Are the DA calipers worth the extra money? It looks like the weight savings is minimal, am I wrong? Do the DA calipers perform better?
Brake Calipers: DA vs. Ultegra
- Thread starter kdogkodiak
- Start date
About the only difference is that with DA you get thrown over your handle bars a little faster when you slam on your breaks then you do with Ultegra.
The real difference between DA and ultegra....other then weight...can be noticed in the drive train parts. DA shift faster and crisper.
The real difference between DA and ultegra....other then weight...can be noticed in the drive train parts. DA shift faster and crisper.
In my experience, DA calipers don't have any more braking power than Ultegra. With the OEM DA pads, they take a pretty solid grip on the levers to produce lockup, particularly at the front. Have heard it's possible to "get thrown over your handlebars" on braking, but I've never experienced it or even seen it happen on a road bike.bladegeek said:
I have never gone completely over, but I have had my bike almost vertical a few times. The worst time is when a car pulled out infront of me and then instantly stopped for no reason. If I did not pup my arm on the trunk deck I would have gone over. The bike never hit the car, and I destroyed the back end of the bike. (and my shoulder).dhk2 said:
ToffoIsMe said:
And they send the message that you care to spend for the very best. Brakes are probably the part where there is the least variance in performance across the Shimano food chain. Again, weight isn't an issue to 99.99% of the people riding. Reminds me of the guy I met (30 pounds overweight) debating getting a new wheelset with either Ultegra or DA hubs. He was wondering about the few grams difference. Still cracks my azz up to think about it.
Having the Dura-Ace name on your brakes is worth the extra money. Same case as having Record parts over any other Campy product is worth the extra money. IMOkdogkodiak said:
You've hit the reason I got DA brakes for my custom frame in 2004....didn't want to "cheap out" on the build kit selections for my new "ultra bike". Got the DA 9-sp cassette with the new bike for the same reason. OEM build-kit prices weren't all that much different, and besides, I wasn't ordering the custom frame in the first place to save money.capwater said:
For the replacement cassette, confess I went with Ultegra. When buying the replacement, the price difference just seemed more significant. The status of having a DA cassette, or saving 40 grams no longer seems as important to me.
============================================================vadiver said:
Yek, hope you're ok now
I've got Shimano RX100 calipers on my Ultegra equiped training bike and cheaper Cannondale calipers on my racing bike.
They both work well(twin pivot) and the weight difference to higher level is very minimal.
Plus - bonus if the guy/girl behind is only looking at your calipers for an idea of bike quality they're going to think - crappy bike = crappy rider(hopefully) and won't expect you to come over them on a hill or in a sprint
They both work well(twin pivot) and the weight difference to higher level is very minimal.
Plus - bonus if the guy/girl behind is only looking at your calipers for an idea of bike quality they're going to think - crappy bike = crappy rider(hopefully) and won't expect you to come over them on a hill or in a sprint
dhk2 said:
it seems you haven't ridden the DA10 group.
I've come close to doing an endo several times...once going about 45 mph down a mtn when a sports car came around the curve in my lane. I agree that 9-spd DA is no better than 9-spd ultegra, but there's a great deal of difference in braking between DA10 and DA9. I haven't ridden ultegra10, so I can't comment on any difference between DA10 and ultegra10.
Well yes, I've ridden DA 10, but just briefly on a friend's bike. Can't say I noticed any huge difference in braking power, but I was looking more for shift differences.rv said:
Agree the DA 9 don't have impressive braking power with the OEM pads. Have considered changing them to Kool Stop, but really am not sure what's safest in a panic situation when I'm liable to grab a big handful of both levers and squeeze hard.
In a panic-stop situation, I've always been more concerned about locking up the front wheel than going over the handlebars. Maybe that's misguided....have to admit I've never really practiced panic stops to the point of front lock-up. The only times I've had to brake hard have been on high-speed descents, when in the drops with a low CG already; perhaps that's why I've not had a problem with the endo (yet)
dhk2 said:In a panic-stop situation, I've always been more concerned about locking up the front wheel than going over the handlebars. Maybe that's misguided....have to admit I've never really practiced panic stops to the point of front lock-up. The only times I've had to brake hard have been on high-speed descents, when in the drops with a low CG already; perhaps that's why I've not had a problem with the endo (yet)
On a clean road, you can't lock up the front wheel on modern bikes. With the weight distribution of modern bikes, the bike will pitch over the front wheel before you can lock up the front wheel. Of course, on a road strewn with gravel, dirt, oil, or summat, it's a completely different matter.
Huh? not a disagreement but a call for clairification.alienator said:
Assuming the clean road.
Are you saying that when we grab a full load of front break, the bike will pivot about the front wheel? (an endo)
If that is the case would that not be considered lock up?
Or do we need to actually be "sliding" the front wheel to be considered lock up?
So, how much braking force can we generate (on a clean road, no lock up) before the rear wheel lifts off the ground? Looking at a simple statics sketch of moments, with a 1 m wheelbase, 50/50 weight distribution, and a CG which is 1 m off the pavement, I'm seeing just a half G braking force is needed to start to lift the rear wheel. Does that sound right? If so, that indeed would indicate that doing the endo is possible at braking levels which is easy for a car to attain.alienator said:
Of course, shifting weight back and down by sliding the butt back off the seat would raise the level considerably. Easy enough if you've got time to prepare, like on a downhill charge through the twisties, but not in a traffic situation if you're caught sitting up. Maybe going over the bars isn't so tough after all
