Long Drop Brakes - options, opinions, reviews etc

Ive got a new build on the way (Bob Jackson end to end) which needs long drop calliper brakes.

I am going to run Campag 10 speed on it (got some nice silver centaur 10 speed kit for it) and as Campag don't do long drop brakes, im looking around at options. While I would prefer some nice shiny silver brakes on a steel frame, I do also want good braking power, so the options seem to be:

TRP RG957 Deep Drop Brakes - seem ok but very pricey. Also dont seem to come in silver...
http://road.cc/content/review/115645-trp-rg957-deep-drop-brakes

Velo Orange Grand Cru - Good (ish) reviews but also super pricey. Do come in silver (and black) so good for a more sympathetic steel bike build
http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/grand-cru-long-reach-brakes.html

Shimano R650 Brakes - Seem like the better Shimano ones but it kills me to mix Shimano and Campag. Dont know about performance and the silver colour looks a little dull
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-r650-dual-pivot-57mm-drop-brake-caliper/

Shimano BR451 Brakes - The cheaper Shimano option - same issues with the R650s
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-br-r451-dual-pivot-57mm-drop-brake-caliper/?utm_source=google&utm_term=_inurl:shimano/&utm_campaign=UK_EN_DSA_Manufacturers_Shimano&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=sTRUIeAmX_dc|pcrid|58292677754|pkw|_inurl:shimano/|pmt|b|&dest=1&curr=GBP

There are Tektro ones as well but ive used shitty Tektros before and they weren't the best..happy to be told different though...

anyone else know of any other options? Or have any opinions on which are the best 'bang for buck'.

Why not use the tektro ones but upgrade the pads.
That should bring the quality up a notch.

(I have 650s and Grand Cru)

650s and 451s (this was certainly true of 450s, I haven't looked at a pair of 451s in the flesh) are the same casting, with the 650s having a better finish and nicer parts. From memory the 450s didn't have cartridge brake pads either.

Both 650s and Grand Cru are good. What can I say? They both stop me. I do weigh about at much as a bag of sugar of though, so probably don't really test brakes to their limits.

I prefer the look of the Grand Cru. They have proven reliable and easy to set up so far (I have only done about 5000km on those so far compared to probably more 30000km on the 650 equipped bike).

If I were on a budget, I reckon 451s would be my choice and then look at changing the pads to a cartridge system when the originals ran out (Swissstop Green (now blue?) being my preferred ones). Though I do hear you on the whole shimano/campagnolo thing. Life is too short to really worry about these things too much though.

http://www.lfgss.com/conversations/143959/ Freshtripe don't seem to be the most reliable of late, worth noting if you decide on the Velo Orange

I'm in a similar situation and was looking a brake drop bolts. Are these really bad or just not recommended?

TRP/tektro - same company, TRP more 'ultegra', tektro more 'tiagra'

tektro 539s with the right pads

brake drop bolts, won't necessarily clear larger mudguard/tyre combos

I've either got the Miche long drops or the Tektros on my commuter - they're pretty awful, even with good pads. There's just so much flex in them. They're ok ish in the dry, but in the wet you've got to be so careful.

Allegedly some models of Centaur brakes already have 40-50mm drop. Depending on how much metal there is left at the end of the slots you could just file away a few more mm to get a reasonably close fit. Risky but then that depends on how much you do file away.

That Road.cc review is lolwut: "I tested them on a bike shod with 23mm tyres and SKS Raceblade mudguards..."

And +£100 for a pair of DP can >>>.

TRP = Tektro Racing Products and nothing wrong with them: I second 539 with the savings spent on good cables and pads.

Except in a very few instances, expensive callipers are just lighter/better finished but have the same mechanical advantage as cheaper ones.

A drop bolt just moves the whole calliper lower, so you can use short drop brakes on frames with large clearances (when using 700c wheels instead of 27" for example).

@Scilly.Suffolk
Any chance you could name a few good cables as I'm tinkering with DP brakes for the first time in years. I have bog standard shimano housing and wondered if I'd get a boost from upgrading.
Ta

I'd name one of them Diana, and Bob, that's a good solid name

I use Transfil, but I recently fitted a Jagwire racer kit to someone's bike and was impressed with that: compressionless brake cables with a spiral outer section at the start, to ease fitting along the bars.

Good selection of fittings and a complete gear & brake kit was only £18 from Wiggle.

Wiggle also have Lifeline compressionless cables, which I've seen recommended on here.

I cut cables with a Dremel now, for a clean finish, but if you use cutters then it's worth carefully filing the end flat. Bending the outers to the shape they will take on the bike before cutting, will reduce the need to file: the strands will be different lengths if you cut the outer when it's straight..

The heat from a Dremel can melt the inner lining, so have a thick needle or length of cable handy to quickly push through to open them up.

I've been using the R650s for years on my winter bikes. I'm sure all the blouses on here will cry that they aren't as good as DA or some bollocks (no shit) but if you can't stop with them, then you don't know how to ride. They are fugly but then if you're considering long reach calipers then your bike is already a lost cause in the sexiness stakes so it shouldn't matter.

Diana and Bob, lol.
Nice one @Scilly.Suffolk, I appreciate the thorough answer.

They might be lower quality (about £25 for the pair) and longer reaching than you need (57-75mm), but I just got some Dia Compe 806 calipers from SJS Cycles and I'm quite happy with them. Only available in black though.

I had a pair of Dia Compes on this bike going down Col de Chat in Aix-le-Bains, and I didn't feel confident at all, I had to squeeze the crap out of them to get any effect and they were very flexy, which is why I bought the BR-451 as soon as I got back home.

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@Philbythesea - That photo looks awesome.

Thankfully my (wife's) Dia Compe's are pretty decent and definitely an upgrade over the 70s Weinnman. By the way, there aren't a ton options for 70mm+ drops; I basically had to choose between the Tektro R559 and the Dia Compes.

So @punkture, make sure you have an appoximate idea of how deep you need the brakes to be. The standard 57mm 'deep drop' calipers (like the ones suggested above) weren't long enough for me.

Agreed, on all counts, and any excuse to name drop and show photos will be gladly taken (though as it's me in the photo I can't claim to have taken it, thanks @caveatgez )
And true, options are limited, I was surprised at how few choices there were when I was looking. The Dia Compe ones I got in a hurry were these:
https://lfgss.microcosm.app/api/v1/files/fa607d7d7f945dcf7b4c47dc7e9c4f512c81832d.JPG
and they were pretty cheap.

@punkture - Another option if you want to stay all Campag is the older models like these:
http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=9667BFAA-8C76-4B63-82D7-2087A9B4EBCA&Enum=117&AbsPos=50

Bump!
Are anyone using the Shimano R451? Seem generally well regarded, in the cheap and cheerful-category.
I´m a fan of the Shimano br-r650 (Ultegra-ish level I believe) , however they are a bit tricky to find. Is the r451 much of a downgrade?

edit: earlier post kind of cover the questions, if someone has more input/experiences that would be great

Shimano R451

good for me!

Condor make some decent well priced long drop brakes as well. And usually in stock.

Condor brakes calipers are tektro calipers rebrands. Tektro r737 are the Condor Pioggia while the Condor Strada are tektro r359.

Has anyone used Shimano R451s with 32 mm tyres? They're rated to fit "28mm + mudguards". Currently considering replacing some Tektro R539s for hopefully less arm-flex.

I had the ultegra line, identical arms just different finish. Yup easy clear 32s.