Mechanical pull disc brakes list - 140/160mm - road bikes

[cst_jpr]

Cable operated hydraulic:

Juin tech - R1 (post mount)
- two calipers, 160mm disc = $130
- two piston
- made in Taiwan
- forged/CNC AL
- 160mm only (?)
- 154g/ea

Juin tech - F1 (flat mount)
Juin tech - M1 (side mtn mount)


PRO A8000
- two calipers, 140mm disc, pads = $55
- two piston ("double sided synchronous drive")
- CNC machine AL, one Ti screw
- heatsink style brake pads
- floating disk rotors
- 140mm only (rear 70mm front 35mm spacing) some reviewers complain because they thought it would work on 160mm..
- 140g/ea

ZTTO (same as the PRO A8000, just different pads)
- two calipers, 140mm disc, pads = $51
- 270g/both
ZRACE BR-002 (same as above again)


XOOM XTECH HB100
- two calipers, 120/140/160mm disc = $50
- two piston
- no brake pad included (?)
- 190g/ea
Reviews here:
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/any-experiences-with-the-zoom-xtech-hb-100-brakes-too-cheap/ (positive)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIEzwkr80fA (negative)
https://forums.mtbr.com/components/hydro-caliper-cable-actuated-advise-1090865.html (negative, leaks oil after a month or so)


Giant Conduct system
- requires special stem
- hard to find, not sure if its still sold


Cable only:
Avid BB7
- two calipers, 160mm disc, pads = $55
- single piston (?)
- easy adjustment mechanism
- 210g/ea

TEKTRO MD-C550
- two calipers, pads ~$100
- two piston
- 140/160mm capable
- 170g/ea

TRP SPYRE FM
- $170

Two piston seems common, anything one piston or pure mechanical seems not worth it. Four piston is available (Juin GT-F) but incredibly expensive.

So far I'm happy with ZTTO gear:
- SPD pedals last a year already (they use bushings not ball bearings, so not so surprising)
- BBs work well
- Cassettes have some flaws apparently

But reliability here is more important, if piston leaks, brakes can fail to operate.

[carbonazza]

Will you go with the ZTTO ones?
Thank you for the research.

[cst_jpr]

Will you go with the ZTTO ones?
Thank you for the research.

I found Juin Tech R1's from other sellers a bit cheaper ($130/pair, updated post), so I will get those and a ZTTO 140mm for the rear wheel. From what I see front and back are the same design so can be swapped around.

These appear to be R1 pads: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32969920667.html
I believe ZTTO use the same, but will find out eventually..

Youtube comment on the Juin Tech R1 vs M1:

kouotsu:
The supposed difference between the R1 and M1 brakes would be that the R1 is made for road brake levers, and the M1 for flat bar V brake levers. All brakes can only use one type of lever or the other. As Juin is kind of a grey market brand though, it's totally possible that there's no actual difference between the brakes. I did my best overlaying photos of both in Photoshop and it does look like there are slight differences between the two. With the thumb screw in roughly the same position on the M1, the clamp screw is noticeably farther away from the cable slot. That would make sense as V brake levers are long-pull type. Whether it is enough difference to affect performance, I have no clue.

[cst_jpr]

Be careful which seller you order from, I ordered "R1's" but did not look closely at the sellers photos and the parts included were for the M1 (mountain bikes). So of course the adapters do not fit.
Weird mix up, and a lot of sellers are showing the same wrong photo.

Correct photo is attached (going to order from Judy's cycling store, see if they send it right..).

[lukwy]

Hi, I almost bought Zrace one, but before I'll do it
I'd like to ask the users of these kind of calippers:
- what is the braking force comparing to full hydro brakes?
- what is their endurance especially for leaking

[cst_jpr]

From my experience with the 160mm JuinTechs, in the dry, braking force is similar to decent rim brakes (sram rival). Its not as grabby, more linear feel, so less tire skid. Of course pad type and rim material will matter a lot here.
Proper hydro brakes will brake a little bit harder, but the main advantage is you don't need so much grip strength. These mechanical still require similar pull force to rim brake. So, if I can find some hydro left hand brake level + caliper, I will buy those, but for road they are not cheap.. $200 ish.

It hasn't rained yet so haven't had chance to try them in the wet, which is the main reason I bought them.

The Zrace are 140mm, might be slightly worse performance over 160, but lower weight.

[carbonazza]

Hi, I almost bought Zrace one, but before I'll do it
I'd like to ask the users of these kind of calippers:
- what is the braking force comparing to full hydro brakes?
- what is their endurance especially for leaking

Did you buy the Zrace BR-002 ? Are they good ?

[lukwy]

No, for my new road build I went for Ultegra 8000 set.
Because of this I ran out of money for road crankset (now running MTB 1x11) but that's another story
Still I haven't enough users feedback about Zrace, Ztto, Zoom and similar calippers. Maybe I'll use it on my another bike MTB 29+ dropbar with R5800 shifters...