Shimano brakes

[SpokeyDokey]

Are there any real performance differences in the following?:

• Tiagra
• BR-R561 (seen these on a lot of bikes esp' Cube) - on Shimano Techdocs site they look very simlar to Tiagra in the exploded component shots.
• 105
• Ultegra

By real performance differences does the extra cost buy more stopping power?

 

[derrick]

I would think it they would be much the same, only thing that would make a differance would be the brake pad, i could be wrong

 

[HLaB]

I've no experience but I've heard the 105 are a bit stronger than some of the sora/tiagra copies but beyond that other than weight/cost there's not much difference; the bigger difference is in the pads.

 

[Milo]

Better modulation perhaps. But as said pads probably more important.

 

[Basil.B]

Ultegra I read somewhere are the most powerful.
I have 105 on my bike and they are fine for me.

 

[Milo]

They would say that them being the most expensive.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Well I guess it is all in the pad then.

Looks like the BR-R560/61 is the old 105 5500 which is the current Tiagra. I guess trickle down technology is really trickle down models ie an out of date model just dropping down a level in name only.

Just re-enforces my view that at the higher end whilst you may get a weight shave here and there you are really paying for not a lot in terms of outright performance.

As I see it unless an Ultegra brake knocks 5/10/20% or whatever off the stopping distance of a Tiagra brake then the price differential is a nonsense surely?

Extra durability can't be much of an issue either. My MTB equipped with Ritchey Logic brakes covered well over 10000 miles and the brakes felt as new when I sold it.