Extra long Reach caliper brakes

[M_Chavez]

Hi All,

A quick question about extra long reach brakes - I am looking for a caliper brake with about 65mm reach and the choice comes down to:
- Extra long Tektro (e.g. 559);
- Chinese copy of 559. Could be from the same factory for all I know.
- Vintage Extra-long calipers (e.g. single-pivot dia-compe), however, these are heavier and, I believe, do not perform as well as 559.

It is my understanding that Tektro pads are better replaced with kool-stops or higher end shimmies, but the rest of the caliper is supposed to be good.
Now, I can get the Chinese copy of 559 and upgrade it with Shimano BR-6700 shoes & pads for about half the price of new 559s+koolstops.

Is there any point buying the tektros? Or a caliper is a caliper and an alloy arm is an alloy arm and there is likely to be zero difference in the brake's performance?

Thanks.

 

[hamster]

I've run 559s for five years or so, and am very pleased with them. They have been ridden through each winter. The orginal brake blocks worked fine for me, so swaps were only when worn out.

Cheaper ones generally have poorer tolerances around the pivot, so they flex and can squeal. Also the metal finishing and materials are generally worse, so you get corrosion or discolouring. Tektros aren't exactly expensive. Personally I would buy them again, knowing that they are durable and work well.

 

[M_Chavez]

Re:

Thank you - good to hear from somebody who actually used them!

 

[kingoffootball]

As another alternative, I have Dia-Compe BRS 202s on my Raleigh Twenty/Stowaway and I am happy with their braking performance, though I guess it would be further improved with Kool-stop pads, like a lot of brakes.