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The TR4 is more powerful than the Dominion A4, and more effortless in how the power ramps up. It’s really only if you ride relentlessly steep terrain where you want every power advantage possible that the GR4 is needed, IMO.
🙉 can’t hear the truth
I need allll the power!
I’ve just fitted a set of GR4s. Only had a couple of rides so far but I’m seriously impressed. I was coming from code rsc, but have friends with T4V4 and T4E4. Initial impressions are they are giving me the increase in power I was after, without losing modulation, without a load of free stroke (which I didn’t like on my friends)
What if you have arm/hand strength issues? Would it make sense to go for a GR4 over a TR4 or is there enough power either way?
It makes sense if you look at the geometry of the finger on the bar and lever. The pivot point is around the 2nd joint, and as you curl that around the lever, it starts to pull more and more upwards, towards the top of the grip, and not towards the middle. This means you're in the optimal position when you need the most leverage, pulling along the path that the lever wants to travel thanks to its offset position.
First, let's define "power" so we are both talking about the same thing. All the high-end brakes (and many others) can generate enough braking force to lock up both wheels in any situation - the question is how hard you have to pull on the lever to get there. When people refer to a "powerful" brake, it usually means there is a big difference between finger force and braking force at the wheel. In other words, if you can generate the same stopping power at the wheel with less finger force, the brake is more "powerful". The TR4 is in this sense more powerful than many other brakes out there (above the Dominion A4/T4, SRAM Code, Magura MT7, TRP EVO, and Trickstuff Direttissima, for example). So if you are moving on from one of those, you'll get more braking power for less finger force with the TR4. Obviously, if you really want to make it easier on yourself, with your stated arm/hand strength issues, go for the GR4. You'll just require even less finger force in steep and sustained braking scenarios. The full answer to your question depends on the terrain you ride as well. There are not that many scenarios where a TR4 won't be enough brake. But if it's ultimate power you want/need, it's Maven, GR4, or Trickstuff Maxima. Out of those three, the Maven goes about its business a little differently, with a much harder spring in the lever, so the initial pull is harder, but once you are into the powerful part of the stroke, it ramps up incredibly well. Under REALLY hard braking, it delivers the most stopping power I've felt in a brake. The GR4 is just a smidge behind it, but with a much lighter lever feel while initiating braking or trail braking.
Oh yeah that's one of those things I remember feeling but never really thought about what was causing it! Makes sense but it did feel odd to me
How is the lever distance to put power down?
For instance, the Maximas have a fairly light, but long lever pull to achieve power so the lever has to be run further out. The Mavens, Intends, and Radics have a much shorter throw to put power down, allowing you to run levers closer to the bar. Curious where this land in stroke distance to power.
It's pretty short. I've been able to run the EVO's reach adjustment closer to the bar, because you can run a shorter dead stroke than on the T4 series, yet I have not felt like I'm going to run out of space for the lever throw once I'm into the proper braking power zone, if that makes sense. I'd say there's a little bit more "flex" after the bite point in the EVO compared to the Maven (difference in hose or caliper stiffness, or something to do with the seals, maybe?), but the power still comes on so strong that you don't have to go very deep into the stroke to generate it.
Really like hope brakes, but absolutely hate the high pitch squeal. Does anybody have tricks/pad and rotor combinations that got rid of that squeal?
Anyone have experience with the TRP evo pros?
Early days for sure, but they are completely silent for me. I’m running the green race pads with 2.0mm galfer wave rotors.
Mine are also silent except for when they start out wet but the noise goes away once they are up to temperature. I use Hope 2.3 mm discs and sintered pads.
mine went 80% quiet suddenly, green hope pads and rs05e rotors, they squealed all whistler trip in the dust and now suddenly stopped, occasionally they do but for most times it's gone 🤷♂️
Yep, run them on 2 of my bikes. as usual, the blue pads are meh - using galfer Purple with r5 rotors.(the r5's do make some noise because of the cut outs)
But they've been great.
I have about 60 days on the Evo Pros. It’s a solid iterative update to the DH-Rs, I have two of the old sets on other bikes. Big change vs the old ones is that you now have a wider range of lever adjustment (much closer to bar) and a decent amount of bite point adjustment. They still kept the low maintenance aspects.
As far as pads I run the red TRP semis, I drag my rear brakes too much to run stock organic blue pads. Most of the TRP athletes seem to run the blue pad.
Be careful on the install, they reinforced the brake hose with a hard plastic liner that can get kinked.
I run the T4V4s with Trickstuff pads and Daechle HD rotors and they don't squeal unless wet.
365 Cycles have GR4s and TR4s "in stock", below MSRP. Hmmm.
"in stock" == not really in stock. My order was cancelled after initial confirmation and "shipped" notification, don't order from 365 Cycles just yet.
I had the LBS order me some from BTI yesterday.
When you break a Magura MT7 lever save the clamp piece, it fits the Hayes Dominion lever. You can’t go the other way as the MT7 wood screws don’t fit thru the Dominion clamp holes.
Anyone figure out how to stop the bleed ports of TRP Evos from leaking all the time. O-ring? I tried drying out all the oil from the threads before putting back in the screw, Tried teflon tape and it wouldnt hold.
Have really been enjoying my Lewven brakes lately. LHP+ levers paired up with maven ultimates. Still have that wall of power when you lay into the brakes, but much lighter lever throw and still good modulation. Ran them for a week at whistler with no issues and even sold a friend on the Frankenstein setup and he is getting the same setup for his bike.
I kinda want to do that with Trickstuff or Radic master cylinders now ...
i'd love to do Radic Levers paired with Hope GR4 calipers honestly, the Maven calipers are a bit of a pain to bleed + the pistons don't move as freely as the Hope/Trp Ones
If you pair TS or Radic MC's with maven calipers, it will result in a soft bite point and a TON of freestroke. Both TS and radic use a 9mm MC piston with no cam mechanism. I've tried a Radic MC with a Magura gustav caliper which pretty much has the same overall piston area as a Maven caliper. You either need to have the brake constantly rubbing or have the reach miles out to have a proper bite point.
I'm not sure what size piston the LHP+ MC uses but it's likely between 9-10mm. The LHP+ lever also has leverage adjustment which can be used to take up the "slack" that comes from the larger difference in piston area between the MC and caliper.
LHP should have a 9mm piston.
I have paired a LH4 lever with a Cura 4 caliper. With the bleedblock installed the bite point is really good but with pads and disc it get's worse. Freestrocke is not that bad with the freestrocke adjustment almost fully closed.
The Radic mineral systems have apparently been much less reliable than the DOT, even with the new seal material. It’s super frustrating, I’d spec DOT or buy something else.
Interesting brake set up! Anyone else have Maven/Frankenstein brake set up with Maven calipers? Waiting on a bike with Mavens and curious what people has done with different levers. I saw on other forums some people did Maven calipers with shimano levers? May have some trp dhr levers laying around the spare bin parts and would be curious how it would feel with a maven caliper.
Did they give you ETA? The-LBS.com mentions 3-4 weeks ETA.
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