bicycle brakes

Hi, I have a braking issue on a bike, bought new in Jan/Feb this year. Since very shortly after acquiring it the rear brake of the Shimano 105 is quite 'sticky'. What I mean is that rather than a nice smooth pull on the lever to gradually apply and increase braking power it takes a good firm squeeze to apply this initial force which results in the initial force being too great. It's not a case of having to pull the lever a certain distance until the brake engages but of having to move the lever a certain distance until any effect occurs.

These are the lightest brake calipers we’ve ever reviewed – by a long way – but they’re not the most powerful.

Light? How does 82g (for the rear) grab you? To put that it perspective, it’s about half the weight of Shimano’s top level Dura-Ace.

Tektro's R538 long drop callipers are aimed at big-tyred tourers and town bikes and they're a good quality unit with a couple of nice touches. The bolts get rusty quickly, and the pads are a bit scratchy, but they're pretty well-made for the money.