Hy/Rd vs State Bicycle Co. All-Road Calipers: Update

NOTE: I am doing this review with some TRP Hy/Rd calipers that I sourced on my own vs some State Bicycle Co. calipers which were sent by State to me at no charge for test and review. Neither State Bicycle Co. or TRP are paying for this review and I will always strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.  Also - Throughout December there will be a lot of double-post days. Scroll back to make sure you haven't missed anything!

Recently I posted the introduction to the Hy/Rd caliper review HERE. This post will deal with my first ride impressions. The impressions on the brake calipers coming into this were that they look a little clunky and that they are heavier and more expensive than some other viable, comparable options. Specifically I am comparing these to the State Bicycle Co. All-Road Disc Brake calipers, which, in my view, are a great value and have excellent performance (so far). 

Before I get to my ride, I wanted to see how, or even if, the calipers had any adjustment features like point of pad contact, or any way to affect the strength of the actuation arm that the cable attaches to. I thought it might be nice to make a feel adjustment based on pad contact and when that happens in relationship to lever throw. I also wanted to see if that actuation arm could be made to snap back into position with more authority. This was due to the full-run housing the Fargo was designed for and that which causes more friction on the cable. 

The owners manual, (downloadable from the TRP site), doesn't give you anything in terms of possible adjustments to the caliper, not mentioning either concern I had, so no dice! I was a bit surprised by that, especially in terms of the actuation arm, which requires spring tension to bring it back into place. That means it needs to pull against the friction created by a cable sliding inside housing. With a full-run housing, it is even more critical that you have control over that spring tension. But like I said, no dice. 

The manual does show the bleeding process for the caliper, should you ever need to do that. I think it is highly unlikely that I will ever have to do that, but at least I know I have the instructions to do the job. Curiously, there are two small 2mm hex head bolts in the actuation arm, but if these affect anything that is an adjustment, the manual doesn't say.
 

The braking feel is very reminiscent of the TRP fully hydraulic brakes for drop bars.

The calipers are self-adjusting for the accounting of brake pad wear, so they will run at a certain distance from the rotors no matter what. This means lever feel is consistent. That's good....and bad, if you want a different feel than what comes with the Hy/Rd out of the box. 

The first ride was pretty much a bedding in of the brakes. I was able to accomplish that rather quickly and I found that after the pads were happy with the rotors that the calipers were quiet. The braking feel was very close to what I have come to know from riding my Tamland Two with the Gevenalle Hydraulic brake system made by TRP. So, that was not a surprise as they are designed with similar intentions. 

There is a lot going on in a tight space here.

The brakes are powerful, just like the ones on the Tamland. One-finger stops all day long, and with little effort. Modulation? Ehhh...... Not so much here. And that seems to be a TRP "feature". You have to brake with a light touch or you'll end up in a skid. Hamfisted or panic braking will result in some bad consequences. 

Are these brakes an upgrade over the old BB-7's? A definite and resounding "Yes" here. More power, less noise, and no concave/convex aluminum washers to induce caliper-creep and the resulting rotor rub later on. 

But these brakes just don't feel as good as the State brakes do. Those State calipers have a decent modulation feel and slow, technical braking is no problem there. The "window" between pad contact and full-lockup on the TRP calipers is much narrower and so that technical braking attribute you may be looking for is tougher to find. 

Power? I don't know yet. The State calipers could haul my fully loaded Singular Gryphon Mk3 down to a stop in an average manner. Would the Hy/Rd be a better brake for big loads? Possibly. I can load up the Fargo and see about that later. 

So far I think that if you want a very powerful brake with a lever feel that is more "on-off" and has NO hint of "mushiness", then you should look into this brake. I know a LOT of folks like that sort of feel. It is my opinion that it is not what is optimal for the best braking performance. (Your automobile brakes wouldn't qualify as "on-off" style brakes, now would they?) So, while that may be a feel some like, it is not my cup of tea. 

More when I get the time and weather to do testing/riding.