Brake blocks and cartridges for tektro calipers

[Salty seadog]

Hi, what decent brake blocks and cartridges are suitable for tektro (duel pivot?) calipers on ally rims?
The calipers are fixed by a single bolt through the fork crown and seat stay bridge.(duel pivot?)

Have a tt style brake lever set up, the sort that plug into the end of a set of bull bars.
The current set up is very spongy and poor. Some have said poor calipers others that the tt brake set up is generally poor.

Looking for advice to improve performance?

Cheers,

ssd.

 

[NorthernDave]

I've also got Tektro calipers on the Road Comp and swapped the standard blocks out for Swissstop Flash Pro BXPs and they're a definite improvement (you'll also need cartridges).
That said, the advice I've been given is that the calipers themselves aren't great and upgrading them would be the next step.

 

[bpsmith]

I had Tektro calipers on my first bike. I upgraded the pads to Swissstop and the braking improves bed quite a bit. I then replaced them for 105 and used the same Swissstop pads, which saw an even greater gain. I also tried the Tektro pads in the 105 calipers, just for fun, and can confirm that the calipers make more of a difference than the pads do.

Worth trying the Swissstop though, as they are bette pads than Shimano and don’t wear the rims as much.

Not all Tektro calipers are poor performers mind you. They make a range of calipers, some of which are very good. Every brand has good and bad products, it just depends what you’re prepared to pay tbh.

 

[raleighnut]

I've got similar levers on one of my bikes (operating 105 calipers) and they feel 'spongey' but long before they have any solid 'feel' to them the wheel has locked. DAMHIKT, and yes it was the front wheel.

 

[Globalti]

Worth trying the Swissstop though, as they are bette pads than Shimano and don’t wear the rims as much.
.

This can only be because the Swisstop pads are of a softer compound and therefore grab better, while wearing in preference to the rims.

 

[Crackle]

Probably the calipers. I've just gone back to Tektro inserts as I found them just as good as the Koolstops which are twice the price.

 

[rivers]

I use swisstop on my bike with tektro calipers. It did improve the braking performance. Still not nearly as good as my 105 calipers, however.

 

[Drago]

I got Felt branded blocks on Tektros and they are fantastic. I emailed Felt asking where I could buy them and they sent me a set for free!

 

[NorthernDave]

A quick look suggests a new set of 105 callipers is available for around £50 - presumably a straightforward swap, so not a huge amount of money for a worthwhile upgrade?

That said, if I was buying another road bike it would have to be something pretty special for me to consider one without hydraulic discs now.

 

[Drago]

Got 105 calipers with the stock shimano pads on the other bike, and the Tektro's with the Felt branded pads bitch slap them into submission.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I've been using Clarkes pads / cartridges recently. I've found the 'performance' pads ( they are the fancy pantsy grey and red ones) really work quite well.

 

[HLaB]

Might be nothing to do with it but I had a spate of accidents when I had a Tektro long reach brake fitted (in my mind the arms were just to flexible). Touch wood I've only had one accident since I switched to shimano 650's, and that was one where some numpty took my front wheel out.

 

[Salty seadog]

Many thanks all...

 

[bpsmith]

Got 105 calipers with the stock shimano pads on the other bike, and the Tektro's with the Felt branded pads bitch slap them into submission.

Which model Tektro’s are they?

Like I said, they make a whole range of calipers, some of which are great brakes. Cheapest end certainly aren’t, which is to be expected.

 

[bpsmith]

This can only be because the Swisstop pads are of a softer compound and therefore grab better, while wearing in preference to the rims.

They state that they were the rim AND the pad less and that they do not contain any abrasive materials. I agree that they must be softer compounds. You can’t have it all!

They have lasted very well though, in both wet and dry. No complaints there. The best bit is that they do not leave black sludge around the rims when using them in the wet, like Shimano pads do.

I have also been using the Carbon specific pads on the other bike. The stopping power on my carbon rims is immense.