This is the third in a series of how-to articles detailing my 2012 DH bike build, the Santa Cruz V-10.

Trimming Brake Hoses

I tend to save the brake hoses until last, cutting them after the fittings are set at the correct angle and the exact position of the hose on the frame has been established. Cutting hoses is a one time deal. Once a hose is too short, you’re outta luck, so do it right the first time. Make sure all the lines are secure and that there are no kinks in the places where they have movement, such as at the head tube and suspension.

It’s also a good idea to trim the ends off cable ties as close to the connection as possible. Doing so leaves behind a smooth surface rather than a jagged edge which can catch on clothing, or worse, yourself. Use a sharp blade to carefully remove the excess off the cable tie.

So after all the brake lines are tied down, I get to the business of trimming the lines. Avid makes it very easy with some new tools that were introduced at Interbike this year. I used Avid’s pro bleed kit (along with extra compression fittings, nuts, and barbs) along with two cool new tools that make life way easier: the hand-held hose cutter and barb-end driver.

First, I established how much hose I needed to cut by removing the hose from the lever end and then marking the hose where I felt it needed to be cut. For the front wheel it is a simple matter of making sure that when the suspension is fully extended, the brake cable doesn’t tug or interfere with the other cables’ movements. For the rear brake, I made sure that when the steering is in full lock left or right, the hose did not pull.

On the XO brakes, an 11mm wrench and the supplied crowfoot (8mm) tool were used to remove the lines. After that, I simply cut the hose using the Avid hose cutter (leaving an amazingly clean cut) and then installed the new compression nut, compression fitting, and barb, in that order (not forgetting to toss on the boot first). The barb fitting tool made short work of installing the barb end. Once that was done, I then reinstalled the hose (for further details see this post). Finally, I bled the hoses. This video will help with that:

Once the hoses are bled, you can get to finishing off the bike and those little details such as cable stops and ties. I use the supplied Avid cable joints: they are durable and clean looking. Just be sure that you test spin the wheels to make sure the CPS hardware and calipers are lined up with the wheels. Finally, double check to make sure the front and rear wheels are buttoned up.

Stay tuned for my final Santa Cruz V-10 build article on dialing in the cockpit.

At Interbike last year I previewed the technology behind the Hayes Prime brakes, particularly the virtues of the poppet cam and new reach adjusters. This summer I finally got a chance to thoroughly give these brakes a go and this is my review.

Tech

The Prime Pro brakes represent somewhat of a departure from other Hayes components with a host of new features not found in the rest of the current line-up. The poppet cam technology inside the brake master and the re-designed lever / detented adjuster really sets the Primes apart from simple piston / reservoir systems. Here you’re getting a complex, scaled down version of a braking system that you would find on some sport bikes.

Checkout the video from Hayes below to see the poppet cam and how it adjusts the dead stroke.

Poppet cam

In addition to the poppet cam, Hayes includes a bunch of other great features that make the Prime a truly premium brake. For starters, the Pro kit features titanium and anodized aluminum bolts to shave weight plus you get a two piece rotor (with the Pro sets) made from an aluminum center and stamped stainless steel brake surface.

The caliper is a redesign that is very user-friendly with an easy-to-remove bridge pin holding the two pads in place. With this system you can remove the pin and pull out the pads for a quick service or change without having to pull the caliper off.  The higher placement of the two caliper bridge bolts and corresponding placement of material also makes for a stiffer caliper design.

Installation

These Prime brakes screamed out for abuse so I installed them on my DH rig. The brakes feature burly construction which makes them a natural choice on AM – DH bikes.

Installing the Primes on my Banshee Legend took about 40 minutes. Both hoses were long enough on my medium frame that I still needed to trim the brake lines a good 6 – 8 inches each. Don’t worry – Hayes supplies you with hose ends to do this operation. All you need is a proper brake housing cutter (a Park CN-10 or similar) and you’re golden.

After trimming the hose I installed the levers and calipers. It’s important to tighten the lever clamp top bolt so that there is no space left; torque the bottom clamp bolt at 3.4Nm. The caliper itself takes a bit more work to dial in but a tool like the Hayes Feel’R gauge makes life easy. Set the caliper squarely over the rotor and check the spacing using a gauge or two business cards on each side of the rotor; with the brake applied, tighten the caliper down to 9Nm.

Double check for leaks and proper torque before burnishing the pads with some safe stops (about 30-50) at medium speed. After that it takes a little more riding to really get the lever reach and contact points adjusted properly. I found sitting on the bike standing still is not good enough – I needed to hit the slopes to get a realistic feel for the levers. With the levers dialed I adjusted the contact points.

Performance

How well did the Prime brakes perform? After some serious trail time I have to say these are right up there with the other brands I have played with. Hayes comes out on top in terms of adjustment characteristics and the poppet cam works very well. The detents on the reach adjuster are easy to dial with positive feedback with a nice click between settings. All of the adjustments can be done with gloves on and without any tools needed to make things move.

The Primes offer roughly the same power as the Avid Codes and modulation that’s comparable to the ONE from Formula. I did notice that I needed a bit more finger force on my end to stop the bike than with other brakes I’ve tested. But stop they did. Even on the hardest courses at Blue Mountain, which are notorious for burning up brakes (Shot Glass and O-Chute), the Primes fared well. I did get some noise near the bottom of the runs but I didn’t get any fade. I definitely got these brakes super hot, so much so that the rotors changed to a blue color, which is a good indication of the amount of heat involved.

The Primes modulate very well and by playing with the contact point you can adjust how they engage. The brakes will ramp up faster if your contact point is closer to the bar, more slowly as you move away from the bar. By moving the lever out at the same time you can get the brake to work virtually any way you want it to work. I tend to set up my brakes to have the maximum pressure (fully engaged) with the levers parallel to the bar with about an inch in between the two. I have seen other people set their brakes so the lever touches the bar on maximum pressure (a big no no but who am I to say), and although I am sure you can do that, I didn’t. Throughout my tests with the Primes I always had consistent feel and no change in force through the braking stroke.

Having tanked my bike more than once (I broke my ankle and played ping pong with the bike down a slope), the Hayes Primes didn’t show any signs of damage – the levers survived and nothing was bent. As with any bike part, you will have to service these brakes. After every few rides or so I tend to pull the pads (easy with the Primes) and retract and extend them, just to make sure the pads don’t stick due to accumulated dirt and dust (doing this also keeps the seals moist). Checking up on your equipment also gives you a good indication of how much pad is left, leaving you enough time to order a new set if necessary.

All in all I think Hayes did a great job bringing a powerful and reliable brake to a highly competitive market.  So for about $260 a wheel, try out a set and I think you too will be impressed.

Thanks to Joel Richardson and the folks at Hayes for sending down the brakes for review.

A mystery box arrived on my desk last week, the contents of which attracted loads of interest around here: Ashima composite body hydraulic disc brakes. The 180mm front and 160mm rear setup looks super trick with red anodized highlights at the lever and caliper. But the real attention getter is the composite body. That’s right: these babies are light. Weight for front caliper/hose/lever is 197g, rear is 213g (zip ties included). By comparison Bike Rumor’s first look at the 2011 Shimano XTR Race version came in at 215g front 229g rear.

I won’t go into too much more detail, as I plan to throw up another post as soon as these brakes are mounted on my new ride. Yep, it’s also new bike day! It will be my first foray into the world of singlespeed 29ers and my second new bike in less than a month. The first was the steel cyclocross bike I mentioned in my January post about off-season training. It’s a spree, and I couldn’t be happier.

Now here’s a scoop for all of you tech heads: Formula Brake Company was cool enough to send me a set of 2011 Formula R1 brakes for a review. I was actually expecting to get the the 2010 model so when these babies arrived I was stoked!  The R1 is basically the pinnacle of the accumulated technology behind Formula which means these brakes are up there in cost but they’re dripping with superior modulation in a super strong, lightweight package. To me these brakes may well be worth their weight in gold.

The first thing you’ll notice about the R1 brakes is the forged and compact master cylinder (similar to Formula’s the ONE). The master cylinder (MC) takes up very little bar space and is radially constructed. Featuring a convenient flip-flop design, the R1 allows you to bleed the brakes on either side (dual ports) while the split clap allows you to install and remove the brake without disturbing other components (nothing drives me crazier than having to remove unrelated parts unnecessarily). Inside the MC is a high capacity reservoir that surrounds the piston.

The R1 master cylinder body is forged and then machined for maximum strength and minimum mass. Speaking of mass, you can get these brakes down to 263 grams±. This is very light indeed for a brake that can be used safely by AM riders (Enduro) who want to keep their rigs in lightweight climbing condition.

The 2011 R1 model adds reach adjustment as well as pad contact point adjustments.  The reach adjust (red knob) on the lever makes it easy to adjust how far out you want the levers, with plenty of room for adjustment. The contact point adjuster, which is radially mounted before the brake line, adjusts the volume in the line to compensate for pad wear and engagement points. Reach adjust is retrofit-able to 2010 models.

The bright red bits are all-aluminum fasteners to further reduce weight on the R1 brakes and torx heads on all the bolts reduces the risk of stripping the bolt heads. With the R1 it’s important that you follow the installation instructions to the letter and torque all the bolts down to stated values.

The R1 caliper hasn’t changed this year (probably because it’s hard to improve on perfection) and features the same forging process as the master cylinder. The upshot: a compact, lightweight, and stiff structure. What is hidden from view is the 22mm pistons and larger-than-expected brake fluid capacity behind the patented cap design. All of this increases the fluid capacity (reducing the chances of boil over) and reduces the physical size of the caliper (as well as weight).

The calipers are post mount in design and can handle rotors up to 220mm. However, keep in mind these are not DH brakes (those would be the ONE or the ONE FR). Earlier I mentioned how I dislike removing parts for no good reason and with Formula’s top load design, removing pads and springs can be accomplished without disturbing caliper alignment (see image right).

The stock R1 brake pads sport organic material backing on aluminum to further reduce weight but you can get the sintered pads on steel backing plates if you want a more aggressive set-up.

Installing the R1 brakes on my OPUS Stahk was a piece of cake. Following Formula’s instructions and recommendations it took all of about 30 minutes to get both front and rear brakes installed. I’m sorta particular so I shortened the hoses a bit and then re-bled the brakes (15 minutes per wheel). In the package you get extra fittings to get the job done without having to hit up your LBS for parts. Remember to torque everything down properly – the last thing you want to do is snap a bolt or even worse have something come loose on that 15 mile loop you’re hitting.

On the trail the R1′s have a similar feel to the ONE’s which I’ve been rocking on my DH bike. The modulation on these brakes is second to none. The R1′s don’t engage like on/off switches; rather they come in with an amount of stopping force proportionate to the lever pressure. I only use one finger to grab the levers and that is more than enough with these brakes. On descents or technical spots where I find myself dragging the brakes, the overall characteristics of the brakes didn’t change much due temperature increases on the rotor and pads.

The amount of braking force the R1′s generate is certainly less that its bigger brother the ONE but clearly the R1s sport a much more compact and lightweight package. These brakes release very quickly without a hint of drag which to me is a great thing. This is especially important for competitive riders where every second counts – the last thing you want is a system that slows you down when you don’t want it to. Valuable energy can be lost when brakes drag and fortunately the R1s don’t.

If you go back and read my review of Formula’s the ONE you can see that both sets are very similar in performance aside from overall braking force. Pricing is also similar with the R1′s landing at $330.90 MSRP. These are incredible brakes for XC and AM use and you’ll have a hard time finding higher performance in a mountain bike brake package anywhere close to this weight and build quality.

Although it’s not shown here, Formula does offer the direct mount MiXmaster for your XX/XO/X9 shifters, both left and right side to clean up your bars a bit. They can be had for about $33.60 each; carbon levers and titanium bolt kits are offered as well.

Take a look at the Formula website for further details. Shout out to the good folks at Formula for providing the R1 brakes for review!

Hi folks, not too long back I wrote about the Formula RX brake set and since then I have really been enjoying the great modulation and awesome power. I recently installed a set of sintered pads in place of the stock organic ones and the performance has been pretty amazing. But wait, this little article isn’t about the RX brakes but the new 2010 THE ONE brake set. If you thought the RX brakes were impressive wait until you take a look at these!

THE ONE brakes utilize a patented forged caliper that encases huge 24mm caliper pistons to generate über amounts of stopping force. I am sure that those of you who follow what’s new and hot on the the slopes and World Cup events have heard about THE ONE. For those of you who haven’t, these are Formula’s top dog, no-holds-barred brakes for DH racing. At just 308g these are lightweight – very lightweight to be exact. In fact, with some brands it’s tough to find XC brakes this light! With rotor sizes of 160mm, 180mm, 203mm, 220mm, you’re sure to find the size you need.

Once I get these on my test bike I will have a chance to see how well they perform on the mountain. Formula claims THE ONE brakes modulate extremely well and if the RX is any indication I’m pretty sure these brakes will blow me away.

Taking a peek at the construction I have to comment on how small and tight the overall package is. Talk about really shaving weight where you can – the forging process allows these brakes to achieve a small form factor without loosing any strength. Compared to other brakes, THE ONE’s forging process results in tightly squeezed metal molecules, resulting in a more dense, stronger, and uniform material to start the machining process. The only drawback to this is the higher cost of manufacturing and thus final retail cost. Once the weather gets better I will give everyone the skinny on THE ONE’s.

Here are some of the highlights:

MASTER CYLINDER

• Forged radial master cylinder (M/C)
• Patent-pending high capacity, integrated reservoir
• Removable handlebar clamp
• Flip-flop master cylinder assembly
• Dual M/C bleed ports for easy-on-the-bike-bleeds
• Forged aluminum lever blade (optional carbon)
• Laser etched logos
• MiXmaster available

CALIPER

• Patent-pending forged one-piece post mount caliper
• Huge 24 mm caliper pistons for amazing power
• Top vented caliper allows for wheel on pad changes and eliminates overheating effects
• Bottom vented caliper pistons provide additional cooling
• Laser etched logos
• Top loading pads simplify pad changes

Thanks to the folks at Formula brakes for providing these brakes for the article.

Hydraulic disc brakes have many of the same components as mechanical disc systems with some minor but important differences. For one thing hydraulic disc brakes rely on fluid to push the pistons while mechanical brakes use a cable under tension pulling a lever to activate a cam device with a piston attached. Second, hydraulic brake lines have fluid in them under pressure when activated and cannot be damaged in any way (kinks, bulges, or leaks can render them ineffective).

Most hydraulic systems that are on the market today are dual piston (more powerful systems can have up to eight pistons), though a few entry level brakes operate similar to mechanical brakes with one piston that moves and one that is stationary. For systems that utilize two or more pistons, you will get more braking force, better modulation, and little or no drag and both pads will retract from your rotor after you apply the brakes. By using hydraulic fluid instead of a cable, there is less total drag on the brake system which gives a more crisp braking experience. With hydraulic disc brakes you are less likely to encounter problems in the long run compared to mechanical discs.

In this article we will follow the steps necessary to successfully service your hydraulic disc brakes:

Tools and equipment needed

Brake caliper inspection

Brake lever inspection

Brake hose inspection

Brake bleeding procedure

Brake pad replacement

Cleaning, assembly, torque, and adjustments

Tools and Equipment

Before we get started servicing hydraulic brakes it is necessary to have all the tools and supplies needed. When inspecting your brakes, make sure you have all the right tools like these bellow.

* Bleed kit specific to your brake which usually contains clear hoses, fittings to your caliper and lever, and squeeze bottles or syringes.
* Fresh brake fluid. Note: I highly recommend a good quality DOT 5.1 for Avid, Formula, Hayes, and Hope brakes. DO not use DOT 5. Use the mineral-based factory fluid for Shimano/Magura brakes. Do not use the mineral oil that’s sold from a drug store.
* Brake line wrenches, 8mm.
* Torque wrench.
* Allen sockets usually 4,5,6mm.
* Wrenches for bleed screws, usually a 6mm or 8mm.
* Torx wrenches (for bleed screws on brake lever usually T7,T8,T10).
* Torx wrench for rotor, T25.
* Alcohol used for cleaning up spills on the rotor surfaces.
* A lint-free cloth to wipe down your parts.
* Your brake manufacturer’s instructions (Avid, Magura, Hayes, they all have instructions which are available for free online).
* Bicycle repair stand that swivels.
* Spare parts as required for your service: Brake pads, stripped worn hardware, hoses, hose fittings…etc.

Brake Caliper Inspection

The first thing you need to do when servicing your hydraulic brakes it to remove the wheels and clean dirt and grime off the brake caliper. I use a worn out toothbrush, which does an excellent job. After you have cleaned the caliper, remove the brake pads.

Remember that your brake pads may have a return spring (placed between the pads), a cotter pin or a bolt that holds the pads in place. Sometimes there is not enough room to remove the pads and it may be necessary to carefully press/ pry the pads into the brake caliper using the pad separator that came with your brake set ( if you don’t have one just visit your LBS – they usually have dozens kicking around). A wide screwdriver may work here in a pinch.

Once the pads are in all the way you can carefully remove the pads one at a time by pulling them out with a pair of pliers. Once the pads are removed inspect the caliper for leaks around the pistons which now can been seen clearly. If the caliper pistons are not all the way in use a 10mm or 11mm wrench and pry the pistons all the way in, carefully avoiding the center post that usually resides in the middle of the piston. Prevent any oil from getting on the surface of the rotor or brake pads – the oil can ruin your brake pads permanently.

With the pads removed squeeze the brake lever 2 – 3 times and make sure the piston extends and retracts; this also helps lubricate the seals. After making sure your pistons move and both move the same amount, make sure that you retract them all the way in again using the 10mm wrench as before. If the pistons don’t move it’s time to get a rebuild kit (Avid, Hayes, Shimano) or a new caliper (Magura). Rebuilding a caliper is a bit involved and beyond many home mechanics’ skill set so I am excluding this procedure from this article.

Brake Lever Inspection

At this time you will now inspect your brake lever. First thing to do especially if you were involved in a accident is to check the lever and body for cracks or damage of any kind. If the lever feels loose it may be that the pivots are worn and need replacement; most manufacturers sell a pivot pin kit. Visually check and feel for leaks where the push rod meets the piston assembly. If it leaks it’s a good time to get the rebuild kit, or have your LBS take it from there. To finish the inspection get the torque wrench and check the torque of the bolts that hold the brake lever in place, and more importantly look to see that your bar has not cracked in that area (especially important for those riders who had a bad fall or own a carbon bar).

Brake Hose Inspection

Now is a great time to inspect your brake hose. Look along the entire length for any bulges, wet spots, or abrasions. If any of these signs show, it is time to replace your hose. Check the connection that goes between the hose and the caliper / lever; an 8mm wrench will usually help you tighten the hose in place.

Some manufacturers use a banjo fitting on the brake caliper. Take hold of the banjo fitting and see if it is tight by trying to move it by hand. If it moves it is loose and needs to be torqued once again. Finally, bikes with full suspension go through a lot of movement so visually inspect the hose to make sure the hose has not become worn in those areas.

Bleeding Brakes for Hydraulic Systems

At this point you may be wondering how air gets trapped in a hydraulic brake system anyway. If you open your system or shorten a hose, air can get introduced and must be removed. When this happens, the air is removed using a process called bleeding.

Hydraulic braking systems use a non-compressible fluid (such as DOT 3, 4, 5.1 or Mineral oil) to transmit force that squeezes the brake pads against the rotor. There must be no air trapped  in that system for the fluid to work properly. If air is in the line, considerable energy will be lost to compressing the air instead of operating the brakes.

I will use a hybrid method that Avid and Hayes recommend which is a sure shot way to remove air and eliminate future leaks.

Fill a syringe halfway with brake fluid and add your hose and all fittings required to attach it to the caliper. Tap the syringe and slowly squeeze it to remove the excess air (you know, like the surgeons do on ER). Once that is done, attach the syringe to the bleeder screw (on Hayes you need to place your bleeder wrench 6mm first). On Hayes brakes you can leave the bleeder closed for the next step; for Avid brakes you’ll need to clamp the hose with the red clamp provided. Slightly pull back on the syringe plunger to create a small vacuum then tap the side of the syringe. This step will de-gas the brake fluid, removing the absorbed air in the brake fluid (a great trick).

Now to the caliper lever. Attach the fitting provided from your manufacturer using a partially filled syringe (or bottle as shown) of brake fluid. Remove the bleeder port and then attach it to the bleeder port with the necessary fittings and hoses. If it’s a system like Magura/Shimano you will need to open the reservoir at this point. It may also be necessary to rotate the bike on your stand or rotate the brake lever to get the proper position to remove all the air. For Shimano and Magura you need to have the brake levers parallel to the ground.

To prevent the pistons from extending out of your caliper, use either a folded piece of cardboard or a specific tool from your manufacturer to prevent the pads from extending. Now squeeze the syringe (or bottle) at the caliper and crack open the bleeder screw using the correct wrench. Wait for fluid to flow into the brake lever. Look for bubbles at the syringe / bottle near the brake lever and tap the brake hose, caliper, and lever to shake free the air bubbles that may stick to the inside of your brake system (Magura is notorious for that). Once the fluid is entering the syringe is free of air bubbles (syringe at the brake lever), close the brake bleeder screw (brake caliper) and squeeze the brake lever a few times.

The lever should travel about halfway through its stroke. If it’s OK, close the bleeder screw port on the brake lever ( Magura / Shimano – cover the brake cap and reset the brake lever). Clean up any small spills and use some alcohol to clean off any spills on the brake lever and caliper.

Brake Pad Inspection

With the pads removed, inspect their thickness, looking for a minimum of 1mm of friction material or a total pad minimum thickness of 3mm ( Hayes/ Avid), or 2.5mm for Magura. While you are at it, inspect the spring and clips to ensure they have enough spring strength to retract the pads.

Brake pads that have friction material thicker than 1mm may not need replacing but should be cleaned and deglazed. Lay medium close coat sandpaper flat on a table and with a circular motion lightly rub the brake pad on the sand paper until the pad surface is flat and uniform. Before you reinstall the pads quickly check that the thickness is still greater than 3mm. If your brake pads are less than 3mm thick, install new pads.

Remember that your brake pad may have a return spring (placed between the pads), a cotter pin, or a bolt that holds the pads in place. Otherwise your system has a retaining spring on the back of your pad so make sure it clicks firmly into place and your pads are flush to the pistons.

Inspecting and Cleaning Rotors

The next task is to recondition the rotors by removing any glaze that may have accumulated on them. Remove the rotor if it is attached with T25 torx bolts or a Shimano centre lock. You can service the rotor while still attached to the wheel if you don’t have the tools to remove the rotor from the hub – just be careful to keep your fingers clear!

Fold medium sandpaper around a straight block to create a flat sanding surface. Rub the sand paper tangentially on both sides of the rotor’s braking surfaces. Now the rotor looks new and has cross hatching marks, or scratches at 33 degree angles from one another.

If necessary, reinstall the rotor and make sure you torque the bolts back at 55 – 60 inch pounds. When applying torque to the bolts, it should be done evenly and not in a circular pattern. Finally, clean the rotor off with a clean cloth and alcohol to remove any oil or fine metal particles. Replace your wheel and check the operation of the brakes.

Torque Inspection

Once you have the pads adjusted, the rotors and pads cleaned, and your cables lubricated, apply the correct amount of torque on your entire braking system, caliper bolts, caliper adapters, and the brake levers using a torque wrench and adjust if needed. Always follow your specific brake manufacturer’s recommended torque settings.

I hope this guide helps you with checking your brakes. This information will be great as a guide for those who already have a decent working knowledge of their bicycle and for those who are getting into repairing their own bike. Please have your owner’s manual handy for specific information regarding your brakes.

I would like to thank Gino Sena the owner of Cyclepath North York for the use of his shop and a few of his bikes for some of the photos in my article and also the good folks at Opus bikes, Hayes and Avid for some of the products that were featured here.