NyoGoat

I've done my share of mountain biking. Last weekend I took my road bike on the biggest climb, and then the biggest descent i've had it on. 3000 ft over 6 miles through the canyon. I'm on a caad10 105 groupset with the tektro brakes. I found the brakes to be severely lacking, I had to hook my thumb on the top and rotate my palms down and forward to get a good solid grip. That position was a little awkward. Now I know the rim brakes aren't anything like the disk brakes on my mountain bike, but my impression is that they aren't that great. I've heard new brake pads might help, I might look into that.

datlas 

Consider pitching the tektro brakes in favor of 105's.

aubiecat

Good pads like Kool Stop or SwissStop will make a difference even with Tektro brakes.

rms13

That won't help get better grip on the levers.

But yeah, Tektros are pretty lack luster compared to 105 or better brakes. The 5800 brakes can be had for around $50 new and you can probably find used ones on ebay for less

Jakedatc

Trying some Kool Stop pads is a cheap try and even if they don't quite fix it they will go onto other brakes you get.

also post a picture of your handlebar setup.. i wonder if your levers are tilted too far forward

SpikedLemon

I swapped out the pads on my OEM Tekros on my Synapse (to BBB). It went from marginal to better.

79pmooney

Do I read this right? You were doing the biggest descent on the hoods? I was taught (in no uncertain terms) that when the going got hairy, you always rode the drops and you had your bike set up so that was both comfortable and gave excellent access to the brakes. Granted, I learned this decades ago, long before brifters, but there is still a lot of wisdom there.

Ben

79pmooney

Also consider what might happen if you are riding the brakes on that big descent and you hit a rock, pothole or small animal. Will your hands stay on the handlebars/brakes while open so you can brake? In the drops, the crotch of your thumb is solidly on the bars. Your chances of staying on and up are good. Unless your hoods are rotated up a lot, when riding the tops your chances are far less so.

Ben

snidely

Ditch the Tektro brakes. No pad change will be enough of an improvement.

Go with Shimano 5800 or 6800. The difference will astonish you.

goenrdoug

^ THIS.

Also, yes, the tektro brakes may not be ideal for the combination of a new road rider and big descents... For $50-$80, or so, you can upgrade to some of the afore-mentioned superior options. YMMV.

Ben I.

My road bike came stock with Forza brakes. I thought they were alright but Illinois is very flat too haha. I decided to get Ultegra brakes and the difference was noticeable, even with the stock Shimano pads that they came with. A lot better modulation and much better stopping power. I'd imagine it will be the same story if you upgrade from the Tektros to 105 or Ultegra.

NyoGoat

That is correct. I've noticed that I tend ride on the hoods more than I should anyway. My back is in the same position as if I was in the drops but my hands keep coming up to the hoods. I'll try the next one in the drops more. I don't feel as much control (shifting and braking) when i'm in the drops, so on fast blind corners I felt safer on the hoods.

redlude97

Do you have smaller hands? There is a way to adjust the reach on all 105 levers depending on your year. You might also need to reposition the levers and/or use a different style drop bar for your ideal fit. I also run my brake pads fairly loose so that the braking occurs further into the lever pull

rmfnla

Better yet, try SRAM Force calipers; way less squishy...