A mixed bag

Why yes, I have finally found a use for the spare set of Shimana Ultegra R8000 brake calipers I had knocking about...

And yes, I have fitted some Lifeline Professional carbon and titanium (and very aesthetically pleasing) QR skewers...

But also, yes, the Lifeline budget chain whip I tried to remove a cassette with did break on first use...

All of which goes to show, there are some things you can economise on and others (like those that need to handle in excess of 40Nm of force) that really reinforce the maxim, "buy cheap, buy twice." Or, in this case, send back to Wiggle in a bad mood.

P.S. For the weight-weenies amongst you:

• The front Ultegra caliper with stock pads weighed 181g, compared to 194g from the caliper it was replacing. However, I had to use the extra-long pivot nut from the old caliper because of the depth of my front fork, bringing the weight as fitted back to to 187g.
• The rear Ultegra caliper with stock pads weighed 180g, compared to 190g from the caliper it was replacing. All in all, I realised a 17g weight saving by replacing both calipers. More importantly though, I now stop much better.
• The combined weight of the Lifeline Professional carbon and titanium skewers is 45g. Yep, for the pair. This represents a saving of approximately 75g over the original pair, which is astonishing value given that these are currently reduced to just £18.99 (Wiggle) - be quick!