# Caad 10 brakes worth upgrading?



## Sloburu (Mar 23, 2011)

Hey guys I have a caad 10-4 and I'm not 100% confident about the brakes. Do you guys think it's worth while to upgrade the brakes to sram force? the bike come stock with swiss stop pads. Are rival shifters compatible with force brake calipers?
Thanks.


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## bkwitche (Jun 4, 2011)

All levels of sram road components are interoperable. I think you would get more out of making sure they are properly adjusted than buying force calipers. 

Speaking in general, I have read that some times higher end brake calipers will actually sacrifice some stiffness (ergo braking power) to save weight. Whether this is the case between rival and force, I couldn't say.


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## jcgill (Jul 20, 2010)

I agree with making sure they are properly adjusted. Also clean your brake tracks on your wheels, as this may be another cause of your unsatasfactory performance.

All sram levels are interchangeable, so you could use red/force/rival brakes with your rival levers.


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## Sloburu (Mar 23, 2011)

Thanks for the info guys. Yes the brakes work fine, properly adjusted and brake tracks clean, pads clean. It's just that on some descents I feel the pads don't bite hard. Also getting force brake calipers for $125 is pretty good too.


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## ph0enix (Aug 12, 2009)

I don't think replacing the calipers will make a big difference. After all they simply squeeze closed when you press the lever - that's all. If anything, experiment with different pads.


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## shotojs78 (May 20, 2008)

rival vs force, keep your rival, light and stiff and very good. excellent quality-price


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## Sloburu (Mar 23, 2011)

I'm first going to try a different pad like suggested. Thanks guys.


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## lutzms (Aug 1, 2011)

I'm in a similar position, only with a CADD 10 3. I just picked it up a little over a week and took it on the MS TRAM (took forever to find a 63cm frame!). Needless to say, I was not at all impressed with the breaking performance. The breaking power under normal conditions wasn't that great, and with just a little bad weather it was terrible (the mechanics that travel with the TRAM tried a few different adjustments, but they still were pretty bad). Stock it just comes with Tektro R580 brakes. I was looking at upgrading to Ultegra 6700 brakes, with maybe Yokozuna cables...does that sound like a smart way to go (can get everything for around 200), or do other members have a different suggestion?


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## bikerboy337 (Jan 28, 2004)

agreed... clean the brake track/pads regularly, adjust and replace with new pads when needed... pads and a clean and properly adjusted brake will make the biggest difference... imho...


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## bikerboy337 (Jan 28, 2004)

FYI... i found that using 3M red pads (from an auto store) and acetone (with gloves) makes a huge difference on my bike... use that method on my carbon hoops and my campy al. wheels... huge improvement after a cleaning. I use fine grit sandpaper on my brake pads after every few hundred miles... and inspect for road debris/metal in the pads...


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