Another cool (and patented) feature is TRP’s “Slyde” quick release system. I admit that, at first, I couldn’t figure them out. However, a friend of mine did. You first pop up a plastic retention lever. Then you “slyde” the barrel adjuster inward, toward the center of the wheel. Voila!– the arms open up to facilitate the wheel change.

TRP also includes the brakeset with excellent SwissStop black pads. The black pads are aluminum-specific and fit well into the brake holders.

One nit with the brakes is the rubber O-ring that sits under the barrel nut. Another friend was checking the brakes out, and he yanked on the barrel adjuster (not sure why…). The ring sprang and the barrel adjuster was loose. Luckily we found the O-ring. Point being, when you use the Slyde, the O-ring flops down. You have to remember to put it back into the threads. One wonders how long it will last. That being said, the O-ring isn’t really mission critical once the brakeset has been mounted, so it really isn’t an issue.

Performance
With the massive calipers, I assumed these brakes would be effective. I was right; the brake body is exceptionally stiff. Braking performance was excellent–it was easy to lock the brakes up. The modulation was almost too quick; small pressure is effective but larger pressure can easily lock them up. They were noticeably more powerful than my Zero Gravity Ti brakes. However, the eebrake seems to have a slightly more progressive feel than the TRPs.

Regardless, these brakes perform extremely well and they inspired confidence on steep downhills. On aluminum rims, there was no chatter or screeching at all.

The anodized red color was also cool. While not quite the same tone as the red on my Cervelo R3, the red brakes were a nice overall accent to my setup. The brakes are also available in black, to match a wider variety of frames.

Weight and Value
Brakes are an important upgrade. They can save significant weight, and, obviously, they are a critical link to your safety. At 238 grams, with pads, these TRP’s are 32% lighter than the benchmark Shimano 7800. But the MSRP of $399.99 is pretty steep. Fortunately, these brakes can now be found for ~$250/set from merchants on the Internet, and they represent a much better value at this price.

In sum, at 238 grams, the brakes are light, and though they face stiff competition, notably the Zero Gravity Ti’s which are a whopping 122 grams lighter, they offer superior braking performance. And since these brakes are now widely available for around $250, they seem like a screamingly great deal.

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