TRP Spyre/Spyre SLC

[Valbrona]

Any reason why I shouldn't buy these brakes?

Thanks.

[yostumpy]

I have the spyres. First time with cable discs, seem to work well, easy to adjust, no complaints, not as good as my 12 yo shimano hydraulic ones on the mtb, but if they are TOO good, you'll only loose traction , and that is a bad thing on a greasy wet road in the dark.

[Brucey]

they seem to work OK but there are a few wrinkles.

One of the things that concerns me most is that the pad adjusters have only a little threadlock on them. Some users report that the calipers 'adjust themselves'. I am presently trialling a few turns of PTFE tape on the adjuster threads to try and prevent this kind of problem.

The other thing is that the mechanism inside is 'not at all well sealed' and is both more complicated and more vulnerable to damage than any other mechanical disc caliper. More complicated because there are twice as many ramps, balls, thrust bearings etc. More vulnerable because in order to make the thrust bearings small enough, the rolling elements in them are very small indeed (somewhere around 1.5mm diameter IIRC).

Bearings with small diameter rolling elements are much more easily damaged by corrosion than those with larger rolling elements in them. I think that if you use Spyres/Spykes in all weathers and/or wash your bike, corrosion in these bearings is very likely.

To prevent this, the only way I think might work would be to strip the calipers down and clean/lube the bearings once every few months. Obviously you need to regrease sparingly (else grease gets into the brake pads...) but I don't think you would have to try very hard to improve on the quality of the grease used.

cheers

[nigelnightmare]

As Brucey says But I've found them easier to set up and adjust compared to avid BB7 and Clarks 17R.
Another plus for me is I use the rear as a parking brake and it doesn't warp the disc overnight.

[reohn2]

Any reason why I shouldn't buy these brakes?

Thanks.

They're good stoppers but BB7's are just as good.
They sit very near(1 to 2mm) to the spokes on Shimano six bolt hubs,but maybe better on splined low flange hubs.
I swapped mine for BB7's(which I'm more familiar with)and never looked back.

[Valbrona]

In the case of BB7's, do both pads move?

I am using Promax Render at the moment - deeply put off by the fact that only one pad moves. Fiddly set-up.

[Brucey]

In the case of BB7's, do both pads move?..

no, only the left one. The right one has a static adjustment. You adjust it to within ~0.2mm of the disc; it is not at all difficult.

- deeply put off by the fact that only one pad moves...

don't be. The promaxes might well be junk, but any inherent disadvantage you might think there is to this arrangement is almost entirely in the mind.

cheers

[reohn2]

In the case of BB7's, do both pads move?

I am using Promax Render at the moment - deeply put off by the fact that only one pad moves. Fiddly set-up.

Both pads don't move when braking.
But why would that both you?
I've been using BB7's on various bikes including tandems for approx 7 years,the pads wear evenly(and slowly),braking is good enough to lock up wheels on solos and are the best braking I've ever experienced on tandems.And due to the simple design,maintenance and adjustment is so,so easy.

My S in L has Promax Render calipers fitted to his Marin AAMOF I fitted both brakes with new pads this week when I serviced it,the brakes aren't very good.

EDITED

[Bmblbzzz]

I have Spyre C. I'm not sure of the differences between the variants, but these work well; I'm impressed not so much by the overall power, though that is good too, as by the controllability (modulation) compared to both V brakes and dual pivot calipers.

Any reason why I shouldn't buy these brakes?

Thanks.

They're good stoppers but BB7's are just as good.
They sit very near(1 to 2mm) to the spokes on Shimano six bolt hubs,but maybe better on splined low flange hubs.
I swapped mine for BB7's(which I'm more familiar with)and never looked back.

On my wheels with six-bolt hubs I haven't noticed this problem, but they are fairly large-flanged hubs. I'd say it's going to depend on the particular wheel.

[reohn2]

On my wheels with six-bolt hubs I haven't noticed this problem, but they are fairly large-flanged hubs. I'd say it's going to depend on the particular wheel.

Spyres/Spykes(?)were fitted to my Genesis Longitude when I bought it new the caliper was barely 1mm from the spokes,and I could adjust away any further even with the inner pad wound all the way out.I spaced the rotor off the hub with washers to get it a further 1mm away.
The original organic pads were worn out with 500miles so I swapped them for sintered ones which squealed quite badly at times I put HMP grease on the back of the pads which helped some but didn't cure the problem entirely.I found the pads were a slack fit in the caliper and to it down to that.
Eventually I sold them and bought a pair of BB7's,problem solved

[Bmblbzzz]

TRP sales dept must have been busy recently as Spyres and Spykes in various flavours are appearing a lot as OEM now.

[Bez]

Spyres and BB7s are both good brakes IME. I find the BB7s a little easier to install and set up, and the Spyres a little easier to adjust for wear. The Spyres do run the risk of spoke fouling on some setups (on my XT Centerlock dynohub it's really close; on the SP 6-bolt dynohub I had to put a couple of washers under each bolt and there was only just enough leeway in the caliper mounting). The inboard (fixed) caliper adjusters on BB7s can sometimes become very stiff, which can be an issue eg on very cold days or when you're lacking finger strength for some reason.

At the end of the day I've been happy with both and there's little to choose between them: any issues with either are minor niggles at most.

[reohn2]

....... the Spyres a little easier to adjust for wear.

I didn't find that to be the case as I found the 3mm allen key to be a bit fiddly whilst out for a ride and had to carry a special 3mm allen key as I couldn't get the one on the multitool to fit the inside adjuster due to the spokes being in the way.

The inboard (fixed) caliper adjusters on BB7s can sometimes become very stiff, which can be an issue eg on very cold days or when you're lacking finger strength for some reason......

If you remove the inboard adjuster and put a little copper grease on the threads it helps,I also dribble a little GT85 on the outer edge inboard adjusting wheel after a wet ride or if the bike's washed.
I find the best way of adjusting the inboard pad whilst out on the road is with the index fingers of both hands either side of the adjuster wheel from above the caliper.
Alternatively use the T25 Torx tool supplied with the brakes when new.
If I'm adjusting them in the workshop I almost always use a long series T handle T25,
What I'll never understand is why Mr Avid deemed it to be a Torx head ,an allen/hex socketed adjust would eliminate the need for the only Torx head on a bike

[Brucey]

isn't the torx key the same size as that which is used on most disc bolts? Or have I remembered wrongly?

cheers

[reohn2]

isn't the torx key the same size as that which is used on most disc bolts? Or have I remembered wrongly?

cheers

It is,but why do the rotor bolts have to be torx?

PS,I have no qualms about using SS hexbolts with threadlock for rotor bolts.There may be technical reasons for not doing but I haven't found them lacking,six 4mm SS bolts are quite a bit of 'meat' to shear.