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Source: bikeradar.com post
OGDEN, Utah – Recently bikeradar.com ran an in-depth review of TRP’s DH-R EVO hydraulic bicycle brakes by Alex Evans. Evans concluded the brakes were reliable, powerful and good value, rating the system four stars out of a possible five.
The following are excerpts from the post, the entirety of which can be viewed, along with several images and a detailed specifications list, by clicking HERE.
TRP’s DH-R EVO brakes have been made for the toughest, longest and most demanding descents at World Cup level downhill racing. This means every bit of their design has been meticulously sculpted for what TRP claims to be the highest amount of performance possible.
The system uses TRP’s own 2.3mm wide disc rotors in sizes from 160mm up to 223mm in diameter. The brand has also designed a performance resin compound brake pad that is claimed to resist heat and have shorter bedding in times than the previous model.
Related post:
TRP’s New DH-R EVO Brakes
A lever, caliper and pads, and 190cm hose including oil weighed 332g on my scales. The 203mm rotor I tested the brakes with weighed 245g.
TRP DH-R EVO brakes on-trail performance
As mentioned, the DH-R EVOs have a soft or ‘spongy’ feel when the bike is stationary. The lever blade travels into and beyond the bite point as the brake’s pressure slowly ramps up.
Once moving and descending, the softer feeling bite point didn’t equate to a lack of power and only small, light movements of the lever were needed to access instant power and modulate the brakes to stop them from locking the wheels up.
The first few pulls of the brakes after bedding in the pads showed the DH-R EVOs to have immense amounts of power with a relatively light lever action. However, because the bite point is quite hard to identify – thanks to its softness – it was easy to pull them too hard causing the wheels to lock up. It took a fair amount of time to master their feel.
Once I’d sussed them out, I was impressed with the way the power was delivered. The initial squeeze of the lever created plenty of initial braking force, while increasing pressure kept the power ramping up in a controlled and predictable way. Modulation, therefore, was relatively easy.
Overall, the lever feel was light and the amount of strength required to use the brakes certainly helped reduce fatigue. The lever blade is quite chunky when compared to Shimano’s svelte offerings, which meant my index fingers were stretched as they reached around the blade to pull it. Someone with longer fingers is unlikely to have this issue, though.
Even riding prolonged and steep descents at the Tweed Valley’s Golfie tracks didn’t reach the brakes’ limits. They refused to overheat or pump up and, unlike some Shimano brakes, the bite point didn’t alter.
Arguably, the TRPs have more power than Shimano’s latest four-piston offerings and SRAM’s Code RSC brakes, but they feel decidedly different.
I tried both the organic and sintered pads and preferred the longevity of the sintered offering for the wet and muddy conditions I most frequently ride in. The organic pads lasted fairly well, but at £20 they’re expensive to keep replacing.
I also found the pads moved in the calipers when the bike was stationary and the brakes were firmly applied. This created quite a lot of noise but didn’t translate to any adverse feelings on the trails.
TRP DH-R EVO bottom line
The DH-R EVO brakes offer incredible amounts of easily accessible power that doesn’t appear to fade on even the most brutally brake-heavy descents.
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Their softer bite point takes a bit of getting used to, though, and might not suit some peoples’ preferences, but the lever feel is light and the power easy to modulate.
If you’re happy to adapt to the ‘soft’ feel, the DH-R EVO is a fantastically powerful and reasonably priced pair of stoppers.
Again, the entire review with images and specifications, can be viewed by clicking HERE.
