TRP Slate T4 Brakes – Review
Until a few months ago, TRP were relatively unknown in gravity biking. Slap some on Gwin’s bike, and suddenly everyone’s interested… Tom’s been running them since before they were cool
Well, ok, that’s not strictly true, but I’ve had a set of the Slate T4 brakes on my trail bike for the last few months and the Ride.io Team have them bolted onto their team bikes for the 2016 season (we’re always ahead of the curve!). Brought into the UK by Upgrade Bikes, these are easy to get your hands on. DMR’s bikes at events have been fitted out with them, and with Aaron Gwin announcing that he will be running TRP brakes for this season, these are sure to be in demand.
TRP are based in the USA just outside Salt Lake City in Utah, and have a solid name in road and cyclocross, gathering followers in those disciplines thanks to their ease of use and reliability. I’ve been running the Slate T4 brakes, a 4 piston brake designed for everything from burly XC to DH. The Quadiem boasts even greater stopping power, while the 2pot Dash are for the weight conscious whippets – not so much for oafs and enduroists!
The lever body looks similar to Shimano ones, but with a longer lever. The T4s have reach adjustment using an allen key, and a simple bleed port on top of the master cylinder. Attaching it to the bars is a hinged clamp, and the shape of the lever lets you run other controls nice and close, indeed you can even use Shimano’s I-Spec mount to attach your shifter – refreshing cross compatibility! The lever blade is dimpled, and great for one finger braking; you could get a second finger on there if you really wanted to, but there’s no need.
At the caliper end, post mounts have enough movement in them to set up on even the most maligned set ups, and a banjo fitting on the hose means kink free fitting. A threaded rod holds the pads in place, and the caliper is clean looking, with no awkward areas to collect filth. The pads are the same as Shimano 4Pot pads, giving you a big range of options, including finned and aftermarket options. The semi-sintered pads that are supplied with them have been great, mixing power with longevity. After burning through those I’ve been running a mix of Uberbike and Shimano Sintered which have been performing well. Changing pads is very easy, but I think brakes have moved on from the horror-show of trying to change pads on Avid Juicys in the snow.
Out on the trail, the brakes have been faultless from the word go. As I fitted them I shortened the hoses, made super easy with the supplied spare parts and bleed kit, and since then they have done tens of thousands of meters of descending in all sorts of conditions from snow, to rain, to bleak wind and hail. Basically everything except sunshine. Over that time they have never failed to perform. Lever feel is solid and positive, and remains that way even after long brake heavy descents. I’ve had no issues with them pumping up or dramatically changing feel over descents, and have been really impressed with how much power they deliver with little effort from the lever.
At under 300g per brake, and under £90 each (without rotors, giving riders options & ability to save money if they already have a set), these are a really good high end option for your burly trail or DH bike. Well worth giving the guys and girls at Upgrade Bikes a call and getting a set on your bike.
