TheRef

Test rode a Topstone yesterday. Sore level. Loved the bike and it checks every box for what I want it to be. Riding around with flat pedals, Light touring/bikepacking and occasional recreational gravel rides. I have 2 dedicated road bikes for serious rides.

Loved the bike except the brakes. They feel extremely weak and I couldn't even lock up the rear trying to lay around and fishtail on dirt. Don't know if it's a matter of adjustment or they are really crappy.

The guy at the shop was super nice but I'm not sure I buy the idea that they will get better once they bed in better. I have zero experience with disk brakes, mechanical or hydraulic. I am however an experienced rider who always used rim brakes since a kid and I never had problems locking up a rim brake or any bike.

I don't want to turn this into a disk x rim brakes debate. I'm just wondering if it was a matter of adjustment or they are really bed. I hear that the TRP Spyres are the benchmark for mechanical disks and I plan to tes ride the checkpoint AL4 that comes with them.

Any input would be appreciated.

medic75

I can confirm that properly bedding in the brakes makes a significant difference. I can also confirm that mechanical disc vs hydraulic disc is also a world of difference. If you have a large hill near you, take it for a ride & bed the brakes.

Lava

I'm not sure you'll have a much different experience on the Spyres if they're also not bedded in correctly. My girlfriend recently got a bike with TRP Spyre-C mechanical brakes, and they weren't bedded in at all. They really lacked stopping power at first, but as they get used they seem to be improving.

You didn't mention a budget, but if you liked everything else about the Topstone the other option is to jump to the 105 model, which has hydro discs. They were great for me right out of the shop.

medic75

In my experience, hydraulic brakes are the same an mechanical when it comes to bedding. The two new bikes I have had with hydraulic brakes were terrible when new. Once they got a proper bedding, they worked great. In the case of my mountain bike, I would almost say they work too good. The one time I didn't properly bed in the brakes and just started riding, they never got better. I almost think they got worse.

TheRef

Ok, So whats exactly is bedding process? What should/could've been done when they installed it or after I take deliver?

As for the 105 model it's a big jump in price for a bike to be ridden around with flip flops and a rack to go get groceries. It'll from time to time see a gravel event, or overnight trips on rail-to-trails

medic75

tangerineowl

If you do get the Sora Topstone I'd swap them for Juin Tech, compressionless housing and Swisstop pads.

Elvo

You can get a set of Spyres for like $75, Hy-Rds for $100, and Juintech's for like $150

Caliper

That's heavily dependent on which mechanical and which hydraulic! I have felt some cable discs at the bike shop that had gritty and terrible lever feel. But, OTOH I've got Avid BB7 Road cable discs on one bike and honestly would rank them equal or better than my hydraulics. With full length Jagwire disc specific housing, the BB7's are every bit as smooth as hydraulics. The thing I really like about the BB7's though is that I can set the clearance from the pad to the rotor and keep it nice and tight so the brakes respond without too much lever travel. Every time I ride the other bikes with hydros I have a few pucker moments due to the brake travel needed before the pads engage. Very annoying and not adjustable with hydraulic brakes.

Another thing to consider is the pad material. Not all are created equal, and a manufacturer might not spec the highest performance pad if trying to keep a bike under a certain MSRP. This may be hard to tell when buying, but is an option if it's a bike you already have.

taco2ewsday

Has anyone replaced the pads on these brakes, I tend to use the rears to slowdown when in a paceline as the braking is more gradual and I think I've worn them down to the point where they could be replaced. unfortunately the Promax site is of little help. I did find some info on the JagWire site where models below claim to fit, but I cannot find them online.

DCA016
Sport Semi-Metallic
DCA716
Sport Organic

From just looking at them online they look similar enough to these, so what have people used to replace pads?


https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Dis...a-698652550022

mack_turtle

the last time I worked in a bike shop, bedding-in disc brakes was part of the assembly. I would never let a bike on the sales floor that didn't have brakes adjusted and rotors bedded-in for optimal stopping power for the same reason this thread was started: customers will ride the bike and think "these brakes suck!"

I've worked on some bikes equipped with Promax components and they are generally junk, but the brakes should and will perform better when the rotors are bedded-in with the pads.