HyRd vs. State Bicycle Co. Disc Calipers

The State Bicycle Co, calipers were impressive for the money.

 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.

I recently came across a pair of NOS HyRd post mount brake calipers. These are hydraulic, but only at the caliper. You can use a standard brake lever, cable, and housing with the HyRd. These calipers are made by TRP, so a well regarded component manufacturer there. 

I thought that I might install these as an upgrade to my well-worn Avid BB-7 calipers on my old Fargo Gen I. I also figured that this might make for an interesting comparison to the recently reviewed State Bicycle Co. All-Road Disc Brake Calipers, which you can read about HERE. 

First, let's find out about the TRP HyRd calipers. These can be used with standard cable operated levers, so if you've been using fully manual controls but have wondered what all the hype is about with hydraulic brakes, this could be a gateway to figuring out if you want to go that route without fully committing to a new brake/shift system. Also, it may be that you want to avoid the hassles with hydraulic brake hose set up, bleeding brakes, and forgoing changes to your cockpit because of the complexity and expense associated with fully hydraulic systems. Or maybe you just like the ability to get cables and housings almost anywhere in the world but still have a hydraulic caliper with better power and modulation than a fully mechanical disc brake set up. 

TRP HyRd caliper. (Image courtesy of TRP)

Whatever the case may be for you, these TRP HyRd calipers with almost maintenance free, mineral oil based calipers may be what you are looking for. The HyRd's use a Shimano type pad as well, which are ubiquitous in most bike shops these days, so replacements are easily sourced. They come with a semi-metallic pad as stock, by the way. What you get for your money is a caliper only, similar to how the State Bicycle Co. sells the All-Road calipers. The big difference?

Price. At $149.99 per wheel that makes one bike's worth of HyRd's cost $300.00. You could buy three sets of State Bicycle Co. All Road Disc Calipers for that amount. That's one caliper vs three bikes worth. Woof! That's hard to ignore. But we will see how the HyRd fares against the excellent All-Road calipers soon enough. 

Disclaimer: Now, keeping in mind that I did not get these brakes in the box, they were take-offs from a build that never got ridden. All I got were the bare calipers. I got none of the stock mounting hardware or a manual for the brakes. So, take that as you will. Also, I have no affiliation with TRP whatsoever. they do not know I am doing this review and this is all my honest opinions and experiences with this product. 

Installation: Again, I decided to mount these on the old Fargo Gen I bike I have. That bike came with Avid BB-7 mechanical disc brakes. So, all along those have been the brakes on this bike. The calipers mount via the post mount standard and are set up to receive 160mm rotors front and rear with no adapters.

The rearward-most bolt on the caliper is a pain to get at on the Fargo Gen I

Removal of the Avid caliper should be straightforward, however; the way the bike was designed, the rearward caliper bolt is tucked in close to where the seat stays and chain stays meet the rear drop out. That makes getting a wrench in there, and turning that wrench, rather difficult. It is one of the pet peeves I have about the Gen I Fargo. 

I found that the old hardware for mounting the Avid caliper was too long for the new HyRd caliper, so I had to scrounge up something that would work. I found one perfect brand new bolt for the front of the caliper, but the one I found for the rear was a tad bit too long. I used one set of convex/concave washers to shim out the bolt with. That seemed to do the trick. At least I didn't have to fumble around with those concave/convex washers in between the caliper and frame. That was always a fiddly mess!

Interestingly, the TRP HyRd actuation arm is further away from the cable stop than it is on the Avid BB-7, so While I was able to attach the cable, it is too short, terminating barely past the fixing bolt. While some may take a gamble that it wouldn't slip, I am not that guy. I only attached it so I could set up the caliper over the rotor. 

The Fargo requires an extra-long brake cable, so I had to go purchase a new one at the local bike shop. That solved the rear brake system's issues and the front was tackled with no issues. Again, I had to scrounge up two new shorter mounting bolts, but that was expected since I did not get the bolts with the brakes. 

Now, how do the HyRd's compare to the BB-7's? Well, in terms of weight, the BB-7's win that comparison handily. But they weren't the lightest calipers either. Weighing just the calipers with pads installed the BB-7's weighed in at 181 grams a piece. The HyRd's weighed in at 230 grams each. The State Bicycle Co. All Road Calipers weighed in at 176 grams each. So, the HyRd's are the heaviest choice out of all three here. 

The Hy/Rd calipers are physically larger as well. This might make these a bad choice on frames which are smaller, or frames with lowered seat stays due to the overall height of the caliper and the actuation arm being so far back in terms of the position of the mounting bolts. 

I hadn't ridden the brakes yet, but in terms of lever feel, I immediately thought of my Gevanelle Hydraulic brake set up on my Tamland Two. The Tamland Two's brakes are a very "on-off" feeling brake.Ironically those Gevenalle brakes are, in fact, made by TRP. 

The HyRd's aren't quite as severe feeling in that way, but they are very reminiscent of the Gevenalle/TRP brakes. In comparison, the State brakes have a bit more modulation, and they do not as easily translate when the pad contacts the rotor like the Gevenalle/TRP brakes will. 

Avid BB-7's are almost totally reliant on how they are set up, so comparisons do not make a lot of sense there, but I will tip you off- If you want the very best that a BB-7 brake can be, find a set of 1st generation, one-piece caliper BB-7's. Good luck though! They haven't been in production for two decades! 

So, that's what I have so far. The next update will be about how these brakes do out on rides. My impressions so far are that these are kind of expensive, a bit clunky looking, and heavy. Their price actually is in line and even cheaper than some boutique brakes which are cable actuated hydraulics, or mechanical brakes. But you can find really good brakes, like the State calipers, for far less. 

That all said, if the HyRds can impress with stellar riding performance, the rest may become more of a background issue. We will see. Stay tuned......