I have a 2004 cervelo P3 and was debating on buying a P2C. After thinking about it, I am just going to just buy some new parts for my P3. One thing I was going to do was replace the “Cervelo” brand brakes and fork. I have replaced my Shimano cranks (55/39) with a compact SLK 50/34 and love it. I replaced my syntace/profile bars with HED.
The fork I was going to replace with an Easton EC90. The brakes I am not sure about…but what are the equivalants to shimano? Someone stated it was less than a 105, which I have a rough time to believe, but I do not know.
I am looking for other thoughts. Continue replacing parts or just buy a new bike? But the main question is what are the component equivalents?
I heard the cervelo brakes suck, i have never heard anyone say they aren’t that bad. If they have i don’t think they have used any other kind.
The fork is quite heavy i didn’t realize this till i got my T12 to train on and it has a CF steerer tube. So much lighter its not even funny.
If you are going to keep the bike for awhile go on ebay get dura-ace brakes and be done with it. Most of the stuff that is dura-ace you can find online for the price of ultegra in a retail store.
I heard the cervelo brakes suck, i have never heard anyone say they aren’t that bad. If they have i don’t think they have used any other kind.
Grant
Well Grant…you won’t be able to say “never” anymore. The Cervelo branded brakes are fine (~105 or Ultegra quality, which isn’t bad)…and yes, I’ve used other kinds.
As with any brake, the pads make more of a difference than anything else. My suggestion is Koolstop dual compounds or salmons. Those pads will transform the performance of virtually any brake…including single pivot designs. I run those on some Cane Creek 200SLs on my road bike for road races and crits. More than enough stopping power and no problems with modulation.
I believe that the brakes are rebranded Tektro’s, and will probably work just fine with a swap of the brake pads for shimano or Kool Stop pads.
If your P3 is in good condition, why change it. It is only 2 years old, and you will not gain any performance advantage by going to the P2C that you wouldn’t get from a thorough overhall of the “old” P3. Stick with the P3.
The old fork is heavier than the Easton by about 200 grams at the most. According to weightweenies, an EC90 Aero is about 400 grams. A Kinesis Wedge (Steel steerer, carbon aero blades) is about 536 grams, so just over 1/4 lbs different between the 2. The Kinesis may or may not be similar to the Cervelo fork on your frame, I forget what they were speccing at the time. They used to use the Kinesis forks, and I think Profile as well, but profile isn’t listed on weightweenies.
Honestly, I would leave it as is unless you have another really good reason to upgrade.
Haha thats cool. I’m just saying from what i heard they weren’t the best.
I think it also has to do with how much you weigh. and how fast you ride. If you are riding 20+ you are more likely to want something better then if you were riding upper teens. 2 weeks ago i would have taken some piston brakes when it was raining and i almost went into a ditch on a turn lol.
Personally i want to have the best brakes so i can stop the best. But either way, its up to the user really to decide if they are good enough for their type of riding.
Most of the performance differences between caliper brakes are in the pads and the rim surface. The more expensive ones may have slightly better materials or finish, but stopping power is generally equivalent.
I asked Gerard why they chose to make/brand their own brakes - it made no sense to me. His answer was that he wanted a stronger return spring to accomodate the bends in the cables with internal routing - so there is method to the madness - at least according to him.
I use ultegra on my P3Sl as I had components already. The rear brake sticks if it gets dirty at all - annoying.
Brakes are almost never an issue on tri bikes. We had Cervelo brakes on a P3SL and P2SL with no problems. Took them off my son’s road bike because I had a spare set of Record brakes around and because you might want the power on the road.
As to changing the fork, many people find the Eastons aren’t that stiff. Also, the rake, etc. on the fork that came with your bike is desinged for that bike. Yes, you can save some weight, but how many hills will you be climbing where the weight saving would have a material impact on your time?
Before you go spending needless money, here’s a brief excerpt from Tom D’s review of the 2006 Dual regarding the Cervelo brake calipers…
**I’ve seen Cervelo get some criticism for not using Shimano brand brakes on their bikes. This criticism is unfounded and not well informed. Here’s why: The Cervelo labeled “Mach 2” brakes used on the Cervelo Dual weigh 154 grams, the exact same weight for a Shimano Dura-Ace brake caliper. The brakes on the Dual weigh the same as Dura-Ace- to the gram. As for function, the brakes on the Cervelo Dual are actually a better choice than Shimano Dura-Ace on this bike. The Dura-Ace caliper is designed to work with the Shimano Dual Control SLR STI brake lever. That brake lever/shifter has a powerful return spring since it is a full size road brake lever and not an aerodynamic, lightweight brake lever. The Cervelo Mach 2 brake has a friction reducing spring bushing plate and a powerful return spring that works perfectly with the lightweight, spring-less Dia-Compe 188 brake levers. If you really take the time to actually look at the Cervelo Mach 2 brake you will learn it is actually a better choice than the Shimano calipers on this bike. **
I will also second another posters recommendation of swapping to Koolstop dual-compound pads. They make a HUGE difference in not only stopping power, but, more importantly IMO, finesse braking performance.
