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FEATURES: ON TEST: TRP 960 BRAKES
Road Bike Action
January 13, 2010
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STORY
TRP is the racing products division of Tektro—the brake manufacturer who builds and contracts most of the world’s enthusiast-level bicycle brakes. TRP R960 brakes are made from forged aluminum blanks, which are further lightened by CNC machining, then beautifully polished and color-anodized. The center-bolt and hardware is titanium, and the R960s are outfitted with SwissStop brake pads as standard equipment. TRP R960 brakes are targeted at performance-oriented riders who want powerful stopping with more positive feedback at the lever, but without paying a significant weight penalty.
TECH
At 249-grams for the pair, TRP R960 brakes are deceptively lightweight, and the I-Beam profiles of its caliper arms deliver stiffness that most brake makers dream about. The R960 is a dual-pivot caliper design with a fine-tuning rim clearance adjustment screw so you won’t have to do the “gorilla-twist” to center your pads. SwissStop brake pads are the best choice for any aftermarket brake because they are certified by most carbon rim makers and also grip well on aluminum wheels. TRP sells the R960 with an array of spacers to help clear aero-profile forks and seat stays. The spacers repeat the grip patterns of the brake’s center-bolt, so fixing the calipers into position is made easier. The caliper arms are slotted for 20-millimeters of vertical pad adjustment, so they should fit every modern road bike. Pad carriers are ultra-lightweight, CNC-machined aluminum, with titanium pad-retention screws.
The R960 caliper uses a unique quick-release design. To spread the brake pads and remove a wheel, the caliper is squeezed shut and the cable adjustment barrel is lifted and slid down a slotted track on the caliper arm. There is no provision for a micro-adjustment (like the cam-operated systems used by Shimano and SRAM), so riders with wiggly rims must unscrew the adjustment barrel to widen the pad clearance. Presently, TRP offers the R960 in black and red, but there are limited numbers of gold and blue brakesets in stock.
RBA SAYS
There is an argument among the road community about braking power. One side maintains that braking is of little importance because most of the race is spent drafting inside the close quarters of the peloton, where riders use only minuscule applications of the levers to maintain separation. The flip side is that anyone daring enough to attack in the mountains must be capable of descending at motorcycle speeds—and powerful brakes are a motorcycle racer’s gift of life.
TRP R960 brakes are designed for the bold and the brave—powerful by nature of their rigid calipers, which convert every last millimeter of lever travel into stopping power. The feel of the calipers as they contact the rim (we paired the 960s with SRAM Red brake levers) is linear, meaning that there is a direct relationship between squeeze power and braking effectiveness. This translates into a brake that has the sensitivity to ride two inches off a wheel in a nervous breakaway group, and the raw stopping power to descend dizzying switchbacks in the Dolomites. We never heard a squeal from the TRP calipers and discovered that the nonadjustable quick-release presented no issues, as the brake’s stiff calipers stopped powerfully with the pads set well wide of the rim surfaces. A few turns of the cable adjustment barrel would exceed the maximum spread of a traditional cam—without engaging the quick-release.
THE VERDICT
TRP 960s deliver outstanding performance at a weight that rivals many conventional brake designs. The edgy looks of the R960 will divide TRP’s potential customers into, “No sir, I’m a traditionalist,” and, “Wow, that’s a great-looking brake” camps. When we took the 960s out on the road, we were surprised that most riders were enthusiastic about the fresh-looking caliper design. Braking is all about feel, not looks, and TRP R960s clearly communicate the sensation of the brake pads, the rim and the road surfaces to your fingers.
PRICE: $399
WEIGHT: 249-grams (pair, with SwissStop pads)
INFO: www.trpbrakes.com
BONUS POINTS: Weight, performance and looks |
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