Has anyone changed from the Spyre to the HyRd?
Much difference, much more power? Just wondered….. 🙂

No experience of the Spyre (though heard good things), but the Hy-Rd’s really are the business! Soooooooo progressive, sooooooo much control, soooooo much power if needed! 🙂

Loving my Force Hydro’s. Plenty of modulation and power.

Mboy, what are they like braking from the hoods?

Had HyRd’s fitted, just thought they’d be the nearest to Hope’s. Hardly ridden the bike so can’t really be objective.

Have HYrds they are great.

Enough power and modulation even on the hoods to descend at a reasonable pace. In the drops, if you’re riding in a group, you’ll get people smacking into the back of you!

As a hydraulic/cable mashup, I was expecting the worst of both worlds. In fact, the opposite is true, because with good quality (compressionless) brake cables they feel like a full hydro setup in use, but of course you’re free to choose your own levers.

I’ve briefly tried Shimano R785 and SRAM Force brakes, and they impressed me too, but the TRP’s are much more accessible and give excellent performance too.

I’ve got Spyre brakes fitted to the CX and they are great with plenty of power. Have ridden HyRd’s which are also great with even more power and feel than the Spyre. Got a set of the new Shimano Hydraulics on order which I’m hoping will be the ultimate solution to braking performance and looking good.

i dont have either but the old shimano sti 5600 pull less cable so may effect the feel of them, the 5700 pull more cable, no idea about sram and campag. just a thought.

Given the price of HY/RD, I would just jump a generation, and get the RS685 when they come out in December.

I love the ones I fitted to my cx. Much more confidence now as the stopping is predictable and powerfull. Bb5/7’s feel soft and lack bite.

No spyres. Hyrds Are very very good. Equivalent to mid range shimanos on mtb I reckon. Good lever feel with both the last 2 generations of 10spd 105 levers.

Been running hyrds for 18 months now and they are great. But things that make a difference to consistent feel:
Top up the reservoir
compressionless housing helps
pads that don’t disappear in an instant (ashima sos are good so I’ve heard)

That said I’d love a shimano hydro set up but its the current sti cost that puts me off, esp on a bike that gets some abuse.

Mboy, everyone, thanks for the views. I’ve got Spyres and they’re fine but not much power from the hoods where i spend most of my time. I’ve only done about 5 miles on them so far so I’ll see how it goes but I might swap. Not sure yet….

Shimano RS685s?
Err no thanks. That’ll require changing virtually the whole bike, which aint gonna be happening!

I’ve had 3 sets of cable disks from new. They all lacked power until bedded in. The latest pair were useless at first, so much so I nearly ran into the back of someone this morning! They improved as I photometric miles on.

My spyres are great, the power does build over time as the pads bed in.

Err no thanks. That’ll require changing virtually the whole bike, which aint gonna be happening!

Not quite, but I get your point.

They improved as I photometric miles on.

As you what now?

My hyrds are superb and I’d never go back to my old bb7s. However, you do have to get used to more lever throw than you probably would like and you also need to actually pay heed to the instruction about using quality compressionless cables. To start with I didn’t and used the old cables from my bb7s including inline adjusters- so much better after I bought new ones.

Convert, what cables do you suggest?

I’m now using the ‘Jagwire Kit Extra Long Racer ‘ cables. I forgot to say my frame was previously set up for using sections of outer between stops with exposed inner along the top tube and down the seatstay. I got busy with a dremmel (no mean feat on a ti frame) to open out the stops so I could run a full cable outer. That probably helped too.

When I first used my HyRd brakes I felt they had too much lever travel (running them with Ultegra 6800 levers) but soon got used to the feel of them. However they will be going as soon as my 685s turn up. Not really through any fault with them, I just want a smaller and cleaner looking calliper.

Jamie – Freeloader!
They improved as I photometric miles on.
As you what now?

Sorry autocomplete is gash. Meant ‘put a few miles on…’ :-/

Im just in the process of fitting hy rds. I have 105 5600 shifters, compressionless jag wire outer cables, followed the fitting instructions and the levers come back to the bars – do they not work with the 5600??

Shimano 5700 (and likewise ulcers equiv) pull more brake cable than 5600, so if folk are getting lots of lever travel with the newer shifters, id say 5600 doesn’t have enough pull.

I’m not familiar with hyrds so nog sure if there’s anything you can do to compensate.

hyrd work fine with 5600. My anecdotal experience is they are sensitive to cable slack/ housing bedding in. Tighten them all up as per instructions. Dont be adraid to realy yank on the brake. Lever now comes back to bars with no bite. Tighten em up again as per instructions to take up slack. The now bite at a nice point halfway through the throw.

ta for that eddie. I will give them another go.

Love the ease of set up on the Spyres and the modulation, less impressed with stopping power. Not sure if better pads would help?

No problem with stopping power with spyre slcs here with the stock pads, although the rear seems to now be rapidly wearing in the mud.

Was hurlting towards some fallen down trees and readily locked the wheels into a panic stop and controlled slid past the trees the other day, from the hoods.

Very impressed and like the ability to wind the pad to rotor gap back to cope with the muddy conditions.

TRP have also said they should work with the 5600 – more tinkering.

Love the ease of set up on the Spyres and the modulation, less impressed with stopping power. Not sure if better pads would help?

I found using Jagwire compressionless housing made a big difference with Spyres. Also the stock pads were appalling in the wet, barely any bite and wore away in seconds.

Gore rideon cable here…

I find the power on my Spyres noticeably less powerful from the hoods than from my cross top levers – as such, I reckon it’s not really an issue of power, more about lever throw/mechanical advantage.

That said, I manage fine with them on my CX from the hoods so I wouldn’t have said they’re short on power.

Did a road ride yesterday that took in a couple of pretty fast descents, in the wet.

Single finger braking on a road bike, with power in reserve and modulation to die for, needs to be experienced to be believed! The Hy-Rd’s are quite simply bloody fantastic. The rotors they came with make a slightly annoying ticking noise under braking so I may change them to some Shimano’s (they use Shimano pads so should be a safe bet), but otherwise they really can’t be beat IMO! Well, unless you go to Shimano R785’s or SRAM Force/Red that is…

Darn it mboy are they that good?! In the wet? I’ve had the Spyres on 2 bikes for a year with Jagwires and for me they haven’t been that much better than BB7s except much easier set-up and adjustment. And the pad wear……..Always been put off by the Steam Punk aesthetics and half-way houseness of the Hy-Rds and thought that I might as well wait until the Shimano hydros arrived. But having seen the price and need for new levers……….

Spyre seem fine on my road bike so far, yet to do th eCrow Road with them though. New model Hy/RD for front only is on way from Taiwan, have a look on ebay. Just short of £80…

So, has anyone mixed a Spyre on the rear with a HyRd on the front? Seems like it would be a good combo for anyone struggling with power with Spyres

(I’m assuming on the front only)

Was wondering that myself. Aside from offending the ‘collar and cuffs’ brigade imagine the feel might be different? Done it with a mini V and a Spyre front on a fold-up and it’s fine.
Think I might try this unless there is a truly obvious reason why it shouldn’t be done!

Anyone struggling with power from the Spyres either has levers with insufficient cable pull or a crap cable setup, imho.

I did start going through my rear pad rather fast last week in the very muddy conditions, so order some replacement sintered pads.

I’m really impressed with my HyRd’s, loads of controllable power. Wouldn’t want more power and compare well to the Shimano and avid Mtb bakes I used on old commuter – poor brakes was my one fear going from mtb to road bike. My only concern is how well the cables work over the winter once cold, wet and mucky.

Darn it mboy are they that good?! In the wet?

I’ll stick my neck on the line here, but yes, really really impressed with them.

Got compressionless cable outers and high quality inners on my bike, which IMO is crucial, but they feel like a good quality full hydraulic brake as a result. In fact, having had a brief go on SRAM Force Discs and Shimano R785’s, I’d go so far to say that the Hy-Rd’s have got better modulation (if not quite as much power).