My numpty turn - Best Road calipers?

Hi guys,
Ive got around 50 miles under my belt now on my new (and first) road bike and am getting on well with it.
Couple of things id like to ask though as I have poor knowledge of road products.

Whats the best way to improve braking power?

My new bike has tektro calipers and Sora shifters/levers, and im having to pull pretty hard to scrub off speed, im not looking forward to my first emergency braking experience.
Are there really any calipers that can do a much better job than others?
Which ones should I look out for, and which are best value?
Do different pads make much of a difference?

My b/b has also developed an annoying knocking sound. Have removed,checked,and re-tightened everything and the sound went away for a few miles but has suddenly crept back.
Im thinking cheap nasty bearings on the b/b perhaps?

Cheers

A softer pad will make a difference - they do wear quicker tho. Likewise if your brakes have one piece blocks and holders, an upgrade to cartridge holders not only makes replacement of pads cheaper and easier, they also give a firmer feel

are there no ''miles better than the rest'' calipers available then?

Provided that they're not seizing, calipers are more of a 'much of a muchness' grouping but brake blocks are certainly not!

Buy some Aztec blocks and fit these before swapping calipers. Clean the rims before fitting them and you may see a B-I-G improvement!

Steve Kish":24ehyypg said:

Provided that they're not seizing, calipers are more of a 'much of a muchness' grouping but brake blocks are certainly not!

Buy some Aztec blocks and fit these before swapping calipers. Clean the rims before fitting them and you may see a B-I-G improvement!

Click to expand...

Any chance to a link of said pads?
Ive only found one set of Aztecs and the are designated 'long life' compound which doesnt fill me with confidence before purchasing.

More than happoy to give some grippy new pads a try though.

With road wheels you can run the pads closer to the rim giving the levers a firmer feel.

Also check the brake cable outers. Put some new cables on and make sure all the cables are well stretched, good quality and cable ferrules are tight.

Make sure your bolts are done up tight too.

Any dual pivot design should have a v-brake feel to it unless your rims/ pads are very new and not yet bedded in.

KeepItSteel":h2dpo7vk said:

Steve Kish":h2dpo7vk said:

Provided that they're not seizing, calipers are more of a 'much of a muchness' grouping but brake blocks are certainly not!

Buy some Aztec blocks and fit these before swapping calipers. Clean the rims before fitting them and you may see a B-I-G improvement!

Click to expand...

Any chance to a link of said pads?
Ive only found one set of Aztecs and the are designated 'long life' compound which doesnt fill me with confidence before purchasing.

More than happoy to give some grippy new pads a try though.

Click to expand...

The Aztec cartridge-style dual-compound BRBX pads are good, they seem to cope well with everything that cyclo-cross can chuck at them. Available in a road caliper version too.

David

If you fancy upgrading your brakes planet x are doing some cracking discounts at the moment - worth a ganders!