The stopping distance test does not test breaking power it tests tire traction, rider skill(body position and brake modulation) and bike weight. Any hydraulic brake can lock up the wheels. Otherwise geat vid.
Switch to a sintered pad, TRPs usually come with resin pads. Those TRPs use the exact same pads as Shimano XTs so there's a huge array of good aftermarket pads. I've ridden the DH-R Evos on a couple different bikes and they're probably my favorite brakes, power wise, they're right on par with Shimano XTs but have a more consistent feel and better modulation. I would run them, but my current bike already has Shimano XTs and they're not $600 better than my existing XTs.
Have had TRP for a long time before switching to XTR (not brake power issue but lever throw too long for my short fingers). Here's what I can say about TRP and how to improve the brakes. 1) Lever bleed with pads and rotors on. Don't use the funnel or syringe, unscrew the bleed port and use a pipette to drip the oil in. Then flick and pump the lever. This ensures the bubbles don't need to bypass the funnel and also gets a noticably stiffer lever bite. 2) Don't use the stock TRP resin pads if you can. Either use the full metal pads or go aftermarket like Galfer or LESS brand pads - much better brake force. 3) Don't get the Freedom Coast lever, go with the Oak components. The Coast levers pull too close to your knuckles. 4) TRP has shitty aftermarket support especially if you're not in USA region or bought the brakes used. All small parts are only sold via dealer and some dealers refrain from selling you the parts outright and instead ask for the brakes to be brought in. Wanted to refurb my leaky GSpec DH but was denied the plunger assembly from local dealer. 5) If you can wait, sit out till April 2025 for the release of the new DHR brake (new design with contact adjust, different plunger asswmbly and different reseviour). Probably breaking some NDA here but there you go 🤐. Also current DHR EVO will go on sale late November -30%.
Hey thanks for all the tips! They've already started to go on sale right now. Interesting to know that something new is coming. I will get on the bleed again. I didn't realize that the aftermarket support was so poor. I wouldn't have bought if I knew it was that bad, or the rotors being completely out of stock. Such a bummer.
wow! thanks for the tips! i have a TRP evo DHR which i got last year. front brake is flawless! the rear brake is too soft, tried to move to the metal pads, did an "overnight" bleed, where i left the cup over night with the lever pressed with an angle to reliefe any bubbles. still no improvement. what i can say though, that i used shimano fluid for the bleed, compared to the TRP one in the front brake! could that be the issue? (also, i saw in the video that he used shimano oil as well... so mayve, just maybe... thats the issue?)
@@EvansMTBSagaLike he said, aftermarket service is fine in the US. I contacted TRP for damaged O-ring in a caliper and they just shipped me a brand new caliper without asking too many questions. I also asked them about purchasing a plunger in lever, they sent me an invoice to purchase one.
My support experiences have been fantastic (in the US), if not the swiftest. But the key part of that is CALL them. Trying to email/go through the website is very hit or miss, but if you call and talk to someone they'll get you sorted (and also follow up if needed). They sent me a replacement caliper with almost zero questions asked... Along with a bottle of mineral oil and new bleed blocks. I'll also second the recommendations to get different pads. I'm currently running MTX and it was a huge difference. I'm also running the Freedom Coast levers and prefer the shape to the Oak levers (personal preference between them, imo.)
@@MrZeko3rs Having used TRP and Shimano mineral oil, I have had better luck with TRP oil in both TRP and Shimano brakes. Rear brake can be kind of finicky but I have found doing a Marshy gravity bleed seems to work the best. Just make sure the pistons are fully retracted before you do.
Dont give up. Been riding 30 years. Got newer Tallboy few years ago and had similar issues. Just couldnt dial in the LLVPP. Took a ton of tinkering with air pressure, rebound and compression over several months but eventually became best bike Ive had.
The E-bike probably brakes better because the added weight increases the down ward force on the tires which = more traction. Plus larger tire size increases the surface area for the tire to grip onto the surface and transfer stopping power.
Loved the video! That has sounded honest like never before. You had your ups and downs in recent videos but that one is a gem. I would love to watch content like that in the future. Keep up great work!
Haha oh man I kind of pulled my punches a little bit. I felt like I was being overly negative, but all of those opinions are genuine. As a consumer, I was not happy with the purchase of these brakes in so many ways, but I wanted to like them.
Love the path you're taking with this bike. Lookin' real dope so far! If you want to switch the suspension maybe consider going for Öhlins. Don't know if you tried them before but they would match the color skeem of the bike quite well imo.
You gotta try the Freedom Coast levers. Omg, they make the TRP’s feel so much better. I will also say, it took me a little while to get used to the TRP’s coming from Shimano. I’d give them a month and then see how you feel about them.
Try the @Oakcomponents1839 levers. I've just put them on my latest build. Pink bike review prefers them. The copper works well with the gold, if you use all the same shades it will look bland. I'm using a mix of copper, gold and bronze. Check my T9 build you will see what I mean.
i really want to get into mountain biking but i have absolutely no where near enough money yet watching your videos just makes me want to go out and hit some jumps, thanks for sharing your content with us, you inspire me.
Man, I gotta say I've been loving what you're doing with this channel recently. You have me looking forward to your weekly saturday video lol. Keep it up!
I love my trp brakes. I run the resin pads. The trick is to get them burning hot on brake in . Like you can smell them hot. They are down hill brake after all. After a proper brake in they will out preform your tires! Stick with them.
I’ve been running the same set of DHR Evo’s on every bike I’ve owned for the last 5 years. They’re still going super strong. I think I’ve done a full flush bleed twice. Otherwise just gravity bled. I’ve never, not once, run any trp components with them. I’ve always run Shimano rotors, pads and mineral oil. I’ve never noticed any lack of performance. I’ll literally never run another brake set in my life!
Great video - thank you. I've been riding the Evo Slate on my hardtail (Binary Maniak) with the big rotors and have been really impressed. I've lost count of the trees that were scraped, rather than dented! Seriously, I love the feel and the big stopping power. My riding weight is around 240#, ride pretty aggressively for an older, heavier guy and these brakes have brought me to a halt every time I've needed them to.
I feel the TRP brakes have good stopping power for my ebike. My problem is the rear caliper inboard pistons constantly rub because the outboard pistons won't extend evenly. The bike shop re-adjusted the brakes, cleaned and lubed the pistons, replaced the pads 2-3 times with no improvement. I've cleaned and lubed the pistons myself several times, replaced the pads (because of uneven wear) at lease 4 times and still have this problem on the rear caliper. I'll change to another brand rather than but a new caliper to try and solve the problem. I enjoy your videos. Thanks for the fun topics.
Not a big fan of the TRP brake pads. Not sure if mine just were contaminated or something, but they did not provide the power I was expecting.. But after switching to Galfer purple pads.. Oh boy! Such a massive difference! I was literally doing endos by accident on my bed-in runs. Loving the DHR-evos now. It's a bit of a shame though, that you might need to shell out another 50 bucks or whatever straight out of the box...
That has been my suspicion as well. Got the Slate Evos and for a 4 piston brake, I was not that impressed with their stopping power. I'm probably gonna replace the pads with something better. AFAIK TRP 4-piston is the same pad as Shimano 4-piston so there are plenty of options.
The organic blue pads best soak a ton. The TRP red semi metallics are what you want for a test like that. You can also do full metallic TRP gold pads The blue pads will fade super quick
the podium gold fox 36 and a float x factory rear shock would suit this bike so well. great vid, the bike i'm getting soon comes with these brakes so good to hear they run really nice.
I love my TRPs. I think they are very close to my Shimano's. Something I found interesting, with the thicker rotors, I find I need to warm them up before they get the best bite. They are wonderful in the wet. I switched to 3rd party pads.
@@EvansMTBSaga BTW, 2 of my friends have a Bronson and they both have a coil on it, they said it changed the entire feeling of the bike and would never go back.
I love these brakes. I do however have the top end TRP rotor. I feel like they are exactly as you say they are. Like Shimano XT 4 piston, but with much better modulation. I also like the DB8 brakes, especially for how good they are for the money. Let's face it. We are on dirt and brakes need to be more about good control and less about how powerful they are. I feel like, especially in this country, everyone wants the "I have more power!" bragging rights without thinking about all the other aspects. So for me, I think the TRP EVO DHR brakes are some of the best brakes on the market right now.
I love your comment man. Great input. The feel is definitely the most important. I like to do quick stabs of the brakes while dancing around singletrack, so having the most power in that situation would probably mean losing traction.
Agreed on the coil, the previous gen SDU coil (w/ Zeb ult) was my first modern shock I've owned and I can't imagine wanting anything else now, even for a trail bike. I got comfort and a great pedal platform in one, I don't even see the need to try an air can other than if I was obsessed about weight savings and I'm not.
I have TPR DHR Evo on my EMTB, and found that using the same mid spec rotor, they will easily allow a "stoppie"" , and will lock up the rear on a paved road from medium speed with no weight shift rearward, so in my book, they have plenty of stopping power. I did find that using the semi metallic pads improved my stopping performance in the dry. One thing to note, the rear seemed to glaze a bit in between rides, but seeing that, after some hard -bed in style braking, the squeal stopped, and once again, the power returned. Overall, I am more than satisfied, coming from OEM Code RS brakes on this bike.
I love my TRPs. Have them paired with Magura rotors. Regarding deadstroke, it actually disappears if you completely eliminate all air in the system. i use a funnel and then pump the lever until you feel the lever get stiff. Once the lever feels stiff open the bleed port in the caliper and it should release all trapped air, a few rounds of this and you should have a good stiff lever with no deadstroke. You can actually feel your pads engaging if its setup correctly...
100% agree with rotors being nearly impossible to find. I use these EVO as well, just had a hell of a time finding new rotors. I also had to settle for the lower tier versions.
Don't ditch them just yet. Life isn't always linear with things just working as expected. Guys like myself appreciate seeing you work through problems. You've got the time, tools, and means to work through the challenges, and it should make for good content.
I think the rotor is the problem. I have trp on 1 of my bikes and they are just OK. I recently bought an e bike for my wife that came with Tektro. I upgraded to Shimano brakes. Same as 2 of my other bikes and they don't stop well. The only difference is the rotors. I think the 203 is smaller than 203. I ordered shimano rotors that should be here today a d I'm pretty sure that will fix my poor stopping power. I bet if you put the rotors back on that you just removed, you will see a big improvement. Love your videos!
Hope Tech 4 V 4s with the 3.3mm vented rotors!! Unbelievable stopping power!! Not too sure what it's like in North America but here in Ireland, parts are readily available if you need to do anything with them!!
Great video man! Heres my two cents on what ive discovered with brakes over the years… Today, brakes are ALL going to be perfectly adequate foe 99% of riders and what we do. For that 1% of super DH and XC RACING… yes, I am emphasizing RACING.. then true braking power is going to actualky matter. The 3-5’ that differed in your testing is not going to matter to the majority. Now a days it simply boils down to personal preference on modulation, feel, lever action, etc… the tenths of a second one is actually going to gain from braking power is truly only going to matter in an actual race where that counts and your trying to make the podium.
cheers Evan, I am a Dominion guy, I've been on them for years. Ya they sound very similar to them, and they look sexier ;) the bikes geometry and weight has a lot to do with how fast a set of brakes can stop a bike... try them on your heavy ebike. I just bought a 2025 Nomad frame, and have built it up how I wanted it, I wasn't sure if I wanted the T type drivetrain. I went with Hayes, Hope wheel set, Oneup Dropper/bar/stem/grips, X01 carbon cranks/ cable shifter & derailer, XX1 oil slick cassette and chain. it currently has my DVO Onyx 36 (with newer compression dial) but I just ordered a new factory 38 on their sale last night. I am at about the same price as I would have paid for X01 T type axs model. I've been on Carbon rims for a couple years so going back to alloy should be interesting if I can notice the differences... 1st ride on the wheel set today. stoked AF lol
I just found out from comments that trp and Shimano use the same pads, so I have 1 pair of MTX red label in my garage. Now I have to decide if I put them on the front or back 😂
I'm far from the most knowledgeable guy on brakes, and I don't get into high dollar very expensive gear, but the Code's are great if you are doing big long rides and don't want to think too much about modulation, just grab a bunch and when you need more just slam them some more. They aren't a finesse kind of brake. One of my favorite brake sets for power and fine brake input is actually the Sram Level series. I have them on a DH bike and initial bite is aggressive but easy to fine tune the input, good brakes for when you are set on kill and really paying attention.
I believe they come with resin pads, change them with semi metalic or metallic. My TRP Trail had resin, I lost power on long DH, ditch the pads, now have semi metallic, never lost power anymore. good luck.
I've run a few different brands over the years... Best bang (power) for buck, I've come across are Sram Guide RE, cheap... yet powerful. My Eeb has Shimano Saints + sintered pads + 200 mm rotors. Gr8 power, but they take a while to wake up and the BP does wonder occasionally. Hayes Dominions are on my Park Bike. Not quite as powerful as the Saints, but they're way more consistent (sintered pads + 200 mm rotors also).
Well I'm counting on using the parts to build up my spare frame and sell that for $1100. It'll offset the cost of the complete and make a bare frame I have laying around valuable again
I used to run code ultimates and kept having issues with them glazing over. Im running the TRPs now and never thought they were much different. Then I jumped on a bike with codes and they felt horrible. May have just been setup but I was blown away.
Hey Evan, regarding your brake rotors you can get center lock adapter that screw the center lock area and make the wheel hub into a 6 bolt. Maybe check your berd wheel set coz it might include the adapter. I know my DT swiss rims came with the adapter. Makes finding rotors easier and cheaper than dedicated centerlock rotors.
Not all rotors are compatible with centerlock adapters, unfortunately. It's still difficult to find a match. I'm currently trying to find a good set of 220/203 centerlocks/centerlock compatible 6 bolts with not much luck.
If your going with new suspension front and back i would recommend formula selva r front or selva c if you want a coil fork and the formula mod if you want a coil shock or the formula nebbia if you want a air rear shock. Nothing but good with formula and feel way better than anything else on the market if you can afford them
@@EvansMTBSaga The TRP pads are bad. I switched to Galfer purple pads and they work unbelievably well. Getting rid of great brakes because of pads seems a little out of touch. Not something many people in the real world would or should do..
@@EvansMTBSaga one pad on the front and one on the rear ... paired with the stock pads ... if you are only gonna do one set. Ideally swap out both for metallic.
Hey evan i figured out the maven bite point issue it is air trapped behinf the pistons in the caliper. Heres the trick, put the bleed block in and elivate the caliper so the bleed port is at the high spot, then attach the bleeding edge tool to the caliper with about a inch of fluid then pressurize the system and then pull vaccum and keep doing that until you dont see any bubbles it will take ahwile all 4 of mine took over 5 minutes of non stop push and pull to finally stop seeing air i thought for ahwil the bleeding tool was losing a seal when i pulled vaccume there was so much air. Then seal it up and put the pads back in you should be good to go and its up to you if you want to bleed the lever after that but the problem is the air in the caliper that is almost impossible to get out. This trick fixes it tho
If somebody search budget brakes, try Shimano Deore 6120. I have these on my 60 kg bike or about 120 lbs. 203 mm rotor on the front and 160 mm in the back. Both from Ztto woth 2,3 mm thickness. Best combo with enough power and no blocking the tyre. Even on downhill I have no problem with overheating.
That's cool that you got some new suspension coming your way. Did you get the suspension with the specific tune for this bike? I think I remember hearing on the Roller Door podcast (a podcast by the Santa Cruz people) that they have specific suspension tunes for this bike (and others). Maybe that would be a cool episode to get in the standard tune, test with it, then send it out for the correct tune and test that. Of course, it's easy for me to pitch that idea. I'd be spending your money, not mine! I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes! I hope you get it sorted out and get to feeling great on the bike!
Another awesome video. I think what happens with a lot of expensive products is there isn't much in comparison as most riders can't afford to test 2-3 mid or even high grade sets. Most of us can only afford something slightly better than stock. I think a lot of MTB products are now getting bought up by ebike and emoto owners. This makes it harder to source, especially when competing against a company who is gonna build 1000+ bikes. but also it means in a few short years, a ton of ebikes out there with decent brake systems will be for sale cheap as their batteries fail :)
If you want to go along the golden theme, try CaneCreek instead of Fox gold. I think a CaneCreek coil, maybe with a gold spring would be sick. Matching this to a CaneCreek Helm MK2, go for it
Off topic, any regrets moving to NWA outside of biking? Anything that you weren’t expecting? Wife and I are seriously looking at the Rogers area. I would love to live in an area that I could get around mostly by bike. Currently live in Northern Michigan. Thanks in advance.
Do you have a video of how you bleed brakes? Reason I ask is because I really like how you filled these TRPs from the top and I've been filling from below.
any properly adjusted good brake can lock up a front tire…which means they are all “powerful enough”… control and traction are what limit braking, until you hit the point where heat management comes into play.
I have DRH Evo's with their 203 RS05E Race Rotors and have the same hubs, kinda disappointed Onyx didn't offer them in 6bolt, however I just picked up some Shimano 6bolt to center lock adaptors and it's been just fine. Love my TPRs though! Strong, consistent, light lever action, and look great with the Freedom Coast levers. :)
I found some parts bin Shimano Saint levers and paired them with some Shimano mt420 calipers with metal pads. They're the most powerful brake I've ever had and they're on an ebike. Also the cheapest, since I paid $60 for everything.
Just put shrinktube on brakehandle, do this on all brakes. And i fill the space behind first but that i think most trialbike riders do, for taking away the sharpness between fingers. Sram codes are great and i used to be a shimano guy. On fb many wrote codes bad go maven. But whos happy now.
Would you try öhlins suspension? I once tried öhlins and wasnt set up from me too but look i tried them on some stairs the suspension was so good you didnt feel anything just slight bumps in the rear öhlins schock but overall i recommend trying öhlins
At 10:58, you can see your brake pads not covering whole rotor. This is just my guess but maybe you need to remove the spacers underneath your brake caliper if the brake pad is large enough to cover the rotor
I don´t think the rotors would make much difference for performance. Maybe for heat management but as you don´t have any prolonged descents in Bentonville that shouldn´t be an issue. I´d rather look at brakepads. You should have plenty of choice as TRP´s use the same size as Shimano 4-pots. Galfer black are good and quite affordable. Saying all that: It looked like you had some trouble stopping the rear wheel from locking up on your test runs with the TRP´s. More powerful brakepads surely won´t help with that ;) Guess it´s just a matter of getting used to them and/or maybe work on your body position a bit.
Hope Tech 3 E4, has a set for around 8 years and they have been on a few bikes, they work really well and I've only needed to bleed them when I changed bike and the hose needed to be routed internally.
I have two sets of Hope Tech4 x2 piston brakes, one set on my Atherton AM.130 and the other set on my Salsa Fargo; different bikes and usage but the brakes performance is superb, lovely lever feel and adjustable for both reach and bite point...an added bonus is they look like expensive jewellery items!
Oh dear, all the reviewers say the new grip X Fox fork dampers are very harsh, not sure they will fix the handling of the bike🤔 look forward to finding out....
The stopping distance test does not test breaking power it tests tire traction, rider skill(body position and brake modulation) and bike weight. Any hydraulic brake can lock up the wheels. Otherwise geat vid.
True! TRPs are definitely stronger than the grip you have.
Would be interesting to do a bench style flywheel @ rpm test, see what hauls it down the fastest.
Also bike geometry should play a part too
@@benjy288Yes
@@ricaaatexactly. If you’re locking up the wheels and skidding, there’s grip issues that go well beyond the brakes.
If your going with a coil shock you should see if you can get the coil powder coated gold so it matches your bike!
💯 thats a great idea would love to see if he does that 😍
Or go Ohlins suspension.
Vorsprung Telum would be awesome!
FOX factory with Kashima coating.
I hope he does. I was literally thinking before he said that what that bike would look like with a coil shock.
I love how the thumbnail answers the question without even watching the video
Thanks for clicking and commenting 😁
@EvansMTBSaga my pleasure señor
Please explain
I changed it haha
@@EvansMTBSaga the classic switcharoo
Switch to a sintered pad, TRPs usually come with resin pads. Those TRPs use the exact same pads as Shimano XTs so there's a huge array of good aftermarket pads. I've ridden the DH-R Evos on a couple different bikes and they're probably my favorite brakes, power wise, they're right on par with Shimano XTs but have a more consistent feel and better modulation. I would run them, but my current bike already has Shimano XTs and they're not $600 better than my existing XTs.
Have had TRP for a long time before switching to XTR (not brake power issue but lever throw too long for my short fingers).
Here's what I can say about TRP and how to improve the brakes.
1) Lever bleed with pads and rotors on. Don't use the funnel or syringe, unscrew the bleed port and use a pipette to drip the oil in. Then flick and pump the lever. This ensures the bubbles don't need to bypass the funnel and also gets a noticably stiffer lever bite.
2) Don't use the stock TRP resin pads if you can. Either use the full metal pads or go aftermarket like Galfer or LESS brand pads - much better brake force.
3) Don't get the Freedom Coast lever, go with the Oak components. The Coast levers pull too close to your knuckles.
4) TRP has shitty aftermarket support especially if you're not in USA region or bought the brakes used. All small parts are only sold via dealer and some dealers refrain from selling you the parts outright and instead ask for the brakes to be brought in. Wanted to refurb my leaky GSpec DH but was denied the plunger assembly from local dealer.
5) If you can wait, sit out till April 2025 for the release of the new DHR brake (new design with contact adjust, different plunger asswmbly and different reseviour). Probably breaking some NDA here but there you go 🤐. Also current DHR EVO will go on sale late November -30%.
Hey thanks for all the tips! They've already started to go on sale right now. Interesting to know that something new is coming. I will get on the bleed again. I didn't realize that the aftermarket support was so poor. I wouldn't have bought if I knew it was that bad, or the rotors being completely out of stock. Such a bummer.
wow! thanks for the tips! i have a TRP evo DHR which i got last year. front brake is flawless! the rear brake is too soft, tried to move to the metal pads, did an "overnight" bleed, where i left the cup over night with the lever pressed with an angle to reliefe any bubbles. still no improvement. what i can say though, that i used shimano fluid for the bleed, compared to the TRP one in the front brake! could that be the issue? (also, i saw in the video that he used shimano oil as well... so mayve, just maybe... thats the issue?)
@@EvansMTBSagaLike he said, aftermarket service is fine in the US. I contacted TRP for damaged O-ring in a caliper and they just shipped me a brand new caliper without asking too many questions. I also asked them about purchasing a plunger in lever, they sent me an invoice to purchase one.
My support experiences have been fantastic (in the US), if not the swiftest. But the key part of that is CALL them. Trying to email/go through the website is very hit or miss, but if you call and talk to someone they'll get you sorted (and also follow up if needed). They sent me a replacement caliper with almost zero questions asked... Along with a bottle of mineral oil and new bleed blocks.
I'll also second the recommendations to get different pads. I'm currently running MTX and it was a huge difference. I'm also running the Freedom Coast levers and prefer the shape to the Oak levers (personal preference between them, imo.)
@@MrZeko3rs Having used TRP and Shimano mineral oil, I have had better luck with TRP oil in both TRP and Shimano brakes. Rear brake can be kind of finicky but I have found doing a Marshy gravity bleed seems to work the best. Just make sure the pistons are fully retracted before you do.
Dont give up. Been riding 30 years. Got newer Tallboy few years ago and had similar issues. Just couldnt dial in the LLVPP. Took a ton of tinkering with air pressure, rebound and compression over several months but eventually became best bike Ive had.
The E-bike probably brakes better because the added weight increases the down ward force on the tires which = more traction. Plus larger tire size increases the surface area for the tire to grip onto the surface and transfer stopping power.
Plus it wouldnt accelerate as much when coasting down a hill -> stopping from a slower speed is easier
Loved the video! That has sounded honest like never before. You had your ups and downs in recent videos but that one is a gem. I would love to watch content like that in the future. Keep up great work!
Haha oh man I kind of pulled my punches a little bit. I felt like I was being overly negative, but all of those opinions are genuine. As a consumer, I was not happy with the purchase of these brakes in so many ways, but I wanted to like them.
Love the path you're taking with this bike. Lookin' real dope so far! If you want to switch the suspension maybe consider going for Öhlins. Don't know if you tried them before but they would match the color skeem of the bike quite well imo.
You gotta try the Freedom Coast levers. Omg, they make the TRP’s feel so much better. I will also say, it took me a little while to get used to the TRP’s coming from Shimano. I’d give them a month and then see how you feel about them.
I've definitely checked them out! I feel bad reaching out to them and asking for black ones though haha. I think gold on gold would be overkill
Try the @Oakcomponents1839 levers. I've just put them on my latest build. Pink bike review prefers them. The copper works well with the gold, if you use all the same shades it will look bland. I'm using a mix of copper, gold and bronze. Check my T9 build you will see what I mean.
You can order them in black. They make them in 10 different colors.
@@EvansMTBSaga It’s really the way they feel more than just the bling factor. It makes the lever pull feel really good.
i really want to get into mountain biking but i have absolutely no where near enough money yet watching your videos just makes me want to go out and hit some jumps, thanks for sharing your content with us, you inspire me.
Man, I gotta say I've been loving what you're doing with this channel recently. You have me looking forward to your weekly saturday video lol. Keep it up!
Thanks dude! I've been enjoying making brutally honest reviews haha. The brands might not like it
I love my trp brakes. I run the resin pads. The trick is to get them burning hot on brake in . Like you can smell them hot. They are down hill brake after all. After a proper brake in they will out preform your tires! Stick with them.
I’ve been running the same set of DHR Evo’s on every bike I’ve owned for the last 5 years. They’re still going super strong. I think I’ve done a full flush bleed twice. Otherwise just gravity bled.
I’ve never, not once, run any trp components with them. I’ve always run Shimano rotors, pads and mineral oil. I’ve never noticed any lack of performance. I’ll literally never run another brake set in my life!
I'm running TRP DH-R EVO and I love it. After 24 months of it never disappoint!
wowjust got back into mtn bikes after 25 years and its pretty insane where the tech is at. loving all the new gear vids
Great video - thank you. I've been riding the Evo Slate on my hardtail (Binary Maniak) with the big rotors and have been really impressed. I've lost count of the trees that were scraped, rather than dented! Seriously, I love the feel and the big stopping power. My riding weight is around 240#, ride pretty aggressively for an older, heavier guy and these brakes have brought me to a halt every time I've needed them to.
Hayes Dominion A4's are truly that bomb! By far my favorites
I love TRP and many other smaller brands. My local shop carries them, so it makes things easier.
Heck yeah perfect
TRP isn't really a small brand. "TEKTRO RACING PRODUCTS"
@@golfwang88 agreed but it is close enough for youtube comments. I actually was introduced to TRP through Tektro brakes.
I feel the TRP brakes have good stopping power for my ebike. My problem is the rear caliper inboard pistons constantly rub because the outboard pistons won't extend evenly. The bike shop re-adjusted the brakes, cleaned and lubed the pistons, replaced the pads 2-3 times with no improvement. I've cleaned and lubed the pistons myself several times, replaced the pads (because of uneven wear) at lease 4 times and still have this problem on the rear caliper. I'll change to another brand rather than but a new caliper to try and solve the problem. I enjoy your videos. Thanks for the fun topics.
That Santa Cruz internal routing is how all bikes should be done
Haha yeah it was pretty smooth! I don't really like how much cable hangs out by the rear shock though
I wasn't a fan of this color but outside in the sun it's looking good 😍
Not a big fan of the TRP brake pads. Not sure if mine just were contaminated or something, but they did not provide the power I was expecting.. But after switching to Galfer purple pads.. Oh boy! Such a massive difference! I was literally doing endos by accident on my bed-in runs.
Loving the DHR-evos now. It's a bit of a shame though, that you might need to shell out another 50 bucks or whatever straight out of the box...
That has been my suspicion as well. Got the Slate Evos and for a 4 piston brake, I was not that impressed with their stopping power. I'm probably gonna replace the pads with something better. AFAIK TRP 4-piston is the same pad as Shimano 4-piston so there are plenty of options.
Or just get trucker co sintered pads, they're just as good as Shimano pads and are like $19 for a set
yeah the stock pads are rubbish.
The organic blue pads best soak a ton. The TRP red semi metallics are what you want for a test like that.
You can also do full metallic TRP gold pads
The blue pads will fade super quick
I’m a brake diva 👩🎤 and I love TRP ❤
the podium gold fox 36 and a float x factory rear shock would suit this bike so well. great vid, the bike i'm getting soon comes with these brakes so good to hear they run really nice.
I love my TRPs. I think they are very close to my Shimano's. Something I found interesting, with the thicker rotors, I find I need to warm them up before they get the best bite. They are wonderful in the wet. I switched to 3rd party pads.
I'm on TRP evo with sintered pads all day. Used it for both my bikes
I don’t even own a bike, yet i enjoy watching all of Evan’s videos…
Your Bronson is BY FAR the most EPIC bike you built so far.
you really should try the VERY OLD but reliable SAINTS brakes from Shimano :)
Thanks Ghislain! I think so too. I'm having fun with it despite the challenges!
@@EvansMTBSaga BTW, 2 of my friends have a Bronson and they both have a coil on it, they said it changed the entire feeling of the bike and would never go back.
I love these brakes. I do however have the top end TRP rotor. I feel like they are exactly as you say they are. Like Shimano XT 4 piston, but with much better modulation. I also like the DB8 brakes, especially for how good they are for the money.
Let's face it. We are on dirt and brakes need to be more about good control and less about how powerful they are. I feel like, especially in this country, everyone wants the "I have more power!" bragging rights without thinking about all the other aspects. So for me, I think the TRP EVO DHR brakes are some of the best brakes on the market right now.
I love your comment man. Great input. The feel is definitely the most important. I like to do quick stabs of the brakes while dancing around singletrack, so having the most power in that situation would probably mean losing traction.
That is a good looking bike man. Santa Cruz’s frames have always looked great 😎
Next step is the gold teeth )
ive had trp brakes on my canyon torque and ive loved they worked really well for me in the steep tec and down hill racing
Super deluxe coil + Charger 3.1 damper upgrade in the lyrik fork would be pretty insane
Agreed on the coil, the previous gen SDU coil (w/ Zeb ult) was my first modern shock I've owned and I can't imagine wanting anything else now, even for a trail bike. I got comfort and a great pedal platform in one, I don't even see the need to try an air can other than if I was obsessed about weight savings and I'm not.
I have TPR DHR Evo on my EMTB, and found that using the same mid spec rotor, they will easily allow a "stoppie"" , and will lock up the rear on a paved road from medium speed with no weight shift rearward, so in my book, they have plenty of stopping power. I did find that using the semi metallic pads improved my stopping performance in the dry. One thing to note, the rear seemed to glaze a bit in between rides, but seeing that, after some hard -bed in style braking, the squeal stopped, and once again, the power returned. Overall, I am more than satisfied, coming from OEM Code RS brakes on this bike.
I love my TRPs. Have them paired with Magura rotors. Regarding deadstroke, it actually disappears if you completely eliminate all air in the system. i use a funnel and then pump the lever until you feel the lever get stiff. Once the lever feels stiff open the bleed port in the caliper and it should release all trapped air, a few rounds of this and you should have a good stiff lever with no deadstroke. You can actually feel your pads engaging if its setup correctly...
100% agree with rotors being nearly impossible to find. I use these EVO as well, just had a hell of a time finding new rotors. I also had to settle for the lower tier versions.
I use the DHR EVO sins 2 years and i love it and no issues
Don't ditch them just yet. Life isn't always linear with things just working as expected. Guys like myself appreciate seeing you work through problems.
You've got the time, tools, and means to work through the challenges, and it should make for good content.
I agree. I might just need the metallic pads that everyone is recommending although I really don't want to resort to that 😔
I remember I hated my TRP brakes but after using it a few more rides, It became better
The Ergon GE1 Evo grips in 'sand storm' colour will go with this bike perfectly.
Oh dang I didn't realize they made that color. They're my favorite grips
you need to try Hope V4 Tech 4 brakes, I use them with my Yeti SB160, actually stronger than my old maximas which I used to use
I have Tech 4's on my 160 too! and my sb115. They're awesome.
Agreed
I think the rotor is the problem. I have trp on 1 of my bikes and they are just OK. I recently bought an e bike for my wife that came with Tektro. I upgraded to Shimano brakes. Same as 2 of my other bikes and they don't stop well. The only difference is the rotors. I think the 203 is smaller than 203. I ordered shimano rotors that should be here today a d I'm pretty sure that will fix my poor stopping power.
I bet if you put the rotors back on that you just removed, you will see a big improvement. Love your videos!
Yess he should try hope tech 4 v4!!!!!
Well I wanted to say that...but you already did 😂😅
Hope Tech 4 V 4s with the 3.3mm vented rotors!! Unbelievable stopping power!! Not too sure what it's like in North America but here in Ireland, parts are readily available if you need to do anything with them!!
Great video man! Heres my two cents on what ive discovered with brakes over the years…
Today, brakes are ALL going to be perfectly adequate foe 99% of riders and what we do. For that 1% of super DH and XC RACING… yes, I am emphasizing RACING.. then true braking power is going to actualky matter. The 3-5’ that differed in your testing is not going to matter to the majority. Now a days it simply boils down to personal preference on modulation, feel, lever action, etc… the tenths of a second one is actually going to gain from braking power is truly only going to matter in an actual race where that counts and your trying to make the podium.
Have you tried Hope brakes ?
I have to chime in on the pads as well, I replaced the stock pads in my evos, and they felt sooo much better.
cheers Evan, I am a Dominion guy, I've been on them for years. Ya they sound very similar to them, and they look sexier ;) the bikes geometry and weight has a lot to do with how fast a set of brakes can stop a bike... try them on your heavy ebike. I just bought a 2025 Nomad frame, and have built it up how I wanted it, I wasn't sure if I wanted the T type drivetrain. I went with Hayes, Hope wheel set, Oneup Dropper/bar/stem/grips, X01 carbon cranks/ cable shifter & derailer, XX1 oil slick cassette and chain. it currently has my DVO Onyx 36 (with newer compression dial) but I just ordered a new factory 38 on their sale last night. I am at about the same price as I would have paid for X01 T type axs model. I've been on Carbon rims for a couple years so going back to alloy should be interesting if I can notice the differences... 1st ride on the wheel set today. stoked AF lol
You should change the rotor to a golden floating disc rotor if you get one and also change the hubs to golden hubs.. Great video❤
A buddy recently switched from Code RSC's to the TRP DH-R Evo brakes with MTX Gold label pads, and then switched all 4 of his bikes to the TRPs.
I just found out from comments that trp and Shimano use the same pads, so I have 1 pair of MTX red label in my garage. Now I have to decide if I put them on the front or back 😂
I'm far from the most knowledgeable guy on brakes, and I don't get into high dollar very expensive gear, but the Code's are great if you are doing big long rides and don't want to think too much about modulation, just grab a bunch and when you need more just slam them some more. They aren't a finesse kind of brake. One of my favorite brake sets for power and fine brake input is actually the Sram Level series. I have them on a DH bike and initial bite is aggressive but easy to fine tune the input, good brakes for when you are set on kill and really paying attention.
I believe they come with resin pads, change them with semi metalic or metallic. My TRP Trail had resin, I lost power on long DH, ditch the pads, now have semi metallic, never lost power anymore. good luck.
5:38- I don’t think you could get any more air bubbles in there unless you shook the bottle! That’s my guess to your inconsistent braking.
That's just the very first syringe pull back that I did. I fiddled with it for a while until I finally did a full caliper bleed
That bike looks so sick. I think it just needs the gold lower Fox 38s or 36s (if they’re even available?) to round it off. Awesome work!
I've run a few different brands over the years...
Best bang (power) for buck, I've come across are Sram Guide RE, cheap... yet powerful.
My Eeb has Shimano Saints + sintered pads + 200 mm rotors.
Gr8 power, but they take a while to wake up and the BP does wonder occasionally.
Hayes Dominions are on my Park Bike.
Not quite as powerful as the Saints, but they're way more consistent (sintered pads + 200 mm rotors also).
7:25 Now that I'm pretty deep in the sport, I agree building your own bike is much better than stock. That being the case, why not just buy a frame?
Well I'm counting on using the parts to build up my spare frame and sell that for $1100. It'll offset the cost of the complete and make a bare frame I have laying around valuable again
I would to see a red root beer colored coil rear shock! Freaking love meeting ya the other day!!
Hey Ish! Root beer color shock would be rad, probably better than a gold one. Are you on Instagram?
Im eaqually hyped for new Evans vids as for Berm Peak vids back then
Heck yeah thanks man that's a huge compliment!
I used to run code ultimates and kept having issues with them glazing over. Im running the TRPs now and never thought they were much different. Then I jumped on a bike with codes and they felt horrible. May have just been setup but I was blown away.
I got Sram Db8 on my entry level e bike, Aventon Ramblas and they are amazing!
Fox Kashima suspension is the only logical next choice. #goldtheme
TRP are the only brakes I’ll ever ride. Could never go back to Shimano or SRAM
I have a better question?
What bike wash kits are worth it.
Also can you make a mtb gift guide this would really help
Haha I just use dish soap and an assortment of brushes. Works great
Hey Evan, regarding your brake rotors you can get center lock adapter that screw the center lock area and make the wheel hub into a 6 bolt.
Maybe check your berd wheel set coz it might include the adapter. I know my DT swiss rims came with the adapter.
Makes finding rotors easier and cheaper than dedicated centerlock rotors.
Not all rotors are compatible with centerlock adapters, unfortunately. It's still difficult to find a match. I'm currently trying to find a good set of 220/203 centerlocks/centerlock compatible 6 bolts with not much luck.
this video post saved me 12 minutes and 36 seconds of my life👍
The breaking power is perfect but it is about the grip on the floor
If your going with new suspension front and back i would recommend formula selva r front or selva c if you want a coil fork and the formula mod if you want a coil shock or the formula nebbia if you want a air rear shock.
Nothing but good with formula and feel way better than anything else on the market if you can afford them
Oh yeah going the fox for the full gold fork that will look sick.
I completely agree my code RSC with rainbow bolts by far have been my best all-around performing brakes
What do rainbow bolts do?
@@haroldochiquitoThey look low-key amazing
TRP might be more well-known in Western markets if they use the Tektro brand, since it covers more segments.
I paired them with MTX Red brake pads. They worked great. You can try.
I'd rather sell them than buy new pads 😩
@@EvansMTBSaga The TRP pads are bad. I switched to Galfer purple pads and they work unbelievably well. Getting rid of great brakes because of pads seems a little out of touch. Not something many people in the real world would or should do..
Great news, TRP brakes use Shimano pads and I just so happen to have 1 pair of MTX red pads in my garage! So should I put them on the front or rear 🤔
@@EvansMTBSaga Front💪
@@EvansMTBSaga one pad on the front and one on the rear ... paired with the stock pads ... if you are only gonna do one set. Ideally swap out both for metallic.
Hey evan i figured out the maven bite point issue it is air trapped behinf the pistons in the caliper. Heres the trick, put the bleed block in and elivate the caliper so the bleed port is at the high spot, then attach the bleeding edge tool to the caliper with about a inch of fluid then pressurize the system and then pull vaccum and keep doing that until you dont see any bubbles it will take ahwile all 4 of mine took over 5 minutes of non stop push and pull to finally stop seeing air i thought for ahwil the bleeding tool was losing a seal when i pulled vaccume there was so much air. Then seal it up and put the pads back in you should be good to go and its up to you if you want to bleed the lever after that but the problem is the air in the caliper that is almost impossible to get out. This trick fixes it tho
Install Cascade Components Brake Adjuster onto the DHR evo, Game changer! 👍🤙
I didn't know that was a thing. I'll look into it!
Why have you not got gold decals for the Lyrik?
Because I'm getting new suspension 😁
Give the Hayes Dominion another look. I"m running them in bronze the light lever pull and strong stopping power is a win
The push eleven sixes for the Bronson are still on sale at jenson for $400 with out the coil
If somebody search budget brakes, try Shimano Deore 6120.
I have these on my 60 kg bike or about 120 lbs.
203 mm rotor on the front and 160 mm in the back. Both from Ztto woth 2,3 mm thickness.
Best combo with enough power and no blocking the tyre.
Even on downhill I have no problem with overheating.
That's cool that you got some new suspension coming your way. Did you get the suspension with the specific tune for this bike? I think I remember hearing on the Roller Door podcast (a podcast by the Santa Cruz people) that they have specific suspension tunes for this bike (and others). Maybe that would be a cool episode to get in the standard tune, test with it, then send it out for the correct tune and test that. Of course, it's easy for me to pitch that idea. I'd be spending your money, not mine!
I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes! I hope you get it sorted out and get to feeling great on the bike!
That's interesting! I did not get a specific tune, but I will look into that. Thanks dude
Another awesome video. I think what happens with a lot of expensive products is there isn't much in comparison as most riders can't afford to test 2-3 mid or even high grade sets. Most of us can only afford something slightly better than stock. I think a lot of MTB products are now getting bought up by ebike and emoto owners. This makes it harder to source, especially when competing against a company who is gonna build 1000+ bikes. but also it means in a few short years, a ton of ebikes out there with decent brake systems will be for sale cheap as their batteries fail :)
If you want to go along the golden theme, try CaneCreek instead of Fox gold.
I think a CaneCreek coil, maybe with a gold spring would be sick.
Matching this to a CaneCreek Helm MK2, go for it
you should try the lewis brakes, they are gaining more and more popularity!!
gold stuff always look beautiful.
i my self make project gold leafing my abus helmet with 20k gold leaf it damn shiny in the day.
Off topic, any regrets moving to NWA outside of biking? Anything that you weren’t expecting? Wife and I are seriously looking at the Rogers area. I would love to live in an area that I could get around mostly by bike. Currently live in Northern Michigan. Thanks in advance.
Great insight Evan. I’d be really curious how the iiiPro brakes would compare. It would only cost $100 for 4 pistons of polished aluminum clampers.
i think you should put a coil shock on it, that would look awesome
Do you have a video of how you bleed brakes? Reason I ask is because I really like how you filled these TRPs from the top and I've been filling from below.
Did you try to bleed the brakes with pads and discs on? In the rear could help with the thinner rotor
any properly adjusted good brake can lock up a front tire…which means they are all “powerful enough”… control and traction are what limit braking, until you hit the point where heat management comes into play.
I have DRH Evo's with their 203 RS05E Race Rotors and have the same hubs, kinda disappointed Onyx didn't offer them in 6bolt, however I just picked up some Shimano 6bolt to center lock adaptors and it's been just fine. Love my TPRs though! Strong, consistent, light lever action, and look great with the Freedom Coast levers. :)
If you want true gold theme build you gotta get the fox kashima suspension, 36 and dpx2 kashima or x2 would match perfectly
Fox dps always sucked for me...
Completly destroyed the o rings...
And always lost air
I found some parts bin Shimano Saint levers and paired them with some Shimano mt420 calipers with metal pads. They're the most powerful brake I've ever had and they're on an ebike. Also the cheapest, since I paid $60 for everything.
Just put shrinktube on brakehandle, do this on all brakes. And i fill the space behind first but that i think most trialbike riders do, for taking away the sharpness between fingers. Sram codes are great and i used to be a shimano guy. On fb many wrote codes bad go maven. But whos happy now.
Would you try öhlins suspension? I once tried öhlins and wasnt set up from me too but look i tried them on some stairs the suspension was so good you didnt feel anything just slight bumps in the rear öhlins schock but overall i recommend trying öhlins
At 10:58, you can see your brake pads not covering whole rotor. This is just my guess but maybe you need to remove the spacers underneath your brake caliper if the brake pad is large enough to cover the rotor
I don´t think the rotors would make much difference for performance.
Maybe for heat management but as you don´t have any prolonged descents in Bentonville that shouldn´t be an issue. I´d rather look at brakepads. You should have plenty of choice as TRP´s use the same size as Shimano 4-pots. Galfer black are good and quite affordable. Saying all that: It looked like you had some trouble stopping the rear wheel from locking up on your test runs with the TRP´s. More powerful brakepads surely won´t help with that ;) Guess it´s just a matter of getting used to them and/or maybe work on your body position a bit.
Hope Tech 3 E4, has a set for around 8 years and they have been on a few bikes, they work really well and I've only needed to bleed them when I changed bike and the hose needed to be routed internally.
I have two sets of Hope Tech4 x2 piston brakes, one set on my Atherton AM.130 and the other set on my Salsa Fargo; different bikes and usage but the brakes performance is superb, lovely lever feel and adjustable for both reach and bite point...an added bonus is they look like expensive jewellery items!
Oh dear, all the reviewers say the new grip X Fox fork dampers are very harsh, not sure they will fix the handling of the bike🤔 look forward to finding out....
May want to give MTX pads a try. They work wonders on my DHR EVOS
Will do! Sucks to have to spend more money on these
I agree. The performance TRP pads are good, but the gold label MTX pads are a step up in initial bite and last longer
Tell me why I was thinking what that bike would look like with a coil you’re gonna have my dream set up