Are Tektro R320 brakes rubbish?

[jamiebae]

Got my first road bike a couple of weeks ago, one of these...

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/road/volant/vo...

All lovely, but the brakes aren't exactly confidence inspiring. I've no idea if the brakes themselves are pants, the friction material is made of weetabix or that's just what roadie brakes are like.

I do have an MTB with Tektro discs, but cable operated not hydraulic but these feel much better in terms of stopping power and feel.

Any thoughts, or is it a case of rule 5 and stop being a wuss?

[Fozziebear]

Try different pads, some can be as good as warm cheese, others will grip like glue.

[anonymous-user]

They are unlikely to be rubbish but you can improve their performance quite easily. Take the cables out and lube them, also check the outers for damage inside, once lubed the cable should thread through easily. Make sure they are not too straight either. Cables should have a good curve from the levers to the mounting points on the tubes to ensure they work well. You may need to buy a new cable outer but this is a pound or two from a shop. You'd be surprised how much difference 2-3 extra cm can make.

Check the pads are close enough to the rim to be doing something after only minimal pressure on the lever, brakes work best if force is applied gradually. I like about 1-1.5mm between pad and rim so a quick touch of the brakes is enough to shave off a bit of speed. Adjust the toe in so the back of the pad hits the rim first too, this makes a huge difference.

It is worth paying extra for good pads too, I use swissstop green pads and they are superb. No complaints after 100km in the rain over the weekend in Wales. Check what will fit your brakes and have a look what gets good reviews.

Also, buy some cheap brake disc cleaner from machine mart or toolstation and give the rims a good clean. The stuff in the green and white aerosol cans is pretty good.

[jamiebae]

Cables are all smooth and everything is clean - the bike is new and properly set up by a good LBS so there are no issues with setup.

I guess what I'm asking is if an upgrade will give a noticeable benefit or not, and if the stock brakes are acceptable or generally considered a weak link.

[shouldbworking]

It's probably just a matter of getting used to them. I went out on my road bike last night for the first time in months.. first pull of the (campag veloce) brakes.. yikes. A far cry from my deore 596 equipped mtbs, and a long way from my avid bb5 cx bike too. Still, a few miles on and a quick tweak to the barrel adjusters they were more than capable of overwhelming the tyres grip.

[jamiebae]

I'm sure technique has something to do with it too, I find it feels like the rear of the bike is trying to lift off the ground when I throw out the anchors on a descent.

[Smartboy]

I've recently got a road-bike as my commuter. I've ridden MTBs since I was a kid and have had a stream of bikes with hydraulic (sp?) discs.
I'm used to the power of my Avid Elixir 5's and the first week of commuting on the rim-brake equipped road bike was an eye-opener!

It reminded me of wet muddy rides on my Emmelle Leopard with rim brakes and shiny chrome braking surface on the rims!

I think the answer is in the 'rules' somewhere and goes along the lines of MTFU and pull on the levers harder!

I have to say though, after going through my first set of OEM pads after 6 weeks of winter commuting, I upgraded to different pads (can't remember the brand or name, but look similar in size and design to old MTB V-Brake pads...much longer than the small OEM ones which came fitted to the bike) braking is much more effective and inspires more confidence.

[Jimbo.]

Road bikes can be good, although they're never quite as powerful/"nice feeling" as MTB disc brakes, if that's where you've come from.

i do believe my Equilibrium came with the same/similar brakes. They're not the best, but they do suffice. OE pads are a bit crap though. Before swapping them out for Shimano R650s (upgrade fairy called), I fitted Swisstop (green) pads and noticed am immdiate improvement. Worth a punt, although they don't last long.

[jamiebae]

Thanks for that mate, you can come over and fit some for me then, followed by a quick Genesis only ride through the Chilterns!

Where do I find these pads then?

[G0ldfysh]

get the brakes too good on a road bike and easier to lock the wheels.
Is a balance if the tail is lifting need to get off the back more when slowing hard.

[yellowjack]

jamiebae said:

Where do I find these pads then?

Here...

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/rim-brake-pads/?ea=4294789... (other online cycling retailers are available)

...although I don't know what type of pad/carrier system you have on the Tektros, so you may need to buy the 'blocks' to start with, so that you have the correct metal 'carrier' for the rubber pads. Once you have the metal carriers fitted, the pads simply slide in and out, and are fixed in place in the carrier by a small Allen Screw.

I have a set of the Swisstop pads in my garage, ready to fit when I wear out the Shimano OE pads. So far the original pads have lasted 5,142 miles, outlasting 1 cassette, 1 set of cables, 2 chains, 4 pairs of tyres, and countless innertubes. I think the fact that most of my riding was on 'left turning' loops in rural areas over the last 2 years meant that I didn't have much need of the brakes. If you are riding in urban areas, or descend lots of hills, your experience may well be different.

[lynus2004]

I find the Koolstop pads are worth a look, cost less than the Swissstop and I didn't notice a drop in performance.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kool-stop-dura-aceultegra1...

[dontdobends]

jamiebae said:

Got my first road bike a couple of weeks ago, one of these...

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/road/volant/vo...

All lovely, but the brakes aren't exactly confidence inspiring. I've no idea if the brakes themselves are pants, the friction material is made of weetabix or that's just what roadie brakes are like.

I do have an MTB with Tektro discs, but cable operated not hydraulic but these feel much better in terms of stopping power and feel.

Any thoughts, or is it a case of rule 5 and stop being a wuss?

Yep iv'e got these brakes on my winter bike and they are not very good!
i changed the pads to the ultegra ones and are slightly better

[donfisher]

lynus2004 said:

I find the Koolstop pads are worth a look, cost less than the Swissstop and I didn't notice a drop in performance.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kool-stop-dura-aceultegra1...

Agreed, I've got them on my MTB and road bike and they're the best I've used in the £10 bracket.

[jamiebae]

Problem solved - just fitted these...



http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-professional-road...

.... and the braking performance is totally transformed. Much better initial bite and massively more powerful, all for less than £20. I've already become a tyre zealot and will now preach the gospel of uprated brake blocks until everyone is very bored indeed, the old Tektro ones are going straight in the bin (or more precisely in the box of old bike bits in my shed).

I had to go for silver as that was all they had in Shimano fit but they look fine on the bike, and only took a few mins to fit and get set up properly too.

[aberdeeneuan]

I recently did the same, change the pads on the road bike (for some Swissstop greens). I also took some time and played around with shims to move the leavers closer to the handlebars to give me some more confidence and the combination of the two made a huge difference.