Zero Gravity Brakes-Pros and Cons

I was wondering if any one has or has used the Zero Gravity Titanium brakes? I have seen them and want to get a set for my bike. I just don't know anyone who has used them before and hopefully, can get some feedback on them. I'll take good and bad. I will be upgrading (I guess that's what you'd say) from Campy Chorus.

 

The Weight Weenies forum has been going on and on about them. Check here.. Should be enough information to confuse you thoroughly

 

I have used the 2005 ti version for about 6 weeks and I can tell you 100%, dont waste your money. They are no question super light, but they have the worst pads ever. The black Koolstops just dont perform and Zero Gravity themselves recommend the red colored Corima cork pads. They work better but they are super fragile. I had a flat 50 miles from home and in the course of putting the rear wheel back on, the wheel bumped into the rear brake pad (typical) and next thing I knew, the break pad snapped right off! I was dumbfounded. The other thing is, they do not self center. Everytime you take a wheel off and on, the brakes become misaligned. Really annoying. So all in all, are they light and cool to look at...yes..but its really not worth the pain. Plus it pales in performance compared to Dura Ace breaks and even Campy is better in my opinion. My shop (which is a high end bike shop in LA) sent them back to Zero Gravity and refuses to sell them until they work out the pad issue. Hope it helps.

 

Thanks for the input! I was looking to upgrade but the one thing that was really holding me back was the price. If they don't work well, then I have a big problem. I am a 200lb rider that needs good brakes and it seemed like they would work better than standard brakes. Not to mention that the would be a whole lot liter.

 

Thats just it, they DO NOT work better than standard brakes (Ultegra, Dura Ace or Campy Chorus and up)...they claim that they work as well but are 150 grams lighter than Dura Ace for example. Youre better off taking the weight off of your wheels if weight really matters to you cause thats where youll really feel the difference but then again youre 200 lbs...just ride alot and youll drop real weight!

 

I have dura ace 7800 pads on my Zero´s. They function well. Although tricky in initial setup and when changing wheels.

 

What I'm looking for is better than "well." My Records function well, what I want is Great. For the money, I would expect Great. Anyway, thanks for the information, seems to me like you like the way they work. Are they better than what you had before? If so, how much of a difference did you notice? Is it/was it worth the price paid?

 

Thats the whole point, for the money you spend, they shouldnt be tricky when changing wheels...if they become misaligned lets say 30 miles from home when changing a flat, you better have a tool or itll be hard to align them correctly. One of the most annoying thing is to have misaligned brakes and you always wonder if your pads are rubbing against the rim. Im telling you, theyre just not worth the trouble unless youre doing a mountain time trial, you already weigh 135 and you want another 100+ grams off your bike. For $350 + dollars, invest that into better lighter wheels. The brakes stop AS WELL but thats just it...theyre not better..whoever tells you they stop better than Record or Dura Ace...theyre full of it and just trying to justify their investment. Youre also gonna look pretty stupid weighing in at 200 lbs and having ultra light brakes on your bike...

 

Why would I look stupid weighing in at 200 lbs? I weigh 200 lbs and have 10% body fat, but that's not bad for someone who weighed 175/3% two years ago and then developed cancer. I was placed on steroids and just grew. Now, I'm a whole lot bigger but can still bike like I used to. Didn't let my sickness kill my spirit, and now, I'm a whole lot bigger but also a whole lot stronger!

 

Hey hey dont get me wrong, I just meant that you see alot of guys who are over weight and out of shape trying so hard to lose a few grams here and there...Listen I didnt mean to offend you in any way, infact I have more respect for a cancer survivor like yourself than anyone out there. Ride hard and be safe!

 

Hey Boss, no offence taken! I totally understand where you are coming from. You see the "big" guy on the Mandone in spandex a lot around here. And to be honest with you, I would much rather be at my "fighting" weight as opposed to what I weigh now. But sometimes you have to play the hand you were dealt and mine is what it is. I thought that after two years of treatments, I would have lost weight and muscle mass, but with the steroids given to me, the opposite happened. Now, the proverbial "Can O' Whip Ass" went from 12oz to 16! I'm a big guy, but most times I can back my play!

 

Oh, by the way, Thanks for the insight on the brakes. Seems to me like this is one part that an upgrade wouldn't make a big difference-performance wise at least.

 

Well they don´t function better than Record brakes they functions just as well and are LIGHTER which is the only point with Zero´s so unless you want to build a 6,8 kg bike (or less if your not racing under UCI rules) they have no place on your bike (well except for looking cool). I bought them because they are lighter, they are beautifully machined, stop just as good as previous brakes, ARE LIGHTER , got a good deal on them, oh yeah they are lighter, and well because I wanted them. They were difficult to set up initially and I had misalignment issues the first time around because they were badly setup by a mech who rarely saw Zero G´s after a visit to a more experienced one I have no problems what so ever. Did I mention they were light?

 

Same here .. I got a pair a few months ago and will get my bike built within the next 2-3 wks (I am still waiting for a the new thomsom stem..)

Q: what is difficult about the setup ? Just so I tell my mech, as I am sure he has not installed them before ..

 

Well, from the above posts, you guys like the brakes. Weight is one thing I'd like to reduce but performance-stopping/slowing power is what I'm after. I also agree with mrowkoob! They look HOT! I'm a firm believer in the "Bling" thing. Hey, if you can afford it, ride it!

 

Well then you should get the new Dura Ace brakes they are the best stopping one´s I´ve ever used compared to record and ZG´s they are better but all three do the job they´re supposed to do.