Brake upgrade

[Kcyclist]

Want to upgrade rim brakes on my giant defy 2 2016.
Bike has Tiagra 4700 speed shifters and chainset with cheapo tektro brakes fitted.
Can I fit shimano 105 br7000 brakes to this bike i. e. are there any compatibility issues??? or would tiagra 4700 be better.
Reviews say the 105 brakes are much better than tiagra so want to go with these if possible
Any help appreciated!

 

[vickster]

These should work, were fitted as standard to the 2016 Defy 0 and they’re half price
https://www.merlincycles.com/shimano-br-561-brake-calipers-64441.html

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/defy-0-2016

 

[roubaixtuesday]

As far as I can read it, the Shimano compatibility chart for brakes says almost all cable pulls are the same for road systems, specifically including the ones you want to use.

https://productinfo.shimano.com/#/com/1.8?acid=C-456&cid=C-453

Caveat emptor - I'm no expert.

 

[derrick]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274372724546
Ultegra is the way to go. Keep an eye on Ebay.

 

[RoadRider400]

Got 105s myself and whilst I have nothing to compare them with I can highly recommend them. However I cannot really see how Tiagra,105 and ultegra can be all that different in retardation ability. They all have Shimano cables, levers and pads so can there really be much stopping difference? Im sure somebody will be along in a minute to explain.

 

[Jody]

Got 105s myself and whilst I have nothing to compare them with I can highly recommend them. However I cannot really see how Tiagra,105 and ultegra can be all that different in retardation ability. They all have Shimano cables, levers and pads so can there really be much stopping difference? Im sure somebody will be along in a minute to explain.

I had Tektro calipers on my Defy. They weren't great so thought I would swap them out for some 105's. No difference what so ever other than they matched the bike and were a touch lighter.

 

[fossyant]

They all work - make sure you've got decent cables and good pads. The more expensive stuff is a little lighter, and flashier, but they all work rather well. If it had been say cheap Tekro calipers vs Shimano, then yes you might notice a difference.

 

[faster]

I upgraded from Tiagra 4600 to 105 5800 (both older versions of the ones you are considering) and the difference was absolutely huge. There are significant design differences between the the calipers and believe the same is true between the 4700 and 7000 series.

With the 4600 calipers the brake performance was extremely poor, verging on dangerous in the dry and almost undetectable when wet. With the 105 calipers the braking is good even in the wet, especially when braking from the drops.

I also have a bike with Ultegra calipers and the braking is slightly better, but that is probably because they are matched with the correct levers. The design of the Ultegra and 105 calipers looks similar to me.

I doubt you'll have any compatibility issues, despite what Shimano may say.

Edit: I meant compatibility between the lever and caliper. You still need to make sure the caliper will have enough drop for the frame!

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I doubt you'll have any compatibility issues, despite what Shimano may say

Per the table I referenced above AFAICT Shimano do say they are compatible.

 

[figbat]

Just double-check the drop on the Tektros before spending my money. I was seduced by some cheap 105 calipers being sold by a colleague so snatched them up to replace the Tektros on my Synapse. It turned out the Tektros were a long-drop variety and the 105s were too short to reach the rims.

 

[DRM]

I had Tektro calipers on my Defy. They weren't great so thought I would swap them out for some 105's. No difference what so ever other than they matched the bike and were a touch lighter.

I fitted 105 callipers on my Defy, as the standard fit Tektro's, were quite simply dangerous, the 105's are quite simply far better and pull the bike bike up from speed easily.

 

[Kcyclist]

Cheers all for the advice. Got 105 br7000 brakes, they fit fine and are a big improvement versus the old tektros!!

 

[DRM]

Cheers all for the advice. Got 105 br7000 brakes, they fit fine and are a big improvement versus the old tektros!!

Good one, fitting those 105’s is a very good upgrade, they are fantastic for the price