Author Topic: For those of you looking at cable disc brakes...  (Read 4150 times)

Fat Larry

Re: For those of you looking at cable disc brakes...
« Reply #15 on: December 18, 2022, 09:51:37 AM »
They definitely offer modulation. My experience with TRP HY/RD has been fantastic. The modulation may be not as good as full hydro types but they do feel much better than Spyre and Aries (Tektro) that I have on other bikes. The Zrace/Onirii cable hydros are very very close to HY/RDs too. Don’t have many miles yet but their bite is improving day by day. It’s taking surprisingly long for them to sit.

Which Zrace/Onirii are you referring to?

coffeebreak

Re: For those of you looking at cable disc brakes...
« Reply #16 on: December 19, 2022, 07:20:44 PM »

s3si1u

Re: For those of you looking at cable disc brakes...
« Reply #17 on: April 12, 2023, 01:29:02 PM »
Hello again :)

Small update regarding these calipers.
It took me a while to get around to using them. Build issues, then the weather got nasty, then I sold the bike, then I put them on a new bike, etc...
I got a few miles in on them when I installed them on my old Poseidon X. I installed them with floppy housing and old Deckas rotors and they worked well, braking power wasn't amazing but it was definitely enough for my kind of riding and better than the stock Poseidon calipers or the Juin Techs I had on my road bike. I'm confident braking power would have significantly improved with time, I barely broke them in before tearing the bike down and selling it to my cousin. He fell in love with the X after his first gravel ride, so we put a GRX groupset on it and it's now his (and I made a new riding buddy  ;D ;D).

I've since built a new gravel bike with AXS XPLR and thought this was a perfect time to test the Klamper knockoffs for real. Rather than buying AXS shifters, I bought wireless Blips, TRP brake levers (https://trpcycling.com/product/rrl-sr/), and paired them up with these calipers. I began with compressionless housing and immediately ran into issues. The cable exit and brake mounts on this frame are built in such a way that will give mechanical brake cables some really strange bends that these calipers really don't like. Rear brake cable exit in particular creates a crazy tight bend into the caliper, making compressionless housing almost impossible too install (almost). I moved forward with floppy housing, installation was a breeze but unfortunately braking power was straight trash. I put some blame on the cheap Amazon rotors with improper bedding, so I ordered some nice TRP rotors, fancy polished slick cables and gave compressionless housing another shot.
I pre-bent the housing into just the perfect size and shape to ensure access to the caliper cable entry, but it was only possible by installing without a ferrule. After all this trial and error (and $), braking power has improved, but not so much that I'm comfortable with big descents or very technical trails. Next step is changing out the pads to the Paul recommended Kool Stop metal pads. At this point, though, I think I'm ready to call it quits and switch to something fully hydraulic, as this frame is obviously meant to have. No fault to the calipers honestly, they worked great on the old X and I have no doubt they would have gotten better. Maybe I shouldn't have sold it ;D I think I'll retire these calipers for now. Maybe sell them or pull them back out for a steel frame build in the future.
In the meantime, I'm looking for a decently priced TRP Hylex brakeset or maybe even the LTwoo hydraulic set with the shifting guts removed. What do y'all think? Tbh selling the AXS XPLR groupset isn't out of the question, maybe start from scratch with a GRX, LTwoo or SRAM 22 hydraulic groupset. We'll see, bike building is fun!  ;)
« Last Edit: April 12, 2023, 01:40:12 PM by s3si1u »
Instagram: @aerosloth

coffeebreak

Re: For those of you looking at cable disc brakes...
« Reply #18 on: April 12, 2023, 08:07:36 PM »
Interesting. I would like to know more once those brakes are on a frame more suited for cable brakes. I have had a pair of them in my cart forever! That problem of crazy bend could have been alleviated if the exit port was on top of the arm rather than on the side. Any reason why manufacturers place the exit port on the inside? I have somewhat similar situation (not as extreme) on my Salsa Journeyer frame though I am using hydraulic brakes on it so it doesn't matter but cabled brakes would surely suffer. Besides the way that exit is designed, the hose comes really close to spokes  :-X

Flying Trunk Monkey

Re: For those of you looking at cable disc brakes...
« Reply #19 on: April 13, 2023, 10:19:32 PM »
Hello again :)

Small update regarding these calipers.
It took me a while to get around to using them. Build issues, then the weather got nasty, then I sold the bike, then I put them on a new bike, etc...
I got a few miles in on them when I installed them on my old Poseidon X. I installed them with floppy housing and old Deckas rotors and they worked well, braking power wasn't amazing but it was definitely enough for my kind of riding and better than the stock Poseidon calipers or the Juin Techs I had on my road bike. I'm confident braking power would have significantly improved with time, I barely broke them in before tearing the bike down and selling it to my cousin. He fell in love with the X after his first gravel ride, so we put a GRX groupset on it and it's now his (and I made a new riding buddy  ;D ;D).

I've since built a new gravel bike with AXS XPLR and thought this was a perfect time to test the Klamper knockoffs for real. Rather than buying AXS shifters, I bought wireless Blips, TRP brake levers (https://trpcycling.com/product/rrl-sr/), and paired them up with these calipers. I began with compressionless housing and immediately ran into issues. The cable exit and brake mounts on this frame are built in such a way that will give mechanical brake cables some really strange bends that these calipers really don't like. Rear brake cable exit in particular creates a crazy tight bend into the caliper, making compressionless housing almost impossible too install (almost). I moved forward with floppy housing, installation was a breeze but unfortunately braking power was straight trash. I put some blame on the cheap Amazon rotors with improper bedding, so I ordered some nice TRP rotors, fancy polished slick cables and gave compressionless housing another shot.
I pre-bent the housing into just the perfect size and shape to ensure access to the caliper cable entry, but it was only possible by installing without a ferrule. After all this trial and error (and $), braking power has improved, but not so much that I'm comfortable with big descents or very technical trails. Next step is changing out the pads to the Paul recommended Kool Stop metal pads. At this point, though, I think I'm ready to call it quits and switch to something fully hydraulic, as this frame is obviously meant to have. No fault to the calipers honestly, they worked great on the old X and I have no doubt they would have gotten better. Maybe I shouldn't have sold it ;D I think I'll retire these calipers for now. Maybe sell them or pull them back out for a steel frame build in the future.
In the meantime, I'm looking for a decently priced TRP Hylex brakeset or maybe even the LTwoo hydraulic set with the shifting guts removed. What do y'all think? Tbh selling the AXS XPLR groupset isn't out of the question, maybe start from scratch with a GRX, LTwoo or SRAM 22 hydraulic groupset. We'll see, bike building is fun!  ;)

What compressionless cables did you use? I need another one to complete a build with Juin Tech calipers.

s3si1u

Re: For those of you looking at cable disc brakes...
« Reply #20 on: April 17, 2023, 02:24:39 PM »
What compressionless cables did you use? I need another one to complete a build with Juin Tech calipers.

I'm using Jagwire KEB-SL in the front, Growtac compressionless in the back.
Mixed housing because I had that old section of Jagwire laying around from old projects, it was already cut to the perfect length for the front brake, and the diameter of the housing is a little smaller than the Growtac, which sits better in the retention clip on the Whisky fork I'm using. I got the Growtac housing on ebay for less than the Jagwire, it's the pack of housing/ferrules/bits and bobs that comes with the purchase a set of Growtac mechanical brakes. This housing is super, super stiff. Definitely stiffer than the Jagwire, harder to work with if you're working with tight bends.
Where are you located? I have about 140cm or so of the Growtac compressionless housing. Probably a hair too short for a rear brake (unless your frame is like a 45), but more than enough for a front. You can have it if you need it! PM me.

I think I'm about to pull the trigger on a new brake set for my gravel bike. In between the Growtac Equal, TRP Hylex, or LTwoo hydro shifters (with shifting guts removed). Probably going for the Hylex as they're much cheaper than the Growtac and just a hair more than the LTwoo but time tested. If anyone was looking at purchasing some Klamper knockoffs from AliX, I think mine are going up for sale!  ;D
« Last Edit: April 17, 2023, 02:26:32 PM by s3si1u »
Instagram: @aerosloth

coffeebreak

Re: For those of you looking at cable disc brakes...
« Reply #21 on: April 17, 2023, 03:31:09 PM »
If anyone was looking at purchasing some Klamper knockoffs from AliX, I think mine are going up for sale!  ;D
I will take them.

s3si1u

Re: For those of you looking at cable disc brakes...
« Reply #22 on: April 18, 2023, 02:55:26 AM »
Just went for a 30ish mile road ride on the gravel bike, longest ride I've done on these brakes. They've now got near ~150 miles on them and wouldn't you know it, braking power suddenly feels noticeably better! It's much closer to what I felt when they were on the old Poseidon X. I wonder how much of that has to do with the new TRP rotors with proper bedding. There's a definite "bite" to these, the front in particular.

All that being said, I still hate how these look on my frame due to the cable routing. It looks ugly and this is totally unacceptable. :D I've pulled the trigger on a new hydraulic brake set and decided to sell these on. They'll be great for someone's new build. I'd love to use these again in the future (because n+1), but who knows when that would be.  A new TRP Hylex set has been ordered, can't wait.  :D :D
Anyone have any real world experience with the Hylex brakes?
« Last Edit: April 18, 2023, 12:59:03 PM by s3si1u »
Instagram: @aerosloth