Customer Reviews

BRAKE ROAD TEKTRO R556 FRONT SILVER 55-73MM REACH

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This is a well constructed dual pivot brake for use on road road bikes with a larger distance between the mounting hole and the rim. The calipers have a wide upper section that accommodates up to a 45mm width tire. I run 28mm slicks to 35mm studded knobbys without any clearance issues. The brake pad mounting slots are long and offer many adjustment options. The brake pads have a set of concave washers as part of the mounting bolt that allow for toe-in adjustment. This is a very useful feature. In spite of the length of the arms the brake provides good stopping power and is stiff enough not to flex or feel mushy under hard braking. I would suggest buying an extra set of replacement pads as these pads are a bit on the soft side. I expect to replace them within the year. The finish on the aluminum is nice and so far has stood up to winter riding and road salt without pitting. My only complaint is the cable stop adjuster. The rubberized ring is a locknut and does not raise/lower the cable stop as is typical on most road brakes. The barrel of the cable stop must be threaded in and out to provide the adjustment and the locknut holds it in position. I put this brake on my fixed gear commuter which is designed to run large width 700c tires. I have no complaints about the function of the brake. This brake would also come in useful to those retrofitting an old 80s road bike without cantilever studs for cyclocross.

Even with the stock pads I am able to throw myself off the bike using just this front caliper, a most-excellent upgrade from the 80's Dia-Compe side-pull calipers on my road bike. I hesitated for quite a few weeks before buying these, because I wanted Shimano 105s to match the rest of my fleet, but I needed the extreme long reach these calipers provided.

If you are hesitating over a similar (upgrade) purchase, don't. The Tektro R556 provides at least twice the stopping power of old single-pivot calipers, and has superior centering to any single-pivot. The construction quality is equal to my Shimano 105 series calipers, even if the finish is not quite in that league.

My only complaints are in regard to the hardware choices. A likely point of failure is the cable adjustment nut. It is a round adjuster (not hex) with a rubber-band grip. If in the future the rubber should rot and fall off it will be neigh impossible to adjust the cable tension.

The other poor hardware choice is in the variety of hex wrenches required to service the brake. The wire clamp is a 5mm socket, the pads 4mm, the common pivot a 3mm, the adjustable stop a 2mm, and the quick-release axle nut something between 2.5 and 3mm. Needing to carry five tools in your bag to ensure serviceability is ridiculous. That is as many as the rest of my bike combined!