Selecting Shimano Brakes for Road Bikes: A Summary of Model Numbers

    Posted at: Mar 18, 2021

    Brakes are an important part of a road bike that is responsible for braking. In this article, we will discuss how to select Shimano brakes for road bikes, which are of high quality and highly available in Japan, and summarize the model numbers of each grade of brake.

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    Selecting Shimano Brakes for Road Bikes: A Summary of Model Numbers

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    For information on Shimano road disc brake model numbers and compatibility, please refer to the article below:

    How to choose a Shimano brake

    Choose a current model rather than an older higher grade!

    If you look for Shimano brakes not only in the new market but also in the used market such as used stores and auctions, you will find many older model Shimano brakes (model numbers without the “R”).

    The price is reasonable, and you may be tempted to take a chance on a higher grade, but the performance of the current Shimano brakes is so highly regarded that it is said that “the difference between old and new models > the difference in grade”.

    So, keep in mind that it is better to choose a current model of a lower grade than to buy an older model of a higher grade.

    Shimano Brakes and Compatibility

    When replacing Shimano brakes for road bikes, you need to make sure that they are compatible with STI levers.

    For the models we have picked up this time, they are compatible with the following STI levers. If they are compatible, the manufacturer officially allows the combination of “upper STI levers and lower brakes” or “lower STI levers and upper brakes” even if they are not the same grade.

    Model number Grade
    ST-R9200 DURA-ACE
    ST-R9100 DURA-ACE
    ST-R9150 DURA-ACE
    ST-9001 DURA-ACE
    ST-9000 DURA-ACE
    ST-R8100 ULTEGRA
    ST-R8000 ULTEGRA
    ST-R8050 ULTEGRA
    ST-6870 ULTEGRA
    ST-6800 ULTEGRA
    ST-6770 ULTEGRA
    ST-6700 ULTEGRA
    ST-R7000 105
    ST-5800 105
    ST-5700 105
    ST-4700 TIAGRA
    ST-4600 TIAGRA
    ST-R3000 SORA
    ST-3500 SORA
    ST-R2000 CLARIS
    ST-2400 CLARIS

    Grade and model number

    DURA-ACE

    The top grade of Shimano components. The latest model, BR-R9100, costs $200 for one.

    Model number Grade SLR-EV Dual pivot
    BR-R9200 DURA-ACE
    BR-R9100 DURA-ACE
    BR-9000 DURA-ACE
    BR-7900 DURA-ACE x x

    ULTEGRA

    Race-grade middle-rank ULTEGRA from Shimano components; the latest model BR-R8000 is a little cheaper than the DURA-ACE BR-R9100 at around $100 (one).

    Model number Grade SLR-EV Dual pivot
    BR-R8100 ULTEGRA
    BR-R8000 ULTEGRA
    BR-6800 ULTEGRA
    BR-6700 ULTEGRA x x

    105

    Shimano’s top-of-the-line, hobby-grade, “race-ready” 105. These brakes are popular because they use the same “SLR-EV” and “dual pivot” as the higher grade brakes, and can be used for entry grade road bikes.

    Model number Grade SLR-EV Dual pivot
    BR-R7000 105
    BR-5800 105
    BR-5700 105 x x

    TIAGRA

    TIAGRA is Shimano’s mid-grade brake, and unlike the other grades, it is the only older model without the “R” in its model number. TIAGRA brakes are relatively common as a component set for middle grade road bikes, but since there is not much difference in price between a front and rear set of brakes and the latest BR-R7000 ($10-$20), the BR-R7000 is often chosen.

    Model number Grade SLR-EV Dual pivot
    BR-4700 TIAGRA x x
    BR-4600 TIAGRA x x

    SORA

    SORA is used in entry-level road bikes.

    However, as with TIAGRA-grade brakes, you can buy BR-R7000 (105 grade) for a little more, so it is less likely to be chosen as an upgrade and more likely to be for standard brakes.

    Model number Grade SLR-EV Dual pivot
    BR-R3000 SORA x x
    BR-3500 SORA x x

    CLARIS

    CLARIS is Shimano’s lowest grade component for road bikes, and many people say that CLARIS brakes don’t work very well while other components do, so many people buy an entry-level road bike and replace them with BR-R7000 or other higher grade brakes that cost less than $100. It is also a brake.

    Model number Grade SLR-EV Dual pivot
    BR-R2000 CLARIS x x
    BR-2400 CLARIS x x

    BR-R7000 (105 grade) is the best upgrade

    Among Shimano components, it is said that even a layman can tell the difference between the latest 105 and above. It is said that the brakes work so much better when you go from less than 105 brakes to 105 and above brakes that you can clearly see the difference.

    As you can see from the model list, the latest BR-R7000 uses the same technology as DURA-ACE and ULTEGRA, so you can see that the performance is quite high.

    Even so, the BR-R7000 is often sold by mail order for less than $80 for a set of front and rear brakes, and as mentioned above, its performance is comparable to that of the higher grade brakes, making the new BR-R7000 an excellent choice for upgrading your brakes.

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