Lightest Hydro vs Mechanical Disc Brakeset

Discuss light weight issues concerning mountain bikes & parts.

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rastibreza
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2017 12:31 pm

by rastibreza

Hello,

I'm new to the forum. I am planning my next build and I was hoping to hear some of your thoughts. I'm not sure which brakeset to run, I thought I could make a mechanical disc brakeset lighter than hydro, but not sure if that's actually true?

Mechanical
Calliper TRP Spyre 170g 1x
Brake Lever TRP ML940 Brake lever 74g 1x
Rotor AVID HS1 160mm 95g 1x
NO CABLES & HOUSINGS
TOTAL 339g

Hydro
Example
Hope Race Evo X2
including everything 290g

What is the lightest mechanical disc brake setup out there?
How does a lightweight hydro and mechanical setup compare in terms of stopping power?
How come the hydro setup in this case is lighter than the mechanical?

Thank you all for your replies!

joejack951
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by joejack951

What is the fluid weight in the hydro setup?

by Weenie


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Klaster_1
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Location: Paphos, Cyprus

by Klaster_1

Calliper TRP Spyre 170g 1x

Comparison pretty much stops here. Lightest hydro complete lever/hose/caliper assemblies weight about the same (Formula R1r) or even less (Trickstuff Piccola) than a single Spyre caliper. Check out builds in gallery section, everybody runs hydraulic brakes on WW MTBs.

Here's my front setup:
Formula R1R - 167g
Ashima Ai-2 - 71g
Total - 238g

morganb
Posts: 732
Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2017 5:30 pm

by morganb

From a performance perspective, there is zero reason to run mechanical discs on a mountain bike anymore, unless you are using it for ultra remote back country touring where you can't afford to repair a hydraulic brake in a worst case scenario, but are willing to bring spare cables.

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ms6073
Posts: 4289
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Location: Houston, Texas

by ms6073

If mechanical is the only option, I would advocate Juin Tech X1 caipers over the TRP Spyres.
- Michael
"People should stop expecting normal from me... seriously, we all know it's never going to happen"

TheRookie
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Location: Midlands, United Kingdom

by TheRookie

Hydraulic should always be lighter, the hose and fluid are a lot lighter than all the steel in a bowden cable for starters, then at the calliper you need the mechanism to convert the linear motion through rotary back to linear, much heavier than fluid just pushing on a piston.

The older version of the Clarks CMD-8 callipers were 124g, they then went to a floating steel cable stop (from cast alloy) that added about 3g, not sure what the latest ones come in at. Had them on my commuter hybrid for about 6 years.
Impoverished weight weenie wanna-be!
Budget 26" HT build viewtopic.php?f=10&t=110956

ooo
Posts: 1590
Joined: Sat May 21, 2016 12:59 pm

by ooo

TRP SpyRe = road version = not ok for linear-pull TRP ML940
TRP SpyKe = mtb version = ok for linear-pull TRP ML940
(they have similar weight and look)
'

jemima
Posts: 270
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:36 am
Location: Perth

by jemima

ms6073 wrote:If mechanical is the only option, I would advocate Juin Tech X1 caipers over the TRP Spyres.


Juin Tech R1 with ti bolts switch, minus pads: around 120gm
viewtopic.php?t=142311
Curve Grovel ti.

alexdi
Posts: 36
Joined: Tue Dec 20, 2016 5:38 pm
Contact:

by alexdi

Klaster1 wrote:
Calliper TRP Spyre 170g 1x

Comparison pretty much stops here. Lightest hydro complete lever/hose/caliper assemblies weight about the same (Formula R1r) or even less (Trickstuff Piccola) than a single Spyre caliper. Check out builds in gallery section, everybody runs hydraulic brakes on WW MTBs.

Here's my front setup:
Formula R1R - 167g
Ashima Ai-2 - 71g
Total - 238g


I had this configuration (with a 180mm Ashima and '12 R1R), but ultimately switched to a heavier Magura brakeset after severe fade on a downhill that involved less than 15 seconds of sustained braking. I was about 175 lbs in gear at the time. Maybe the alloy TruckerCo pads contributed? Whatever the reason, the result hurt.

This, incidentally, was what everything weighed:

Weight, front lever and caliper: 167
Weight, rear lever and caliper: 188
Weight, pads (4): 17
Weight, MixMaster: 8

Total: 380g

There's an advantage to mechanical for road bikes; Shimano's hydro levers before R8000/R9100 were all surprisingly heavy. Not worth the bother on the mountain bike.

joshpeck
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2018 11:02 pm

by joshpeck

morganb wrote:
Thu Sep 21, 2017 5:07 pm
From a performance perspective, there is zero reason to run mechanical discs on a mountain bike anymore, unless you are using it for ultra remote back country touring where you can't afford to repair a hydraulic brake in a worst case scenario, but are willing to bring spare cables.
Second this. Brakes aren't really the best place to save weight. maybe rotors if you don't have long steep descents.

Magura makes the lightest hydro setups iirc.

by Weenie


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UpFromOne
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by UpFromOne

alexdi wrote:
Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:59 am

I had this configuration (with a 180mm Ashima and '12 R1R), but ultimately switched to a heavier Magura brakeset after severe fade on a downhill that involved less than 15 seconds of sustained braking. I was about 175 lbs in gear at the time. Maybe the alloy TruckerCo pads contributed? Whatever the reason, the result hurt.
...
TruckerCo brake pads, all varieties, should be outlawed. The worst possible product you could buy.

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