way to adjust reach and if they're simple levers there is probably no adjustment mechanism. However, she can replace them with a nice pair of "short reach" levers for pretty cheap, these Cane Creek ones are $30-40.
Regarding the front tire... could be 27", 26", 650B... just depends. An LBS could definitely figure it out and order a replacement. I'd do it through an LBS because if they order the wrong thing they'll make it right. :)
THESE will work just fine for ya. They also have a quick adjuster on them for setting the lever distance from the bars.
Depends on your brake manufacturer. Avid:
http://www.amazon.com/Avid-Standard-Bleed-Disc-Brakes/dp/B0063HM5AM
These work fine in my experience.
Your 'turkey legs' are the older road bike brakes with the 'suicide levers' that curve around so they are reachable from the flat section of your drop bars, yes? in that case, No, you cannot install v-brakes, they require your frame to have canti studs to mount them to. Your frame likely does not have these. You can greatly increase your braking power with a set of dual-pivot caliper brakes (likely long-reach model is necessary), a newer set of levers can help power and comfort greatly as well.
> Also has anyone got any suggestions for an alternatives to cable ties for fixing the brake cable to the top tube?
You can get some steel brake cable housing clips like here. You could also try hydraulic cable clamps. You can also try drilling holes in the frame and doing internal cable routing but do your research first. It could weaken your frame (greatly, depending on the material) and it's somewhat difficult to run the cable through sometimes.
This is what you're probably looking for.
Ignore my earlier remark.
I have these Cane Creek levers on a bike and love em. Nice broad top surface, which eases out the pressure.
Haha $70+ in levers later... I'm in Canada do so the dollar difference hurts. Oww, my wallet. But yes, having the push button release on cable tension should be convenient, especially since my cantis can be a pain to fiddle with. Your levers look good! They're reasonably compact too, which is nice. I figure I'll keep my old levers around for a while just in case I have a bad case of regret. I bought NOS hoods for them off ebay last year and never got around to re-wrapping the bars. Which, small mercies? Here's a nice comparison of the Cane Creek vs the TRPs ... damn but they are weird looking. ohgodwhathaveIdone....
Also sorry to hear about the crash! Funny about the low trail. I wonder if that holds true across the different sizes of that frame. Looks like you're well set up for front loads, then!
OK, here's what you need:
As for the shifters, it's not totally clear. You should first try removing the MicroShift bar-end shifters and see if you can disassemble the bar-end mounting piece from the shifter lever. Ultimately you need shifters that look like this: https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Dura-Ace-SL-7900-10-Speed-Shifters/dp/B001LPK8JG (or you can just buy those). Or, you might decide you want the shifters on your bars instead, in which case: https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-SLX-RapidFire-Mountain-Bicycle/dp/B007Q4M8RQ - if you go this way you may also need a new front derailleur (a Shimano mountain one, instead of the Tiagra road one you have).
You may also need new cables but probably you can cut the existing ones down (either way you need the cutters above).
>This to my knowledge is the only thing that's going to work. I use one on my drop bar near the stem so its out of the way. You can also look cooler, ditch the brake, and buy more tires and shoes. Up to you! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N8V20D2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Check out the Cane Creek Crosstop levers- I'm running them on my single speed and they are great. I think they will work better for your bike than MTB brake levers since they are angled a little differently
https://www.amazon.com/Cane-Creek-Crosstop-Alloy-Levers/dp/B001JI8SKG?th=1&psc=1
It depends on conditions, how you ride, what brake pads you use, etc etc. I'd personally start super cheap with something like this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F0653KG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and upgrade as needed. Worst that will happen is you destroy a set of pads and have to get new rotors and pads but they very well might be fine and you can save a bit of money. If you ride in mud a lot and you burn through a set of pads too fast maybe get a set of Mud Runners. Otherwise the only reason to upgrade from super cheap simple steel rotors is weight and better heat dissipation (Shimano IceTech stuff, though this is mostly for MTB).
As far as the Mud Runners overheating on MTB trails, I'm not really sure... You might just have to try it out.
Nice! I bought a Le Tour III for $50 and sold it for $100.
The absolute best upgrade you can do: Aero brake levers (Tektro R100 is what I got). You can route the cables under the bar tape. Makes it look and feel MUCH better.
I really miss my Le Tour. Have fun with yours!
You can use bbshd if you upgrade to kool stop ebike pads.
https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Lightweight-Version-Electric/dp/B00D6016MM
But ideally you would also change the front fork to something that has disc brake post mount. Ebike pads on the rear and something nice like hydraulics on the front, that's what I got on my Ludicrous bbshd. Front is rocking shimano slx with 203mm icetek rotors and i couldn't be happier with it. This was on a shit-tier $150 Walmart bike. Anything is possible with modifications, don't be afraid to go high power.
Kool stop dual compound brake pads
OR
Kool stop salmon brake pads
You need the right pads for all weather conditions if you are riding in the rain. Especially heavy rain.
Regular black brake pads are truly for DRY conditions only.
Dual compound is for both. Salmon is for mostly wet.
Give a pair of these a try and not only will you have the best and strongest rim braking you've ever had, you'll have the best all-weather performance there is for rim brakes. It is absolutely worth the money and one of the best bike upgrades you can do for a rim-brake bicycle.
Make sure to toe in brakes to avoid squeaking and you're golden.
If this is for a commuter bike and rain happens here and there, this is a necessity for safety, not a luxury. The right brakes are just as necessary as a helmet.
3 out of my 4 bikes have rim brakes and these are the only pads I use or recommend. Getting the toe in correct for squeaking is a thing, but other than that they are the best brakes out there for rims. Hands down. Especially for rain and snow.
Rotors are generally interchangeable as long as you get the right size (i.e. 160mm, 180mm, etc). I'm thinking you probably have 160mm rotors up front and back? The size should be printed or stamped on the rotor somewhere.
The RT-54 is actually cheaper than the one I mentioned --> $14 on Amazon
I like the centerlock system, easier to change out than 6 bolt rotors.
On cheaper bikes decals can be pretty low-tech, and cheaper bike-boom Centurions are not bad unless you buy bikes for the decals.
Not so much fixing, but there are things to check out. I would spin the wheels and see if they roll smoothly, turn the fork to see if the headset is okay, same with the cranks and bottom bracket. Most likely I bet the headset and bottom bracket are fine, but wheels get a lot of weather and road mess thrown at them and I bet the hubs need an overhaul.
If it were me, and I were doing all the work myself, I would replace all of the cables for shifters and brakes. I might also consider getting new brake handles, but that is just my preference.
I like these http://www.amazon.com/Tektro-Road-Brake-Levers-Compact/dp/B000AO5GVE
thanks for the intel. Can you give me any pointers on installing these? These seem highly rated and the price does seem right: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N3RB7UZ/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_cr_x__a_w
But, would I need to literally cut the brake lines and splice in these new cross brakes, and then continue the brake back through to the existing drop bar levers? Seems risky considering I've never done something like that before. If it's simpler than that, let me know. Otherwise, I might just bring the parts to a shop and have them do it.
Suicide levers are the extensions that let you brake from other places besides the hoods or drops. There is a possibility of the levers impeding you from applying the brakes fully if something isn't adjusted correctly, but really they just look tacky. Aero levers allow you to hide the brake cables underneath the bar tape for a nicer look, while also reducing wind drag (hence the "aero"). Aero levers also give a bit more mechanical advantage and make the hood position more comfortable. It really is just personal preference but it has it's advantages. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000AO5GVE (You would need to buy the rubber hoods for these)
I just picked up some of these. Haven't used them yet though, still waiting for my battery to come in: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D6016MM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I never had issues with my Hayes Stroker Trail brakes (pads, regular bleeding, etc) until I had to replace the pistons and seals in the caliper. The seals were bad and leaking brake fluid out onto the pads, and the pistons were also cocked sideways and wouldn't move smoothly.
Bleeding a Hayes brake from empty is one of the most excruciating experiences I've had with bicycle maintenance. Even bleeding my motorcycle brake lines from empty, which have a ton of places for air to hide, was enjoyable compared to the Hayes. The caliper and master cylinder just will not let air out. I tried 3 or 4 times and then just put some shitty old mechanical disc brakes back on the bike (this was my commuter so I wasn't going to spend top dollar on new parts).
Avid on the other hand sells a very nice kit, which while a bit pricey, does the job in no time flat and the caliper and MC seem to dump air pretty well. That said I'm on the verge of having a MC seal failure on my Elixir 3s and we'll see how much I like them after I have to rebuild those. :)
i know you said you were going to take it to the shop. if you do, buy the SRAM Team GXP BB.
this job requires only 1 specialized tool however, and if you have any inclination to do it yourself it's one of the simpler things you can do at home.
ingredients:
directions:
Since you mentioned suicide levers, you can easily add Crosstop levers. They work great and are easily installed.
These Levers allow you to adjust the pull. I read a lot of good things about them and decided to buy them because they're a relatively cheap upgrade, and I was really impressed. especially because you can adjust them while you are riding.
I'm pretty sure that's the wrong size for this application. The 726 is for mounting on the 26mm stem clamping area of the bars. The RL720 mounts to the 24mm brake clamping area of the bars.
Cane Creek "26mm" cross levers clamp to the 24mm section of the bar.
Tektro RL720 24mm = Cane Creek 26mm.
Tektro RL721 31.8mm = Cane Creek 31.8mm.
There's no CC equivalent to the Tektro RL726 that I can see.
https://www.amazon.com/SHIMANO-SM-RT54-Brake-CenterLock-160-mm/dp/B007Q4M6PU/ref=asc_df_B007Q4M6PU/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312065280674&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7948621623917630703&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021359&hvtargid=pla-571345704636&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=62425943472&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312065280674&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7948621623917630703&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9021359&hvtargid=pla-571345704636
I ran mini-v's over the last winter for what you describe. They were more powerful for the late summer (dry) single track rides but I found that the mud/grit/salt in my area was prone to getting stuck between the pads and rim/tires which made terrible noises, reduced my braking, and eroded ... everything. I'm going back to wide cantis for the rough weather. Discs would probably be the best for single track but might be overkill for anything less.
Try out different brake levers before you buy. I switched from these to these and think that was a bigger upgrade than switching from cantis to mini-v's.
For those that were asking, these are the rotors in question:
Cheap Rotors
If anyone has links to other cheap rotors that work, please share
I have a new in box avid bleed kit if you're interested. http://www.amazon.com/Avid-Standard-Bleed-Disc-Brakes/dp/B0063HM5AM
The things that make the most sense to upgrade first are the cheap ones that move to a new bike the easiest:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07CVY5ZXS/
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07PD9Y5D6/
Things that won't move with you that may make sense to look at:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001CJZ0Q2/
Tires - you're likely to find something with a little more aggressive tread than what you have for $20 / tire on clearance.
or just buy some stoker hoods...
https://www.amazon.com/Cane-Creek-Stoker-Levers-Black/dp/B000ZTNXDW
http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=6dfccf4e-6cc7-4ae2-a975-10c1df2be28d&Enum=118
they're made for the rear guy on a tandem... cuz he has no brakes.... :-)
Found these too
https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Lightweight-Version-Electric/dp/B00D6016MM
Anyone here use them?
I replaced mine with these generic canti brakes - comes with the arms, a yoke cable, and pads but no brake cable. It is a less of a headache to go with these than v-brakes, which require different brake levers (long vs short pull), and I didn't want to go down the rabbit hole of upgrading everything.
https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Alloy-Cantilever-Brake/dp/B016QRKKRI
These Vuelta Zerolites appear to be ok, you'll need to buy a s/s freewheel and I would recommend avoiding the very cheap chinese units, and buying a Shimano (MX30?) as a minimum, add a KMC chain, some Vittoria Zaffiro tyres, all done. For the brakes, you may need something like the Tektro r559 to reach the new wheels.
Will also need to figure out the crankset, but if you're lucky, may get away with running just the inner ring on your existing crankset and put a fairly small freewheel down the back (16t or 15t)...maybe
I went with the Tektro r559. They were $45 a pair on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/TEKTRO-Reach-Calipers-55-73mm-Silver/dp/B01N99BGKO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543383269&sr=8-1&keywords=tektro+r559
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These barely reached all the way in the rear.
RS11 wheels are not disc brake compatible, you'll have to filter by disk wheelsets on whatever website you were planning to buy from. Make sure whatever wheels you pick have the same hub spacing as your bike, which is probably 100mm front 130mm rear if you have a road bike.
Everything else you said is fine, that's all you'll need. If you have dual-caliper disk brakes you won't have to worry about adjusting them between wheelsets, if you have single-caliper brakes some disk spacers might come in handy https://www.amazon.com/Syntace-Disc-Shims-Bag-8/dp/B001PTBPY0
There are also these.
Okay, so with $200, assuming I was doing the work:
Wrap handlebars - $11.53 (sweet dark red, cause the red on there looks awesome already)
Cheap 700c wheels from co-op - $20? (Talk with them about the gearing to see if the range is the same, or if you want tighter range or whatever, they probably have a few sets there with somewhat different gear ranges on the rear)
Saddle from co-op - $5-10
Tubes/tires - $45 (tires, tubes)
Derailleur cables - $7 (Shimano, here)
Brake cables - $10.39 (Shimano, here)
Brake levers - $22.53 (Tektro RL340)
Brakes - $62 - (Tektro 539 rear, front)
5-speed chain - 7.98 (here)
Then I'd try to get pedals and a cheap but aluminum quill stem, handlebars, and seatpost from the co-op. Depending on where you are, you may be able to get all for $20 or less. Functional new parts suggestions: (not guaranteed to fit. These have all sorts of different diameters over the years/models, so you need to know what you have/need. Handlebars, Seatpost, stem.)
http://www.amazon.com/Tektro-Stainless-Bicycle-Brake-Housing/dp/B0064HLZMA
Thinking about it... Might be a good way to get into maintaining it myself. Is this bracket right for me?
http://www.amazon.com/SRAM-Bottom-Bracket-Team-English/dp/B003L9EIZK/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1342199131&sr=1-1&keywords=truvativ+road+gxp+bottom+bracket
I'm having a hard time parsing the description... "It's compatible with all SRAM road and Truvativ mountain cranksets." I have a Truvativ road crankset, is it still compatible? Based on some comments, it looks like i should ignore manufacturers instructions and not use any spacers. Also, it looks like I'll need a tool to tighten the bracket from the outside. I've seen a few youtube videos that use torque wrenches to tighten from the inside, what kind of torque wrench would I need for the outside tightening tool. Thanks, and sorry if the questions don't make sense, I'm not sure what to call some of the stuff.