Should be getting the Saracen back next week, and following my little car interaction I’ve got a little bit of spare cash.

I’ve hated the brakes that came with the Saracen since the first time I had to adjust them so I’m going to get rid now. They’re great in use, but need adjusting too often with my milage.

The options are – Trp Spyres – hopefully will be easier to adjust, but I’m expecting them to need adjusting regularly and will still be cable.

Juin tech R1/Acor clones – Similar to Spyres but with a bit of Hydro action might be better?

TRP Hy-rds – Self adjusting which is great, but I’ve read some iffy reviews.

Or sacking it all off and using the money as a deposit on a new bike, I’m loving the look of the new Arkose 2 with full hydro brakes. Or maybe a Vitus CX bike if they have them in stock any time soon.

Opinions? Any one interested in a brand new Saracen Hack frame with or without some used parts?

I have the Spyres. They’re fine, but don’t expect miracles. They don’t compare to proper hydros.

Yeah that’s what I’m worrying about, They’ve got an Arkose 2 in my size in Evans in Brum and I’m tempted to just give them all of my money and more. IT really would be perfect for my needs.

I’d just need to buy a spare set of wheels for my ice tyres. Despite the fact I’ve never used them in anger…

New bike, obvs 😉

I have BB7s on my commuter (riser bar). Like yourself I find the constant adjusting a bit of a faff, and if I was buying again I’d prob get hydraulics, especially as though are now cheaper!!

I was tempted to get myself some Shimano full hydros, but my bike isn’t flat mount, so no go with the tiagras, which would mean an upgrade to 105 which is over £50. By the time I’ve done that I could just sell the Saracen for a couple of hundred quid and get a brand new bike with all modern fittings.

Plus – New bike

Which hack have you ended up with?
I’ve got TRP spyres, they are ok once set up but not as good as hydros, but depending on use- do they need to be?

I was tempted to get myself some Shimano full hydros, but my bike isn’t flat mount, so no go with the tiagras, which would mean an upgrade to 105 which is over £50.

I had a quick play with the 105 hydros on a bike in my LBS. The STIs felt pretty uncomfortable in my hands, not a patch on the normal ones. Maybe you get used to them, but the ergonomics and the fact that they look totally minging put me off buying them.

I’m tempted by the Acor/ Juin Tech hybrid brakes, you can buy a set on ebay for about £130.

I’ve got a set of Spyres having previously had Shimano 517’s. The Spyres are probably as good as cable discs get and do open up options if you’re on drops for cheaper levers. My mate has HyRd’s on his gravel bike and honestly doesn’t stop any better than I do on my CX.

I reckon I’d go for Spyres with Shimano rotors (the TRP ones are horrible and flexy under hard braking) if you’re staying with the existing bike but I’d seriously consider a full hydraulic solution if I was replacing the bike. All that kept me away from hydraulic two years ago when I got my current CX was the cost at the time.

I had the TRP hy-rd with 105 levers, self adjusting, felt as powerful as hydraulic brakes but slightly different lever feel as you’re still pulling a cable. Full length cable outer meant I never changed the cables.

I dunno, they’re not exactly cheap. Might work out cheaper if you got a new bike with better brakes as standard, rather than throwing money at what you currently have, if that makes sense?

And of course it’s Christmas soon

If you can get a price you are happy to sell the Hack and the front end bits of the Bizango, treat yourself to something new in the 2017 EOL bargains with proper hydraulic brakes! 😈

It sounds like you want something more adventure bike orientated, with plenty of clearance for at least 38mm tyres, but I love my Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016 bought in May… Which can be had for ~£1k at Rutland, or ~£900 if you buy at the right time. 😉

I’ve a Hack, which has been a brilliant bike, nothing fancy, just dependable and had lots of fun with it. It does commuting, local trails, Dirty Reiver and three peaks CX.

But getting fed up of having ‘guards and rack when I want to run it in ‘CX’ mode, or without guards and rack when in commuting (esp winter) mode.

It’s also getting a little long in the tooth, and I feel it would be kinder to give it a quiet(er) commuting/winter road-only life …

And as I’m 50 in January, I’ve today pulled the trigger on an OnOne Pickenflick … Ti and hydro’s for under £1300 (although Planet X have, today, cheekily increased the price to £1399 … Fortunately they updated the OnOne website last so I bought it from there at the lower price :lol:)

Don’t know what your budget is, and guess you need mounts for guards and rack? but PX also do the Full Monty SRAM Apex Hydro for £799 …

https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/gravel-adventure-bikes/full-monty

Meant to add a comment about brakes … I had the original brakes on the Hack for a while, Promax I think … Woeful. One seized up so replaced with Shimano CX cable disc, which was better. And recently popped a TRP Spyre on the front, which is good, but not great. The BB7’s on a mate’s bike I’ve been looking after for the last few months have been really good. But Hydro is probably the way to go …

I was tempted to get myself some Shimano full hydros, but my bike isn’t flat mount, so no go with the tiagras, which would mean an upgrade to 105 which is over £50. By the time I’ve done that I could just sell the Saracen for a couple of hundred quid and get a brand new bike with all modern fittings.

I’ve got RS685 (ultegra level) hydros on the “best bike” and RS505 (105 level) on the Gravel bike. Yes – the 105s aren’t a looker, but I’ve not found them uncomfortable – YMMV tho!

Plus – New bike

Minor faff but the Tiagra levers would be compatible with post mount calipers if you wanted to. You’d probably be able to recoup most of the Cali per cost by selling the flat mount ones to someone going from post > flat?

But yes – your last pint is very valid! Who doesn’t like a new bike?!

A

My Shimano r785 with Post Mount callipers have been for and forget just change the pads and keep riding on my cx bike

Ive run the R1 Juin techs for 18months now, great brakes- im 92kg on a steel gravel bike and they work great with 160mm discs.
Im also running full outers with Middleburn cable oilers so fuss free winterproof brakes.
Save the money and go with the Juintechs

@scruff no sign of the Hack yet, I’m not expecting it til mid next week at the earliest, I expect they’ll send me the old old old one, whatever they’ve got kicking get about at the warehouse.

Performance wise even the cheap Clarkes disc brake I got from Halfords for £15 is fine, it’s just the constant pad adjustment that grinds me down. The pads have to be set really close to work well so after a wet commute they need adjusting and every week or two in half decent weather. So the self adjusting nature of full hydros or hyrds is very appealing.

Might have a nose at that full monty – not as sexy as the Arkose, but £200 can’t be sniffed at.

That said, it the Hack is nice, a full hydro group would be £500ish and I’d only be wheels and contact points away from a new bike…

Interesting RNP, I did wonder how they’d do long term. Do you adjust them from the cable or the hydro screw doodad?

Im running discobrakes sintered pads so they dont wear down too much. Adjustment is a very occasional twiddle of the threaded adjuster. I dont touch the cable.
Im also using jagwire compressionless cables with Middleburn cable oilers.

Ive had them for ~18months but have rode daily for the last year.
I’d replace them like for like if they failed tomorrow- on a daily commuter i wouldnt bother with expensive full hydro’s – the Sti’s cost too much to replace when you crash on ice.

I’ve bitten the bullet and ordered some TRP HyRd from CRC, with the BC discount they were only about £15 more than the Juin Tech and I really want them to self adjust.

Just waiting for the warranty frame to turn up now, and I can slap it all together, got some 45mm Blumels too so I’m hoping I’ll be able to squeeze my ice tyres on there, if not I’ll whack them on the Mrs hybrid