Planet X calipers
Discussion
Over the winter I ordered Planet X CNC lightweight brake calipers as a supposed upgrade to my shimano 105 setup. Well that wasn't half a mistake!!
The setting up of the things is a nightmare. I tried (professional
Electrical Engineer) then my training partner tried (professional Gas engineer, who recently built a Cervelo from scratch) and we both struggled to get them centred.
In the last week I've done 150 miles
with them, my first rides of the year and the stopping power is terrible. I mean so bad that you'd struggle to lock the back wheel if you chose to.
So, admitting defeat, I took it to my LBS, where the owner looks after some pretty high end TT stuff. Even he said they were a nightmare but he'd done the best he could. He recommends throwing them in the bin and putting my 105 stuff back on. His words were threre's not enough modulation with them.
Has anyone else had these issues with Planet X calipers? I'm half way decided to send them back but I'd be 100 bucks down.
The setting up of the things is a nightmare. I tried (professional
Electrical Engineer) then my training partner tried (professional Gas engineer, who recently built a Cervelo from scratch) and we both struggled to get them centred.
In the last week I've done 150 miles
with them, my first rides of the year and the stopping power is terrible. I mean so bad that you'd struggle to lock the back wheel if you chose to.
So, admitting defeat, I took it to my LBS, where the owner looks after some pretty high end TT stuff. Even he said they were a nightmare but he'd done the best he could. He recommends throwing them in the bin and putting my 105 stuff back on. His words were threre's not enough modulation with them.
Has anyone else had these issues with Planet X calipers? I'm half way decided to send them back but I'd be 100 bucks down.
You mean these?:
ultra light CNC
I have them on my Planet-X and I think they're fantastic. I could probably lock the front wheel, so the power is certainly there. I'm 90kgs for reference. Centering is not the best, but there is a small allen key screw for fine tuning.
ultra light CNC
I have them on my Planet-X and I think they're fantastic. I could probably lock the front wheel, so the power is certainly there. I'm 90kgs for reference. Centering is not the best, but there is a small allen key screw for fine tuning.
I have those too and reckon they're unbeatable for the money.
Yeah, they take a little more setting up than a regular dual pivot set up, but we're talking 5 minutes from taking the caliper out of the packet to having it up and running (assuming the cables are already to size and on the frame). Every 3 or 4 rides I may just tweak the caliper to recentre it, but that's literally a 15 second per caliper job with an 18mm spanner.
As for the braking, they're not the very best I've used (DA7900), but about 95% of the way there. You'd really have to be concentrating on the braking performance to notice a difference (I've only compared the stock DA pads with Swissstop Greens in the PX calipers).
The only drawback I've found with them is that it's a pain in the arse to do up the little grub screw that holds the barrel that sits under the arm that actuates the caliper. It's easy to do up quite tight, but being as that's the only screw holding the cable in place, I want it damn tight and because the design has it as a free floating element and it's a pretty small allan key required, it's not as easy as doing up a regular cable clamp.
Yeah, they take a little more setting up than a regular dual pivot set up, but we're talking 5 minutes from taking the caliper out of the packet to having it up and running (assuming the cables are already to size and on the frame). Every 3 or 4 rides I may just tweak the caliper to recentre it, but that's literally a 15 second per caliper job with an 18mm spanner.
As for the braking, they're not the very best I've used (DA7900), but about 95% of the way there. You'd really have to be concentrating on the braking performance to notice a difference (I've only compared the stock DA pads with Swissstop Greens in the PX calipers).
The only drawback I've found with them is that it's a pain in the arse to do up the little grub screw that holds the barrel that sits under the arm that actuates the caliper. It's easy to do up quite tight, but being as that's the only screw holding the cable in place, I want it damn tight and because the design has it as a free floating element and it's a pretty small allan key required, it's not as easy as doing up a regular cable clamp.
Markp13 said:
His words were threre's not enough modulation with them.
This is because the cable pull ratio for the newer Shimano's is different so they won't be as effective. It's not dangerous but you will definitely have to pull the brake lever closer to the bar to get the equivalent braking force.For info the only brake calipers that have the correct cable pull ratio for Shimano DA7900, Ultegra 6700 and 105 5700 is the hideously expensive TRP 979 SL http://www.trpbrakes.com/category.php?productid=11... or the 979 EQ http://www.trpbrakes.com/category.php?productid=11...
andrewturner said:
I've got a set of these on my pinarello, they are a pain to set up and the braking is pretty poor (probably the pads) but they look so good!
On my Tarmac it has 105 and it's night and day in terms of stopping power.
Annoying but I'll live with it.
I thought it might be the pads too, so I asked but he was certain it was the modulation.On my Tarmac it has 105 and it's night and day in terms of stopping power.
Annoying but I'll live with it.
They do look good in there anodised colours but they just take so much more effort for the same/or near performance as the 105's.
I use PX brakes with SRAM levers and find them absolutely fine. I have SRAM Red brakes on another bike and I don't notice a difference going from one to the other.
Centering is easy enough once you've worked it out.
The only real flaw is the lack of quick release lever, but I don't use them on my race bike where that would be an issue.
Centering is easy enough once you've worked it out.
The only real flaw is the lack of quick release lever, but I don't use them on my race bike where that would be an issue.
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