Avid BB7 or TRP Spyke

[pete75]

After a pair of disc calipers. Can't make my mind up between BB7 and Spyke. Both get good reviews . Spyke seems a more sophisticated design with operation for both pads rathers than single piston with a sliding caliper. Is it worth paying the extra - BB7 £44 for a pair of calipers, Spyke £65 though that does include a pair of brake rotors as well.

[Brucey]

Both have their strengths and weaknesses but on balance I prefer the simpler internal design of the BB7 calipers.

BTW BB7 isn't a sliding caliper it is fixed. But I know what you mean.... the disc flexes against the fixed pad of course.

cheers

[pete75]

Both have their strengths and weaknesses but on balance I prefer the simpler internal design of the BB7 calipers.

BTW BB7 isn't a sliding caliper it is fixed. But I know what you mean.... the disc flexes against the fixed pad of course.

cheers

I thought they'd be like like the single piston calipers they use on some motorbikes and cars with the caliper sliding to work the fixed pad, they being the only single piston design I've had experience of.

[yostumpy]

If you go for the TRP, there are 2...no 3 versions.

Firstly there is the SPYKE, which is an MTB brake, presumably for flat bar lever pull.

Secondly there is the SPYRE, road version

Thirdly the SPYRE SLC shiny polished road version with carbon arms.

good thing about the TRP is they use std shimano type pads, so there is a huge variety and supply.

[Brucey]

Both have their strengths and weaknesses but on balance I prefer the simpler internal design of the BB7 calipers.

BTW BB7 isn't a sliding caliper it is fixed. But I know what you mean.... the disc flexes against the fixed pad of course.

cheers

I thought they'd be like like the single piston calipers they use on some motorbikes and cars with the caliper sliding to work the fixed pad, they being the only single piston design I've had experience of.

Ah, right. All mechanical discs apart from the Spyke/Spyre work in the same way, i.e. the fixed pad is fixed in space and the disc flexes fractionally to make contact with it. It sounds terrible but it works OK in practice.

There is at least one (cheap, not very good) caliper whereby the whole caliper is on sliding pins but it is moved on a screw adjustment and this sets the running clearance on both sides of the disc. The others use an adjuster on the fixed pad to set that running clearance and a separate adjustment for the moving pad.

The sliding calipers found on motorcycles and cars get 'knocked back' and recentre themselves after each application of the brake. You can tell when this has not been working because the pads wear unevenly. AFAICT no cycle brakes work this way, presumably because any rubbing at all makes a noise and you can feel it too.

cheers

[Valbrona]

I believe both pads move with the TRP brakes, but only one pad with the BB7.

This only really matters in terms of rotor choice. The BB7 needs regular-style rotors which are able to flex slightly - the very thick and engineered rotors, like Shimano Ice-Tech, do not bend in the same way.

[reohn2]

BB7 everytime for me.
I had Spyres(MTB cable pull version of Spykes) on the Longitude as standard when I bought it and couldn't stop them squealing when hot on long descents and I didn't like the adjustent system so I sold them and fitted BB7's,ah that was better
Both brakes stop well though.

[Si]

Ive a bb7 on the mtb. I found it easy to fit, running in was really quick and performance is good enough for me...used to have hope mini. Have tried sprye once....they were brand new so hard to form an opinion....might be able to report back later if the shop can get the bike sorted.

[Valbrona]

... couldn't stop them squealing when hot on long descents and I didn't like the adjustent system so I sold them and fitted BB7's,ah that was better .

Did you try different pads? Is adjustment a faff with Spyres?

(I am about to shell out on a pair of Spyres, hence the questions).

[gloomyandy]

There are two adjustments on Spyres, one is the conventional brake barrel adjuster, the other is to move the pads in and out, for this you use a small allen key from each side, it can be a little fiddly. Not sure what the process is for BB7.

I switched to using sintered pads on my Spyres and they seem to be pretty quiet. I like the Spyres a lot more than the Avid hydro brakes I have on another bike, which seem to have some sort of auto pad adjust that seems to mean the pads are always just touching the disc.

[Tangled Metal]

My bb7s squeal badly in the wet. Great as a kind of horn though.

[reohn2]

... couldn't stop them squealing when hot on long descents and I didn't like the adjustent system so I sold them and fitted BB7's,ah that was better .

Did you try different pads? Is adjustment a faff with Spyres?

(I am about to shell out on a pair of Spyres, hence the questions).

Yes,Organic lasted about 200 miles max but didn't squeal as much as sintered pads butnthe sintered ones lasted much longer,IIRC I ran them for almost a 1000miles and there was plentymof pad let when I sold them.I tried a couple of diffent makes and even greased the back on the pads to piston interface without much joy though the greasemdid quiten them slightly.

BB7's with sintered pads fitted will squeal on first application in the wet,but I learned to dab the lever now and again to clear water off the rotors.
I tried everything with the Spykes without joy,the squealing was my main reason for selling them.

[reohn2]

My bb7s squeal badly in the wet. Great as a kind of horn though.

What pads are fitted?

[Tangled Metal]

Not sure but the ones that came with it. It's a London road bike from planetx. Dabbing the brakes don't stop the squeal. You need to keep the brakes on until the squeal stops. I think it's like heating it up until the water has evaporated off but I'm not sure that's what is happening.

[reohn2]

Not sure but the ones that came with it. It's a London road bike from planetx. Dabbing the brakes don't stop the squeal. You need to keep the brakes on until the squeal stops. I think it's like heating it up until the water has evaporated off but I'm not sure that's what is happening.

BB7's are usually supplied with sintered pads,I've four bikes with BB7's and had two bikes previously fitted similarly,all with sintered pads and don't have the problems you're experiencing.