gkamieneski

I have 2 bicycles using Shimano 105 10 speed ST-5700 shifters. One has BR-R7000 calipers, the other BR-5800 calipers. I have managed to find compatibility charts from the Shimano website and these 2 combinations are noted as compatible. In practice, both combinations seem to brake fine.

What gets confusing is that Shimano denotes some of their equipment SLR, others Super SLR and yet others SLR-EV. I am not sure what all the nomenclature means but I think the BR-5800 calipers are denoted as Super SLR and the BR-R7000 calipers are noted as SLR-EV. Not sure what Shimano considers the ST-5700 brake/shift levers.

It all seems confusing, but I guess if the combinations all cross reference in the compatibility chart, I'm good.

Kontact 

All of those are efforts to make the braking feel smooth and actually be effective. They are largely combinations of small refinements in concert, like lever springs or coated cables.

The most radical change was a change in the cable pull ratio which can make old and new combos of lever and caliper feel off. Nit not so different that they make anything poor.

So I wouldnt worry much about how Shimano markets ots products.

gkamieneski

Well at least the combinations I am using get the “ok” in Shimano’s compatibility charts. For that matter, none of their brake levers/calipers feel as good to me as Campagnolo’s equipment.