Tdragone

Hi all;

I have a Specialized bike where the frame was warranty replaced. Over the years I've replaced a lot of the component., Now I need new brake pads, and am ready to update the brakes themselves at the same time.


I've searched a ton of compatibility charts, and this model series 65xx shifter is nowhere to be found


Do any mechs have any suggestions on what more recent model brake calipers I can substitute for the BR-6500 that I have now? I've read Dura-Ace BR-7800 should be okay... Is that "the best" I can get with the 6501 Shifters I have now?

Also on the radar is the Ultegra BR-7700


Any thoughts from the group are appreciated.

-Tom D San Diego, Ca.

blamester

6501 is the triple version of 6500
Pretty much compatible with any modern brake caliper.
I used the them with single pivots and they worked fine.
If the calipers are 6500 I don't think you will notice any difference with Dura Ace or the 105 version. But they will be a straight swap.

Tdragone

I'm grateful for the reply, but I know there are at least some incompatible shimano calipers because of the change to the new style brake levers that have a different pull length than the older ones. While I ride a lot, I don't follow the new groups each year, so I don't know when the changeover happened, and therefore what calipers will and which wont work with my older levers.

Excerpt from one article I read: "As with other aspects of Shimano’s groupsets, compatibility can be an issue. Shimano’s more recent 10 and 11 speed groupsets come with SLR-EV brake levers. These are designed to pull a different amount of cable and are only designed to work with equivalent SLR-EV brake callipers. Any mixing of SLR-EV and non SLR-EV components will result in sub-par performance and can be potentially dangerous so is NOT recommended. The good news is there is a simple way of working out if your bike will work with SLR-EV equipment or if you have SLR-EV already. If the shift cables are positioned under the handlebar tape you have SLR-EV compatible levers. If the shift cable comes out from the side of the lever then it can only work with more traditional brake callipers."

rccardr 

That quote is a pretty good guideline. So you'll be fine with 6401, 5500,5600,6500, 6600 and 7700 calipers.
None of those, however, would necessarily be an imporvement over the excellent calipers you already have.
For additional braking power, consider a new set of Kool Stop pads.

Crankycrank

+1 for everything rccardr mentioned. Get some Kool Stop Salmons and save your money. I have both the 6500 and 6600 calipers on different bikes with the same rims and can't tell the difference, both with Kool Stop pads which were a big improvement over the OEM pads of that era.

delbiker1 

Three votes for just getting Kool Stop Salmons. I put them on an old set of 105 1050 calipers, after trying new Shimano pads, And they made for a large improvement on the braking. I had also replaced the cables and housing when I tried the new Shimano pads, but I still was not pleased with the braking. A BF member suggested the Kool Stop and I was a bit surprised at just how much better the braking was with them.

shelbyfv

I can confirm that 7800 brakes will work. As you said, they would be the "best" of compatible brakes but they are getting hard to find. In use, I couldn't tell them from 6600. They are definitely nice looking, IMO.

veganbikes

If your current brakes are functional keep going with them just replace to some better cables and housing and good brake pads. For C/H, I really love the Jagwire Elite Link but a good compressionless housing and nice polished cables will work and for brake pads anything with Stop is usually good (Swiss or Kool). Just make sure you have good shoes, a nice stiff shoe with a good quality pad will give you much better braking.

However if you just have to upgrade because you just have to upgrade which I totally understand...Cane Creek eeBrakes, the finest caliper brakes I have ever used and probably will ever use. Certainly they feel better with the Elite Link housing (having two bikes one with standard Jagwire Pro housing and one with Elite Link on similar-ish levers with the same pads and rims) but you will love them either way.

I am all for big upgrades no question but sometimes those small ones to the common wear items can make the biggest difference in performance for the smallest amount of money spent.

Tdragone

Thank you all for your input. The reason this came up in the first place is because I JUST replaced all my cables with Shimano Optislick housings and Shimano cables, and I expected closer to new performance than I have now.

I was totally set on buying a new set of calipers, but you all have talked me down (for the time being). I have ordered the Kool Stop Salmons for now. For less than $20, that's a good experiment on whether pads alone will make enough of a difference. I ride in San Diego; often at the beach and I need all the stopping power I can get when driving around tourists in a beach environment.

I will check in after I get them installed and advise on whether it's a big enough improvement over whet I have now, or whether I will go for the new calipers.

THANK YOU ALL for your input!
-Tom D
San Diego, Ca.

Tdragone

Closure: Thanks to those who mentioned Kool Stop Salmons. I've installed them and have been using them for more than a week now. They are drastically better than the Shimano pads. They aren't quite what I had hoped for, but definitely better than what they were, and I'm going to stick with these and not buy new brake calipers.
Again, Many thanks!