Converting to hydraulic braking system?
01-23-19, 03:00 PM
#1
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Converting to hydraulic braking system?
I知 a newbie. Recently I ride all year around to and from work and do errands on the weekend. No car. Transit is also readily available.
It seems I知 constantly taking my bike in for brake adjustments etc. I知 quite frustrated with my mechanical disc brakes and looking at alternatives including buying a new bike.
But im looking for suggestions for specific hydraulic brakes for my hybrid bike. And do these come with all parts necessary. I believe my rotor is 160mm.
thanks for any guidance.
It seems I知 constantly taking my bike in for brake adjustments etc. I知 quite frustrated with my mechanical disc brakes and looking at alternatives including buying a new bike.
But im looking for suggestions for specific hydraulic brakes for my hybrid bike. And do these come with all parts necessary. I believe my rotor is 160mm.
thanks for any guidance.
01-23-19, 03:50 PM
#2
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Well if you go to a Bike Shop they will get it all together, put it on, and even do after the sale service on it..
Yea Mechanical disc brakes the pad wear adjuster is you.. Avid BB7, for example, does try to simplify it with knobs , but they don't turn themselves.
given you needed help there, I'd go with your friendly local bike shop..
I simply replaced my Avid Mechanical brake calipers with TRP Hy Road hydraulic Cable pulled calipers..
I had Avid's Speed dial levers , dialed them back to short pull end of the scale and went on with my life..
a cantilever short pull lever would do.. I'm the Mechanic , and this worked for me.. this winter..
Namedropping Brands; Magura, German, their basic MTB caliper hose and lever, was about what TRP's Caliper was alone
Shimano, the big dog in the industry,
Avid Juicy Avid is part of Sram group.
that's the big 3..
English made is Hope smaller company, color anodized, looks pretty (Not seen much at all in the States)
Real service free is Sturmey Archers Drum brake hubs.. shoes long , never wear out in your lifetime stop in all weathers
My set are over 30 years old the company was sold and bought by Sun Race moved and expanded, in that time period ..
....
Yea Mechanical disc brakes the pad wear adjuster is you.. Avid BB7, for example, does try to simplify it with knobs , but they don't turn themselves.
given you needed help there, I'd go with your friendly local bike shop..
I simply replaced my Avid Mechanical brake calipers with TRP Hy Road hydraulic Cable pulled calipers..
I had Avid's Speed dial levers , dialed them back to short pull end of the scale and went on with my life..
a cantilever short pull lever would do.. I'm the Mechanic , and this worked for me.. this winter..
Namedropping Brands; Magura, German, their basic MTB caliper hose and lever, was about what TRP's Caliper was alone
Shimano, the big dog in the industry,
Avid Juicy Avid is part of Sram group.
that's the big 3..
English made is Hope smaller company, color anodized, looks pretty (Not seen much at all in the States)
Real service free is Sturmey Archers Drum brake hubs.. shoes long , never wear out in your lifetime stop in all weathers
My set are over 30 years old the company was sold and bought by Sun Race moved and expanded, in that time period ..
....
Last edited by fietsbob; 01-23-19 at 03:54 PM.
01-23-19, 04:24 PM
#3
Senior Member
Shimano hydros are great. See what you can afford. If the M7000/8000 is in your budget, they are very nice brakes. I’d also recommend going with their Icetech rotors. Their newest 4 piston brakes are very nice, but unnecessary.
01-23-19, 04:42 PM
#4
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TRP HY/RD is absolutely the easiest swap because it is cable actuated but has a hydro system built in to the caliper, so you just swap the caliper and have hydraulic brakes.
I have them on my commuter bike, I don't think they are quite as nice as a fully hydraulic setup like the Shimano XT M8000 would be but I also don't feel that the braking demands on my commuter are nearly as tough as on the mountain bike.
One note on the TRP HY/RD, for the past year that I have had them I thought they were absolutely horrible brakes! Turned out the pads that came with them were aweful, I put some cheap Jagwire pads in and brakes are quite nice now.
I have them on my commuter bike, I don't think they are quite as nice as a fully hydraulic setup like the Shimano XT M8000 would be but I also don't feel that the braking demands on my commuter are nearly as tough as on the mountain bike.
One note on the TRP HY/RD, for the past year that I have had them I thought they were absolutely horrible brakes! Turned out the pads that came with them were aweful, I put some cheap Jagwire pads in and brakes are quite nice now.
01-23-19, 05:20 PM
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Ahh thanks! Finally a forum where I see replies. Thanks for the suggestions. I did talk with the local bike shop this morning. He suggested some Shimano he had in stock. Couldn稚 remember the model but there an M-4xxx I think.
It just seemed kinda cheap to switch. But probably right for a 8-10 year old bike. I just don稚 want to be running into the shop every month to have them looked at.
thanks again
It just seemed kinda cheap to switch. But probably right for a 8-10 year old bike. I just don稚 want to be running into the shop every month to have them looked at.
thanks again
01-23-19, 08:14 PM
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TRP HY/RD is absolutely the easiest swap because it is cable actuated but has a hydro system built in to the caliper, so you just swap the caliper and have hydraulic brakes.
I have them on my commuter bike, I don't think they are quite as nice as a fully hydraulic setup like the Shimano XT M8000 would be but I also don't feel that the braking demands on my commuter are nearly as tough as on the mountain bike.
One note on the TRP HY/RD, for the past year that I have had them I thought they were absolutely horrible brakes! Turned out the pads that came with them were aweful, I put some cheap Jagwire pads in and brakes are quite nice now.
I have them on my commuter bike, I don't think they are quite as nice as a fully hydraulic setup like the Shimano XT M8000 would be but I also don't feel that the braking demands on my commuter are nearly as tough as on the mountain bike.
One note on the TRP HY/RD, for the past year that I have had them I thought they were absolutely horrible brakes! Turned out the pads that came with them were aweful, I put some cheap Jagwire pads in and brakes are quite nice now.
Do you still get the super easy 1 finger no effort braking at the levers like you do with full hydro brakes?
Or do they feel like cable brakes at the levers but with no screwing around stopping power at the calipers?
01-23-19, 09:02 PM
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01-23-19, 09:16 PM
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My commuter has drop bars so I can't quite directly compare them to the hydraulic xt m8000 on my mtb. I can say that because there is still a cable you can feel a little stretch under very hard braking but rarely do the brakes need to be pulled that hard, 1 or 2 fingers is usually enough. I get good modulation and don't have to mess with adjusting them. They definitely have some benefits of hydraulics, but don't completely eliminate all the draw backs of cable actuated.
I looked at them and I'm assuming they are a pretty simple bolt on mod that installs quickly using the existing rotors. Is that right?
01-23-19, 09:17 PM
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01-23-19, 09:24 PM
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You are my hero for bringing these to my attention
Braking on my drop bar bike is the one thing I don't about drop bars. With mechanical discs and my short stubby fingers it can be hard to reach the levers and apply much force.
These quick swap outs that solve that problem are brilliant!
Braking on my drop bar bike is the one thing I don't about drop bars. With mechanical discs and my short stubby fingers it can be hard to reach the levers and apply much force.
These quick swap outs that solve that problem are brilliant!
01-23-19, 10:48 PM
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I have some cheap Tektros on my newest commuter bike. I like the action and the power but they aren't smooth. I liked the cheap Shimanos on my immediate prior bike a lot better. I got some Shimano pads that are supposed to help but haven't gotten around to installing them yet. This bike is getting used a lot more than fussed with. If I replace them it will be Shimano 8020's because why the heck not? Brakes are IMO the single most important component on the bike although the drivetrain gets all the glam.
Brakes sometimes come fully assembled and bled and you only have to screw them on, but they also come apart. The item description will tell you.
Brakes sometimes come fully assembled and bled and you only have to screw them on, but they also come apart. The item description will tell you.
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Last edited by Darth Lefty; 01-23-19 at 11:58 PM.
01-24-19, 02:05 PM
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I知 thinking brakes are extremely important as well as I知 finding out.
i sure hope when I get hydraulics installed I get more consistent and less maintenance from the brakes.
i do have one very steep hill to work. 3-4 blocks. Then still downhill slip about 6-7 blocks. Then flattens out.
i sure hope when I get hydraulics installed I get more consistent and less maintenance from the brakes.
i do have one very steep hill to work. 3-4 blocks. Then still downhill slip about 6-7 blocks. Then flattens out.
01-24-19, 03:21 PM
#13
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[My full hydros are Magura HS 33 Rim brakes..]
...
01-24-19, 03:50 PM
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I have cheap Tekro hydraulics on my commuter too. So I know exactly what you mean.
But even so, they are noticeably better than my gravel bike with mechanical discs as far as stopping power. I'd take the cheap hydros any day. And I'll take that "I need to stop NOW" over a smoother action at the levers.
I think hydro is just the right way to go. Even doing it cheap, it's an upgrade.
01-24-19, 05:30 PM
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Regarding cheaper hydros: how often do the lines need to be bled? How often is there bubbles etc? Maintenance?
im really torn now after talking to people at work who ride everyday.
take into account I don稚 adjust my brakes etc, perhaps I should learn more and I don稚 have any place to work on my bike.
im really torn now after talking to people at work who ride everyday.
take into account I don稚 adjust my brakes etc, perhaps I should learn more and I don稚 have any place to work on my bike.
01-24-19, 06:17 PM
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I知 new to mine. I see people write about bleeding them nearly as regularly as chain oil and people who write they haven稚 touched theirs in ten years. It might depend how hard you use the brakes.
Pads need to be changed sometimes but that痴 easy and not expensive. I guess the rotors would have to be changed eventually too. That痴 just six bolts.
It does definitely seem like people riding in cities with a lot of weather need to look at them more often than people in the sunny burbs like me.
Pads need to be changed sometimes but that痴 easy and not expensive. I guess the rotors would have to be changed eventually too. That痴 just six bolts.
It does definitely seem like people riding in cities with a lot of weather need to look at them more often than people in the sunny burbs like me.
01-24-19, 07:16 PM
#17
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Hi question about the TRP Spyre mentioned in this thread. Are these mechanical with 2 pistons? Or are you talking hydraulic?
im trying to find these online
thanks
im trying to find these online
thanks
01-24-19, 07:55 PM
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I recently got a bike with HY/RDs - they're my first disc brakes so I have no frame of reference. I really like these brakes, but I could use a little more braking power - I'm 220 lbs. (I believe they're fully bedded in.)
01-24-19, 08:01 PM
#19
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Regarding cheaper hydros: how often do the lines need to be bled? How often is there bubbles etc? Maintenance?
im really torn now after talking to people at work who ride everyday.
take into account I don’t adjust my brakes etc, perhaps I should learn more and I don’t have any place to work on my bike.
im really torn now after talking to people at work who ride everyday.
take into account I don’t adjust my brakes etc, perhaps I should learn more and I don’t have any place to work on my bike.
or, a combination of cable & "hydraulic brakes: some of those seem to be using vegetable oil or some such and freeze up in cold weather... 
BUT, I do know that my top of the line, fully hydraulic brakes with DOT 3 automotive brake fluid that I changed to synthetic DOT 4 the second year I had them, … HAS, so far, lasted me over 40,000 Kms, 
without ever being adjusted, 
without ever being bled, 
without me, ever doing anything to them but replacing the pads, (about 3 times) for the last 18 years... WOW how can you ever beat that...??? Well... spend more than you think you need to … I guess...
Last edited by 350htrr; 01-24-19 at 08:10 PM.
01-24-19, 08:26 PM
#20
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Which Jagwire pads did you get, the Sport Organic or the Sport Semi-metallic?
I recently got a bike with HY/RDs - they're my first disc brakes so I have no frame of reference. I really like these brakes, but I could use a little more braking power - I'm 220 lbs. (I believe they're fully bedded in.)
I recently got a bike with HY/RDs - they're my first disc brakes so I have no frame of reference. I really like these brakes, but I could use a little more braking power - I'm 220 lbs. (I believe they're fully bedded in.)
01-24-19, 09:09 PM
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Regarding cheaper hydros: how often do the lines need to be bled? How often is there bubbles etc? Maintenance?
im really torn now after talking to people at work who ride everyday.
take into account I don稚 adjust my brakes etc, perhaps I should learn more and I don稚 have any place to work on my bike.
im really torn now after talking to people at work who ride everyday.
take into account I don稚 adjust my brakes etc, perhaps I should learn more and I don稚 have any place to work on my bike.
They work as good as new. I've never done any kind of maintenance on my brakes.
01-24-19, 09:46 PM
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Wow. I’m beginning to really be sold on these. I had a long chat with the bike shop. I would say he’s quite honest. I just had a new caliper installed and pads. He couldn’t find any for the previous caliper. I said go ahead and install the new caliper if it makes things easier. My last pads where apparently wrong. Shrug. Things are so much better now! I’m happy after my 30 minute ride home BUT I’m still thinking hydraulics . He said he we credit me the caliper if I wasn’t happy etc. Not sure how long that offer stands but I’m assuming one day or so. I must decide soon or wait until my next brake frustration . .
01-24-19, 11:40 PM
#24
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I’m over 10 years on a set of SLX hydros, and have only changed the pads. Recently bought a bleed kit at a crazy low price from Performance, in the event I decide to replace the fluid. I have Shimano hydros on 4 bikes, and even replaced a set of SRAM Guides that just didn’t measure up. Go with hydros and you won’t look back.