TRP DH-R EVO brakes £210 each (+ £35 for 203mm rotor)

TRP have made the DH-R EVOs for the toughest, longest and most demanding descents, with input from their sponsored World Cup riders Brendan Fairclough and Aaron Gwin. The lever uses a 9mm piston with a leverage ratio designed to increase power over the previous DH-R. It features tool-free reach adjustment and a hinged bar clamp for easier maintenance. Inside the four-piston calliper, the oil has been rerouted for faster flow, for further power gains. The brake is designed to be used with TRP’s own 2.3mm-wide rotors. Our 203mm discs weighed 245g each, with the rest of the brake (lever, calliper, pads and 190cm hose) coming in at 332g.

Bleeding isn’t as straightforward as with some other brands’ brakes and we found it hard to fully purge air from the system. Initially, we were disappointed with the spongy or soft lever feel. After spending considerable time bleeding our pair, trying out a factory-bled set and speaking to TRP – who explained that the lever’s high pull-ratio can make the brakes feel softer than others on the market – we were satisfied that this wasn’t due to a faulty or poor bleed. When you’re stationary, the levers feel soft, and travel to and beyond the bite point as you slowly ramp up the braking pressure. However, once on the move this didn’t equate to a lack of power or a deep bite point, and only small, light movements of the lever were required.

The DH-R EVOs have immense amounts of power. In fact, they feel more powerful than Shimano’s latest fourpiston offerings and SRAM’s Code RSC brakes, although we haven’t yet done any lab testing to back this up. Combined with the relatively light lever action, this helps reduce fatigue. Because the bite point is quite hard to identify, due to its softness, it’s easy to pull the levers too hard and cause the wheels to lock. It took us a fair amount of time to work out how to use the brakes effectively, but once we’d sussed it out, controlling modulation was relatively easy. Riding prolonged and steep descents didn’t find their limits, and they refused to overheat or pump up. Unlike some Shimano brakes, the bite point remained in the same place even once the pads were on their last legs.

We tested them with both sintered and organic pads, preferring the longevity and performance of the former. The lever blade is chunkier than on Shimano’s higher-tier options, so testers with shorter index fingers had to stretch to reach around it. Alex www.upgradebikes.co.uk

Seriously powerful brakes with a unique feel that’ll suit some riders more than others