I have been pretty happy with my Campy brakes but have been considering a move to Zero gravity. Worth the investment?
I think Zero Gravity brakes are beautifully made, quite light and function adequately. I don’t necessarily see them as an enormous improvement over a Shimano or SRAM or Campagnolo higher end caliper. I think they look nicer and I like the color option on some of them, especially the limited edition red ones they had for a while. now I beleiive there is the option of specing your own color combination.
The issue for us triathlon fellows is that a lot of frames are now coming with a proprietary brake or some type of brake placement integral to the frame. This isn’t as compatible with an aftermarket brake like Zero Gravity in a lot of cases. Function and specificity are trumping the really nice aftermarket stuff. Like I said, a bit of a shame since the Zero Gravity brakes are very nice bike jewelery.
The engineering dork in me really digs the bling factor of a lightweight, well-crafted piece like that, but honestly I’m having trouble thinking of a worse dollar-to-return ratio for just about any equipment upgrade than a $300-400 pair of brake calipers. Not saying they’re completely pointless, just that they don’t do their job any better than a regular set of D-A’s or Campys compared to the improvement you can buy spending that extra amount on your wheels, helmet, bars, etc. Unless you absolutely have $$$ to burn and have already pimped everything else to the hilt… in which case knock yourself out.
i got some zero gravs used for $160
installed fine and work fine
they don’t open up real wide so if you have a fat training tire it could be a problemo
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I have been pretty happy with my Campy brakes but have been considering a move to Zero gravity. Worth the investment?
Whether or not you’ll be happy with the investment depends on what you value in brakes. If you are happy with your campy brakes due to a great feel, modulation and power then you probably won’t like the Zero Gravity brakes as much.
If what you like about your Campy brakes are that they look beautiful and are lightweight, then you might like the Zero Gravity better.
There are way better ways to spend your money. While intrinsically appealing putting them on one of my bikes was honestly one of the few really bad equipment decisions I have made. There are very finicky and you loose a fair amount of stopping power. When my financial situation changes they are history and I’ll go back to Dura Ace.
I use 'em and like them, but would spend your bling money elsewhere. My next big bike build up I will go without them.
I’ve had several pair over the years. IMHO they work mutch better with Campy levers than DA STI. A little harder to set up but still with pleanty of power. you cna get a set used for about $200.
I’m still curious about the aero properties. They have many more flat or otherwise non-aerodynamic facets to their design. For an aero-concious bunch, why is no one out there asking the question? My $ says they are NOT more aerodynamic than Shimano…and probably not Campy or SRAM either.
I don’t expect the difference to be huge…but why pay all that $ for the aero goodies and THEN pay even more big $ to give some of it back?
Anyway…I’d love to be proven wrong…but no data has been forthcoming yet.
they seem to have less frontal aero though
I’m still curious about the aero properties. They have many more flat or otherwise non-aerodynamic facets to their design. For an aero-concious bunch, why is no one out there asking the question? My $ says they are NOT more aerodynamic than Shimano…and probably not Campy or SRAM either.
I don’t expect the difference to be huge…but why pay all that $ for the aero goodies and THEN pay even more big $ to give some of it back?
Anyway…I’d love to be proven wrong…but no data has been forthcoming yet.
I’ll just throw out a nod to Simkins Design’s road brake. According to his website, it has similar stopping power to the DuraAce brakes, similar weight (maybe 20gm lighter) to the Campy Record Skeleton brakes, a dual-pivot design front and back (like DA, unlike Campy or Zero Gravity). It also has sealed bearings, unlike the Zero Gravity brakes. Sorry I don’t own a pair myself, I just heard Matt Simkins talk about brakes recently and was impressed by what I heard. Oh yeah, costs less than the Zero Grav too.
If it is aero youa re looking for go with the Can Creek 200sl. They are about as light as the ZG and they are tiny with all rounded edges. They don’t stop great, but for my Tri bike they work fine.
I’ll vouch for the Simpkins brakes. I got a set a couple of months ago. Setup is a bit challenging, but not really a huge deal. Once you grasp what you’re trying to accomplish, it goes easier. The brakes would seem to represent a significant aero improvement over the standard Shimano brakes I was using. Their profile is almost entirely within the silhouette of the front fork and with no big arm sticking out where the cable enters. They’re much cleaner on the rear, too.
I wouldn’t say they brake as well as Shimano, but they get the job done. For a TT bike, they seem pretty ideal.
As for Zero Gravity brakes, I got a set to lighten my road bike. I wouldn’t spend that money again. I bought my TT bike used and it came with ZG brakes. That seemed pretty pointless. They just struck me as totally un-aero … so I removed them and sold 'em. I know they’ve changed little things here and there over the years and I’ve had mine for many years. Maybe they’re more impressive now. Mine aren’t very impressive.
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If it is aero youa re looking for go with the Can Creek 200sl. They are about as light as the ZG and they are tiny with all rounded edges. They don’t stop great, but for my Tri bike they work fine.
Dat’s how I roll… Would definitely not recommend for mountainous descents, but fine for the typical flat TT.
Cool, I appreciate the first-hand account. I think you’re talking about the Simpkins TT brake, which I agree does look pretty slick. I was talking about the new road brake. I can’t imagine any good reason for going to the Zero Gravity brakes except to save weight. The new road brake allows you to save weight, is less of a hassle to set up (it uses a barrel adjuster), and should have similar power and modulation to the DuraAce brake.
Anyway, thanks for giving a firsthand experience with it.
A trip to the wind tunnel with Joe Friel will give you more speed for the buck.
I went through exactly the same process as you.
If its not just a cafe bike, don’t do it. Campy brakes have superior stopping power and once adjusted, stay that way. ZG do not. They look cool and that’s about it.
A trip to the wind tunnel with Joe Friel will give you more speed for the buck.
Did you forget the pink type?
Right. I got the Simkins TT brakes. Very stealthy.
No, even the guy that was disparaged on the other thread gained a few seconds. Zero G will net zero extra speed afaik. Or am I mistaken? On a TT bike, how many seconds on a flat 40K will you gain from ZG brakes?
Not saying someone shouldn’t get ZG brakes if that is what floats their boat.