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While I'm envious of some of the bicycles a few of you guys ride, whenever I visit a bike shop and squeeze down hard on the brakes of some of the newer bicycles, I'm often disappointed. I mean like are they all supposed to be squishy, mushy?I have a pair of older calipers that I think I'll continue to keep. Though not quite as panache as some of the newer stuff, these oldies are quite solid, very firm when you squeeze down on them. One of the few calipers sets that actually have tiny ball bearings instead of bushings.
In my opinion, it doesn't matter if you have the most expensive brakes out there, if they are not setup correctly it does not feel right.
I'm not sure if you just squeezed brake levers or actually tested a properly tuned new bike but if you actually test a new setup, I think you are going to be in for a surprise and a treat. The new designs from the big three perform beautifully. I suspect you will not want to go back to the old design!
AE It was a surprise you like right-front brakes. Brits are the only people that I know who like right-front brakes/shifters like motorcycles.
I truly love the new red brakes. It is soft touch, extremely powerful but is easy to modulate = less finger fatigue. Perfect when you are doing long descents. You simply don't need the power of your fingers to stop.
As for brakes, I think the next bike I buy is going to have disc brakes. They (racing/touring style bikes) are hard to find, though. Rim brakes are OK if everything is new, but run a rim long enough (which really isn't that long) and the brakes begin to have problems, especially in the rain. I find in the rain, I can slow down, but I cannot stop. I'm hoping disc brakes would fix that problem, assuming the tires can keep up with the brakes.