Just received my RS685 road hydro doodas from CRC. Ordered them euro style, left=1000mm/right=1700mm, as that’s all they had in stock.
So was fully prepared to swap the hoses round like you do if you get Shimano brakes from our German Cousins. i.e unplug from lever a, and then pop back into lever b with a new olive/insert.
However, CRC have shipped them like this (click to make biggerer):
[img]http://i.imgur.com/1jKWLBg.png[/img]
….which threw me initially, until after a bit of googling, it turns out this is the new ‘easy joint system‘.
Does anyone have any experience of this? Is it really just as easy as removing the yellow bung, pushing the hoses together, and then nipping up the nut? Not sure if the slight ease of fitting is worth having to hide, hopefully it’ll go under the bar wrap, mahoosive interconnects.
Surely this makes internal cable routing a lot easier? I had some Formula brakes which had a similar system, although that was actually quick release. Seemed to work well and meant I didn’t need to bleed the brake after internally routing it.
I fitted some of these a couple of weeks ago. Mine are R785 from CRC and were supplied in the same style. If you need to shorten the cables then it is a bit pointless really. I had to shorten both of mine so it still involved cutting the cable and then fitting the little insert into the end of the cable, attaching it into the ‘easy-joint’ fitting and then re-bleeding. With a bit of careful cutting you can re-use the insert, although they are probably only a £1 or so.
I also managed to slightly tear the white cover over the end of the cable as I was feeding it through the frame, so even if I hadn’t had to shorten the cable I would still have had to re-bleed.
Also make sure you push the cable fully into the fitting before you tighten. I had to redo one of mine as my assistant didn’t push it in far enough…
Overall I would prefer if they had been supplied with normal cables.
With the right bits the brake where very quick and easy to bleed.
Overall I would prefer if they had been supplied with normal cables.
If it turns out I will need to shorten my hoses, small frame so it’s a possibility, then I will agree. If not, then I would probably still agree.
Also don’t forget to put the rubber nut covers over the hose before you connect it up. They should by packed with the levers somewhere.
I am fully prepared for the eventuality where I have threaded the hoses through the frame, connected them up, and realise I have forgotten to fit the rubber cover.
I fancied a set of RS685’s to replace the Sram Apex (10 spd), TRP HyRd setup on my Whyte Saxon CX, but talking to my LBS the other day it seemed like it would work out stupidly expensive. I thought I would get away a couple of new (smaller) discs and a new 11 spd cassette, but they said the chainset would have to go as well.
Your bike will be set up to use what discs are currently fitted, so just use your existing ones and swap the calipers. Otherwise, you will need to buy some new mounts as well.
My TCX will keep the 160mm rotors that are currently fitted. Although, I will swap the current TRP ones for some 160mm RT-76 rotors, so I can sell my TRP Spyres as a complete set.
I hadn’t thought about spacing the calipers, the 160’s do tend to turn blue on a regular basis I can’t imagine the 140’s would be any better.
That doesn’t overcome the need for a replacement chainset though.
I’d be well annoyed if my R785s had turned up with those big connector doo daas as I have my hoses routed internally in my bars along with inside the frame.
The caliper size is a bit strange though, I ordered 140mm discs and they were patently too small, even though that’s what the Shimano calipers apparently needed at time of ordering, so I sent them back to swap with 160mm versions. However it’ll be a couple of weeks until I return to the UK and determine whether these are correct either!
Oddly, they also have Moots with the same brakes, but no dangler.
Still a bit put out by it, but can only assume it’s now a thing with the RS685s. As all the new Giants seem to have them.
..although the TCX Advanced, only seems to have it on the rear:
If I did want to change the cables, do I assume I would just need 1x 1700mm length of BH59. As I can use the current 1700mm length, after removing from it from the rear caliper, for the front, and then just get 4x Olive+inserts?
My newly installed ones from Germany don’t have it either.
Yeah, I had this confirmed by someone else who ordered from The Germans. Retail boxed etc.
Given I will have to trim both hoses, and didn’t really want the J-kit system, I’ve decided I am going to send these back to CRC. Wasn’t in a massive hurry to get them, as was happy to wait till January for UK stock, but saw CRC had them and took the bait.
Will either get some from the Germans, or leave my Evans pre-order, which I was going to cancel, to run and hopefully get some in about 6 weeks. Well, assuming the date doesn’t get pushed back for the 128493859 time.
The connectors make sense for the OEM market. Not as much for joe public, especially if you’re having to trim them. It’s doable, if you can reuse or get hold of the specific insert*. Or fit new hoses…which is an unnecessary expense.
*Apparently it needs an insert with a tapered hole.
It seems to be an OEM thing, although no idea why?
The only thing I can think of, is maybe manufacturers can place orders with Shimano for custom lengths. That way it would be a piece of piss to hook them up on new bikes.
…even that seems a stupid suggestion, tho.
so I had to redo the connectors into the levers as well…
Did you just use standard BH59 Olive/Insert? My levers have a J-Kit sticker on them, so didn’t know if this fitting was standard.
I reused the inserts, and I had some spare olives. The connections at the lever only took one pair of hands so were easier to refit than the ‘easy joint’ connection.
Confusingly there are now two different inserts for the BH59 line. One for the normal connection (at the lever), and one for the ‘easy joint’ connection. I think the easy joint one has a slightly wider opening. You would have thought that after years of making mtb disc brakes Shimano would have this sorted by now.
I gave the brakes their first real use yesterday – 100miles on damp roads, very impressed with them. Very little effort required to brake.